We're looking for a stop-motion animator to act as our showrunner and lead animator for an interactive choose-your-own-adventure-style video concept for LEGO® City.

LEGO® City is a realistic LEGO world for kids to explore and stimulate their creativity. With over 82 different sets, the possibilities and adventures are truly endless.

We're looking for a talented stop-motion animator to help us design a totally new viewing and interactive experience set in LEGO® City. The experience will be a choose-your-own-adventure-style video resulting in a single 2-3 minute narrative, but with approximately 35 different narrative possibilities, it may require up to 15 minutes of actual stop-motion content.

You will act as our showrunner (working with our writers, storyboard artists, other stop-motion animators, VFX artists) to oversee the production as well as be our lead animator creating the intro for the concept. 

For any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.

DELIVERABLES:

• Oversee the production of the interactive experience
• Create 1/5 of the total animation (about 2:30 minutes of animation with :30 being an intro due this year)

TIMELINE: 

Pitch Phase: 10/14 - 10/25

Showrunner selected: 10/26

Onboarding call: 10/27

Pre-production: 10/27 - 12/03

Intro Production: 12/03 - 12/29

Intro Delivered: 12/29

Additional animation production: Jan - March 2022

EXPOSURE:

• YouTube

TARGET AUDIENCE:

• Kids 5 - 12

TONE:

• If not using the Background/Additional Details section.

EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES: 

• We are looking for someone with experience managing a team
• Will need experience with VFX

Shooting live action or stop motion? Our priority is ensuring everyone's safety, and we're now requiring a COVID safety protocol plan for all relevant productions. Please review our COVID-19 Production Safety Guide and check federal, state, and local rules before and during your shoot to make sure your on-set protocols are up to date. We're working hard to keep people working during this extraordinary time, and you should ensure your submission is executable within the anticipated timeline and budget, while also ensuring everyone's safety.

LEGO® City is a realistic LEGO world for kids to explore and stimulate their creativity.

• You can check out LEGO® City sets here.
• You can check out some previously made videos about LEGO® City here.

In order to be considered for this project, you must include the below materials in your pitch submission. For examples of effective pitches, check out this gallery.

• TEXT (REQUIRED): 500 or fewer characters synopsizing how you plan to approach and execute this project
  
  
• TREATMENT (REQUIRED): Tell us why you're the best animator for this project and about your past experience managing a team. If you've worked on an interactive stop-motion project previously, please let us know! If it's helpful to you, we've provided a treatment template, which you can find here.

• LINKS (REQUIRED): To your previous video work. Please specify your role (producer, director, cinematography, etc.) and DO NOT INCLUDE LINKS TO YOUR SHOWREEL. Please link to individual videos.
  
  
• COVID PROTOCOL (REQUIRED): Please let us know your team’s COVID safety protocols for production. If you’re doing everything yourself, or your team will be working 100% remotely, let us know that this won’t apply. Otherwise, at the very minimum, your safety plan must include information about:
  • What city and state you plan to film in
  • Whether you are filming interiors or exteriors
  • Approximately how many people you plan to have on set
  • How you’ll account for testing, PPE, and distancing on set
  • How you’ll handle talent and backup talent, including any hair, make-up, and wardrobe needs
  • Whether you’ll have a dedicated compliance officer on set
    
    
• PITCH VIDEO (Optional): This is your opportunity to be face-to-face with the Sponsor and show them what you're capable of. Consider submitting a pitch video in which you tell the Sponsor what they can expect should they choose your pitch. Also, test videos, animatics, etc. are welcome. For some examples of effective Pitch videos, check out this gallery. All Pitches will remain private until after the Sponsor gives creator(s) the green light to move forward.

The most compelling pitch will be greenlit, 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. 

PRE-PRODUCTION REQUIREMENTS: Prior to shooting, filmmakers must receive the below approvals from the Sponsor.

• ANIMATION TREATMENT: This project requires animaiton treatment approval. The treatment should include which sets you're planning to feature as well as any minifigures, brick-built backgrounds you're planning to use/create. There may be multiple rounds of feedback.

For your convenience, we’ve provided some helpful templates to use at your discretion. They include templates for creating a treatment, production budget, storyboards, shot list, call sheet, and a music cue sheet. Additionally, there are templates that will help you clearly present cast, location, and wardrobe options to the Sponsor. They can all be accessed here.

BUILDING YOUR TEAM: Tongal supports inclusivity in all of our productions and strongly encourages you to hire diverse talent for your team. To find staff & crew in your area, check out these resources and partners.

REVISION REQUIREMENTS: Once the Video Phase has closed, the greenlit submitters will enter the Revisions Phase. Filmmakers will perform reasonable edits on their videos according to the Sponsor’s feedback.

MUSIC: Tongal has partnered with three premiere music providers: Jingle Punks, Universal Production Music and Epidemic Sound, any of which can be used to source music for your video submission to this project. 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 separate Music Release Form. To learn more about using each of these music providers, click on any of the providers’ names above. 

If you choose to use custom/original music, you must fill out and submit our Music Release Form. If you obtain music from third-party catalog providers, you must purchase the appropriate license at your own expense and submit it with your license purchase receipt when you turn in your video paperwork.

ASSET DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS: 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 the costs associated with the hard drive and shipping.

For Tongal’s file delivery specs and any other questions you may have about post-production, please click here.

1. Preferred format for upload to the Tongal website is HD 720p 16x9. Acceptable file formats are .mov, .avi, .mp4, .wmv. Acceptable codecs are H.264 (MP4), MPEG-4, H.263, MPGV, WMV, DivX. Should your submission be greenlit, you will also be required to provide a 1080p .mov master file, using a ProRes, Animation, or Uncompressed Codec.
   
   
2. Unless provided otherwise, all work must be your own original creation and free of any copyrighted material. You shall provide detailed information of your work regarding the source, the creator and background information as requested by Tongal.
   
   
3. In the event you utilize any third-party materials, such as music provided by a third-party music provider not provided by Tongal, you must obtain full written license and consent from the owner of such third-party materials and provide such license and consent forms to Tongal.
   
   
4. BY SUBMITTING A VIDEO ENTRY, YOUR SUBMISSION IMMEDIATELY BECOMES THE SOLE PROPERTY OF TONGAL OR ITS ASSIGNEES – SEE OFFICIAL RULES FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT OWNERSHIP OF ENTRIES. YOU MAY NOT PUBLICLY SHARE OR PUBLISH YOUR SUBMISSION IN ANY MANNER AND YOU MAY NOT POST OR UPLOAD YOUR SUBMISSION TO ANY WEBSITE OR VIDEO HOSTING SITE (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE OR VIMEO), WITHOUT THE PRIOR EXPRESS WRITTEN CONSENT OF TONGAL. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS REQUIREMENT MAY RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION OF YOUR ENTRY IN THE PROJECT.
   
   
5. You may not contact any employees or members of the Sponsor’s organization, their affiliates, or any of their partners. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in disqualification of your entry in the project.
   
   
6. Submissions cannot contain any profanity, offensive language, nudity or otherwise objectionable material, the determination of which is solely at the discretion of Sponsor.
   
   
7. Submissions must not portray Sponsor in a negative way, the determination of which will solely reside with Sponsor.
    
8. By submitting to this project, you acknowledge that your work may become subject to public voting on the Tongal site. Public voting may be used to help the project sponsor determine the final rank order.
    
9. Videos must be in the English language or subtitled.
    
10. Limit 5 submissions per member, per Phase.
     
11. You must be at least thirteen (13) years or older to enter.
    
    
12. The Sponsor reserves the right to repost the contest.
    
    
13. In addition to the judging criteria stated in the OFFICIAL RULES, Pitches will also be evaluated on that member's ability to execute the final Video based on their prior work and experience as a filmmaker.
    
    
14. The Sponsor will be entitled to reasonable revisions on the finished Videos without providing additional compensation. Remember it's easier to re-edit than re-shoot so try to get as much coverage as possible.
    
    
15. In addition to the standard Tongal W-9, Winner Affidavit, and IP Assignment, greenlit Video creators MUST also provide Talent, Location, Music (or other) Releases for all assets appearing in their Videos, as well as a photograph/headshot OR copy of a photo ID for all On-camera Talent releases. You must also provide all project files, editing sequences and a 1080p .mov master file, using a ProRes, Animation, or Uncompressed Codec to claim your earnings.
    
    
16. See OFFICIAL RULES for additional contest information, terms and conditions. If there is any conflict or inconsistency between these requirements and the Official Rules, the terms and conditions of these requirements shall prevail.