Working from a provided script, and filming in St. Louis, create a cheeky and humorous live-action product launch video for Gerbil Water, an aspiring small business and a recipient of H&R Block's Make it Legit contest from this past spring.
You know how sometimes great, off-the-wall ideas come to you late at night, when you least expect it? That product that would solve, like, at least three problems... if you only had any clue how to create it. Or fund it. Or create advertising for it. Or form an LLC... (or should it be an S-Corp???). That's why H&R Block launched the Make it Legit contest this year, to help aspiring small business owners with the tools to take their small business to the next level – with business formation help and support, branding, swag, and, for one lucky winner, a commercial promoting her business idea – and that's why we're here.
That winner is Cat, and her business? Gerbil Water, a gerbil-style gravity water bottle...for humans. The idea for Gerbil Water was fueled by one-too-many "one-too-many" kind of nights out, if you get what we mean, where the next day, getting out of bed to get a glass of water felt next to impossible. If only there was a water bottle that could offer up the hydration of, well, water, without the physical work of lifting a bottle or glass to your lips, let alone having to lift your head off the pillow. So, obviously, more people need to know about Gerbil Water. To do that, we need someone with a really good sense of humor, strong comedic timing, and an appreciation of the absurd to bring our :30, infomercial-style Gerbil Water script to life.
While this should be fun and funny, we do still want to get viewers excited about a small business owner getting the chance to make her dream a reality, so it's important that Cat herself is featured in this spot (along with one talent you'll need to cast), and that's why you'll need to be able to shoot live action and work locally in St. Louis, MO, where she's based. Beyond that, if greenlit, we're pretty open to your tweaks on the script and concept, but keep in mind that this commercial is Cat's to use however she would like; no need to reinvent the (gerbil) wheel, here.
While this video is sponsored by H&R Block through their Make it Legit campaign, your commercial is for and about Gerbil Water, the product. For your pitch, we'd like you to walk us through how you'd bring the script to life. That should include your thoughts on casting for the non-Cat talent, any small script tweaks or thoughts on set design and styling, more ways to drive home the absurdity and the tongue-in-cheek humor, and anything else you think you and your team, specifically, can bring to the table.
Check out more information in the Background, and for any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.
DELIVERABLES: There are two total video assets.
EXPECTED TIMELINE: HERE
EXPOSURE: We expect content will be used on the platforms below, but if casting talent, be sure they review our required Talent Release before they're cast, as it is NOT limited to these platforms. You should also review our Music providers in the Project Requirements, as well as the platform best practices.
TARGET AUDIENCE: Small business owners, Millennials, Gen Z.
TONE/FEEL: Humorous, tongue-in-cheek, celebratory, exciting.
EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES:
By participating in this project, creators acknowledge that the Sponsor is under no obligation to greenlight a submission. Though most projects do move forward, we'll notify you in the event the Sponsor decides not to fund any submissions via the Project Forum. Regardless of the result, all submissions will be reviewed and evaluated by the Sponsor and project team.
In order to be considered, include the below materials in your submission. For examples of effective pitches, check out this gallery. All Pitches remain private, even after a Pitch is selected, and Tongal strives to have Pitch selections made by the end of the Evaluation period,but additional time may be required by the Sponsor, depending on any number of factors. Unless specifically requested, there's no need to include a budget with your submission.
The most compelling pitch will be greenlit by the Sponsor, and the responsible creator will then receive an email from Tongal producers detailing next steps. All submitters will also receive an automated email notification that a selection has been announced. To ensure you’re receiving project updates, review your email settings to check that you haven’t unsubscribed.
Creators who’ve been selected will receive funding upon completing the Winner Affidavit and the IP Assignment. Payment of the pitch funds is subject to a payment schedule determined by Tongal, typically included with the project timeline.
PRE-PRODUCTION BIBLE & APPROVALS: Prior to the commencement of actual production, creators MUST prepare a singular pre-production "bible" document with the elements contained below, and that document MUST receive final approval from the Sponsor. We recommend that you use the bible template we provide HERE, or something very similar. The bible can be presented in stages as different elements are ready for review (i.e. it's not expected that storyboards, if required, are ready with your first draft). Apart from the below, you're also welcome to include other key items that you think would be helpful to communicate your plan (e.g. moodboards, lighting, music, shot list, etc.).
Note that there may be multiple rounds of feedback until elements are approved, and if you begin production before you have received final approval, you may need to reshoot or reanimate at your own expense.
For convenience, we've provided some helpful templates that you can consider using for pre-production materials, and they can all be accessed here.
BUILDING YOUR TEAM: Looking for help? Post crew and production opportunities connected to Tongal projects on Backlot. Backlot includes search tools to help you find collaborators and crew by role, skill set, location, and more, for productions of any size and type. Tongal also supports inclusivity in all productions, and strongly encourages you to hire diverse talent for your team. To find additional options for staff & crew in your area, check out these resources and partners.
REVISION REQUIREMENTS & RESOURCES: Once Content has been submitted and the initial Production Phase completed, greenlit creators will enter into Revisions. Creators will perform reasonable edits on their videos according to the Sponsor's feedback. Check out our Filmmaker Resource Portal to access helpful post-production resources like Text-Safe Guides for different platforms, Project File Organization Tutorial, Export Presets, and Captioning services.
MUSIC: If you use music from a library for your content, you MUST use one of Tongal's music providers: Universal Production Music, PrimalHouse, or Jingle Punks. Music from these providers is available to registered Tongal members at no charge solely for their incorporation into submissions to this project, and will not require a Music Release Form. To learn more, click on any of the providers' names above.
If you use original music, you must fill out and submit our Music Release Form. Please ensure your composer reviews and signs this form BEFORE beginning their work.
STOCK FOOTAGE: Tongal has partnered with the stock footage library Storyblocks, which can be used to source video clips, photography, and After Effects templates for your video submission to this project. Video or photo content from Storyblocks is available at no charge, solely for incorporation into submissions on this project, and will not require a separate Release Form. If identifiable people or intellectual property appears in a video clip or photo, you may only utilize assets that are clearly marked “Model released: Yes” or “Property release: Yes” on the clip description pages. You may NOT use any audio.
If you intend to use Storyblocks, inform your Tongal producer, and an account will be created for you to access the library. Once assets are approved for delivery, you must provide a complete list of all Storyblocks content that you used via our template HERE.
ASSET DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS & RESOURCES: You must also provide all project files, editing sequences and a 1080p .mov master file, using a ProRes, Animation, or Uncompressed Codec in order to submit final payment. You are responsible for any costs associated with the hard drive and shipping. Tongal also reserves the right to request all raw files associated with the project.
To ensure a smoother delivery, please review the Export Presets, Specifications, and Project File Organization Tutorial in our Filmmaker Resource Portal.