Create a visually arresting, highly shareable, and attention grabbing vertical social video for the release of Gladiator II, coming to theaters this November 22nd. All filmmaking mediums and styles are welcome, so long as your resulting video makes viewers go "woah" when they see it.
Coming exclusively to theaters on November 22nd, Gladiator II continues the epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome. Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.
The goal of this project is to create a short but highly impactful, attention-grabbing vertical social video, roughly :10-:15, that captures the spectacular action and intensity of Gladiator II. Your video should look cinematic, yet feel at home on social media, captivating viewers and encouraging them to rush to theaters for the movie's opening night on November 22nd.
Paramount is looking for highly stylized videos that are visually arresting and thumb stopping on social media. While your video should be short, it should still feel ambitious and pack a big punch within the limitations of the budget. In terms of execution, all mediums are on the table - whether it be stop-motion animation, CGI, live-action, or even really incredible cosplay. No matter what execution you choose, your unique vision should bring the world of Gladiator II to life in a way that captivates and thrills. For example, imagine someone walking down a busy street, they turn a corner, and suddenly they are suited in gladiator armor ready to step into the arena. Or you could create an stylized stop-motion animation that brings a gladiator battle to life in the aesthetic of Ancient Roman art. Or you could forge your very own gladiator sword or helmet. The possibilities are limitless - but no matter what, make sure your approach makes viewers say, "Wow!" when they see it.
Your content should be designed to maximize engagement on social media. Think about how to leverage trends, transitions, and effects that resonate with social media platforms. This is a great opportunity for a costume designer, makeup artist, and/or production designer to make something really interesting and be the star of the show, because if you do indeed go the route of "impressive cosplay," we really want to make sure it doesn't feel like your typical Roman Halloween costume.
Importantly, your video CANNOT feature the likenesses of any of the actors in the film, but you CAN represent highly-stylized versions of the movie's characters if you're thinking about a stop-motion or animation video concept, so long as they are NOT recognizable as specific actors. You CAN feature gladiator battles, but you should limit the amount of blood and gore in your video so it's suitable for a general audience. Your video should NOT focus on the history of Ancient Rome, including the "this is my Roman Empire" trend on social media, and you CAN include dialogue in your video, although that is NOT required. Approved music cues from the film's epic score will be made available to greenlit filmmakers.
Your pitch treatment should provide at least THREE unique video concepts, and if you're selected, Paramount will work with you to decide which ONE concept will move into production. We also encourage you to submit an optional proof-of-concept video that illustrates how your idea would come to life. Your proof of concept should be designed for social media, shot in a 9x16 aspect ratio, and roughly 10-15 seconds long. Feel free to include links to any existing social videos (they don't have to be your own) that represent the style you'd be aiming for. Paramount is looking to greenlight multiple filmmakers, so the more video concepts you submit, the better your chance of getting greenlit.
Check out more information in the Background, and for any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.
DELIVERABLES: Each creator will create one video:
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:
TONE/FEEL: Epic, impactful, action-packed, unexpected, clever, and intriguing
EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES:
OPEN BID:
TRAILER & POSTERS:
MAIN CAST:
OFFICIAL SOCIAL CHANNELS:
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.
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 REQUIREMENTS: Prior to the commencement of actual production, creators MUST receive final approval from the Sponsor on the elements below. There may be multiple rounds of feedback until an element is approved.
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: Jingle Punks and Universal Production Music. 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 choose to 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.