The LEGO Group is looking for three 3D animation teams to produce exciting short animated films that take us on fun LEGO City adventures!

Calling all superstar 3D animators! The LEGO Group is looking to create three new, fun, and exciting short films for LEGO CITY. We're talking super cool, high-octane, edge-of-your-seat, Jackie Chan meets Thor-type action-adventure movie stuff here, so buckle up and get ready to rock n' roll!  We're looking for three different animation teams to each take on one four-minute, non-verbal short adventure video. Since these are non-verbal, we want all the fun action to lead the way story-wise, to the point where your inner teenage self will scream in delight.

But first, the details: the LEGO City sets that will be featured are super hush-hush, and under lock and key by LEGO City's most trusted heroes, so if you are interested in being considered for this project, please be sure to submit to the Pre-Qualification Phase. We're looking for animators who can execute these films at the highest quality, while working in a fast-paced environment. Up to six creators will be selected to receive funding to put together a full pitch and will then be asked to build out treatments with narratives for ALL three shorts! Three creators will be selected to move forward into the Video Phase and each produce one short film.

What this means, essentially, is that we want your team to introduce yourselves. Put together your strongest team, collect your most impressive work samples, and send them on over. If your team makes the qualifying cut, we'll provide your team with details about the three LEGO City sets that The LEGO Group is looking to feature. Once you've submitted your treatments, we will then choose the best team for each short, and roll into pre-production. Once in pre-production, your team will work closely with Tongal and The LEGO Group to continue developing the short's narrative (i.e. script, outlines/treatments, etc.).

This is a VERY exciting project, so be sure to put your best foot forward when pitching your team to The LEGO Group; we need to know how can you execute this film at the highest quality, while working in a fast-paced environment. Who's on your team? Who's the writer you will bring on to help craft the narrative? What's their workflow? Do you have examples of past work where you produced animation like this with quick turnarounds? If not, how does your team plan to ensure its success? Have you done non-verbal storytelling like this before?

THE PROCESS

• In the Pitch Qualification Phase, we want to see who's interested, available, and has the right style & aesthetic for the job. You'll be asked to introduce yourself, and provide links to relevant past work.
• Up to six greenlit Pitch Qualification creators will be advanced to the Pitch Phase, and given $500 in funding to put together a full pitch, including treatments with narratives for all three shorts. These proofs of concepts should demonstrate how you would create and execute the video.
• The Sponsor will evaluate these pitches, and select one creator to move forward to produce the full suite of this content. 

For helpful content references, head to the Background section below. For any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.

DELIVERABLES: 

• One 4 minute LEGO City hero video (16x9)

• One 4 minute textless version of hero video (16x9)
• .SRT and Closed Captioning Files
• 16 Channel Stereo Audio Stems, and 5.1 Audio Stems
• Final Script as PDF
• Music Cue Sheet
• Title and End Cards (with and without text)
• Thumbnail Image (16x9) with and without logo (1920x1080, .psd and .jpg versions, with .jpg under 2MB)
• Hard Drive with all Project Files
• NOTE: We will provide a detailed spec sheet and templates to each of the greenlit creators.
  

TIMELINE: HERE

EXPOSURE: YouTube

• Please review the platform best practices page.

TARGET AUDIENCE:  Older Boys (Age 8-12) first and foremost, then all fans of LEGO

TONE: Action-Adventure, Exciting, Fun, Humorous

EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES: 

• Greenlit filmmakers MUST strictly adhere to all The LEGO Group guidelines, which will be provided upon selection.
• Your team will be required to take the sets provided by The LEGO Group and first turn them into fully fleshed-out scripts, before then executing all aspects of 3D animation and production (including sound design, VFX, titles, and delivery)

By participating in this project, creators acknowledge that the Sponsor is under no obligation to greenlight a pitch. Though most projects on our platform do move forward with a greenlit bid, we will notify you in the event the Sponsor decides not to fund any bids via the project forum. Regardless of the result, all submissions will be reviewed and evaluated by the Sponsor and the project team.

REFERENCE VIDEOS FOR INSPIRATION OR TONE:

• LEGO City Adventures | Season 3 Trailer - Though our films will be non-verbal, this is a great metric for look, feel, and tone.
• LEGO Star Wars Bad Batch Vacation Short Film - This is a great example of a non-verbal LEGO short, which also reflects the level of CGI animation quality that The LEGO Group expects from our animation teams.
• LEGO Star Wars Celebration Short Film - Another non-verbal LEGO short example.

PITCH QUALIFICATION PHASE:

In order to be considered for the Pitch Phase, you must include the below materials in your Pitch Qualification Submission. The Pre-Pitch Phase gives filmmakers the opportunity to submit a 500-word synopsis of an initial creative thoughts for the social suite, and tell us a bit more about your aesthetic as a creator. Four creators will be given $500 to develop 3 proofs of concepts as part of the Pitch Phase.

• TEXT (REQUIRED): 500 characters or less synopsizing why you are interested in and think you could be a great fit for this project.
  
  
• LINKS (REQUIRED): To your relevant previous work. Please specify your role (director, designer, animator, etc.) and DO NOT INCLUDE LINKS TO YOUR SHOWREEL. Please link to individual videos.

PITCH PHASE:

If selected to move forward to the Pitch Phase, you will be sent additional information to create 3 treatments (with story narratives) as part of your pitch. You must include the below materials in your pitch submission to be considered for this project. For examples of effective pitches, check out this gallery.

• TEXT (REQUIRED): 500 characters or less synopsizing how you plan to approach and execute this video.
  
  
• 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.

• ANIMATION TREATMENT (REQUIRED):  A more detailed and specific description of how you propose to execute all of the content listed in the deliverables, both in terms of what we can expect to see, and how you’ll make it. Your treatment MUST include story outlines for the three narratives based on the LEGO City sets you will be briefed on. If it's helpful to you, we've provided a treatment template, which you can find here.

• 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 three most compelling pitches will be greenlit, and the responsible creators 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. Please see the full payment schedule. 

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

• SCRIPT: This project requires script approval. The Sponsor may provide feedback on your script and ask you to submit a new version. There may be multiple rounds of feedback until a script is approved by the Sponsor.
• ANIMATION TREATMENT This project requires treatment approval. The treatment should show the characters, vehicles, and props you will be including as well as any backgrounds. The Sponsor may provide feedback on your treatment and ask you to submit a new version. There may be multiple rounds of feedback until a treatment is approved by the Sponsor.
• PRE-VIZ This project requires pre-viz approval. The pre-viz should further depict how you plan to execute the video and a first look at the story coming to life visually. The Sponsor may provide feedback on your pre-viz and ask you to submit a new version. There may be multiple rounds of feedback until a pre-viz is approved by the Sponsor. 

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 & RESOURCES: 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. 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: 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 & 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 the costs associated the hard drive and shipping.

To ensure a smoother delivery, please review the Export Presets, Specifications, and Project File Organization Tutorial in our Filmmaker Resource Portal.

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.