Produce an empowering and authentic influencer-led social video series for Lifetime, based on themes that relate to their monthly TV shows and content, to entertain fans and drive tune-in to Lifetime’s programming and social channels.
Known for its engaging drama, pop-culture impact, and dedicated fanbase, Lifetime delivers a mix of female-focused drama, light-hearted storytelling, and iconic seasonal programming. Now, with its new Lifetime of Wisdom campaign, they're looking to create an influencer-led, social-first video series that leverages themes from their current programming and keeps Lifetime a recurring presence in ongoing conversations across social.
The goal of the series will be to entertain, engage, and empower Lifetime's social audience with an influencer-led social series that focuses on and discusses different themes each month, and ties them into Lifetime’s more lighthearted linear TV programming. This project will serve as the pilot for what that social series could look like, with two different creators each creating a :45-1:30 vertical social video. The pilot will need to be led by an influencer personality that you'll need to source (although that person could be you), and it will need to focus on either of the first two months and themes. Since Lifetime will be greenlighting two teams, that means one creator will focus on November, and one on December, each highlighting specific key seasonal programming and social themes for that month.
We want the influencer's personality to shine through with fun, high-energy, vlog-style content, and we want the tone to fit with the typical, more light-hearted content that Lifetime offers fans. The series approach could involve your talent going solo, or it could bring in guests, but either way the videos should be dynamic and capture fun experiences that are tied to the themes, while simultaneously being rooted in grounded and related observational humor about life.
In terms of casting, we are looking to feature social personalities that bring high energy, dynamic commentary, and relatable humor to everyday moments. They should have strong points of view, clear online personas, and a modest-to-established following (starting at 100K+ followers on Instagram or TikTok). For examples of the kind of influencers we are seeing similar content from check out the Background. While we prefer creators who already share relatable everyday moments, lifestyle vlogs, or relationship talk on their channels, this isn't a strict requirement so long as you can capture grounded observational humor and engage the community authentically. Influencer talent MUST live in the US or Canada and your talent will be required to sign the standard Tongal Talent Release. We also understand obtaining certain talent may require additional budget, so if including a certain influencer or creator would require more for your budget, please include the exact additional cost you would need on top of the current budget of $7,500 allotted per creator.
Importantly, we will note that since this is the pilot of this series, the influencer you cast is not necessarily guaranteed to stay with the series if it moves forward, so your focus should be on developing the best creative take on the format, the structure, and the style that could work for a series like this. That doesn't mean Lifetime is closed off to your talent: we just recognize that the initial pilot development period and budget may still be limiting. Ultimately, if this moves forward, there's a possibility that the talent is swapped out for one of Lifetime's personalities, or for another influencer with a very substantial following, or maybe the personality is just ever-changing as the series continues.
In terms of the style of the content, we are open to seeing a range of executions, as long as they are primarily live-action and are focused around the on-screen talent. These should all lean toward vlog or podcast-style footage with interesting creative twists. You may look at creative ways to bring in motion graphics, text, and sound design into your pitch, but we do want to keep in mind that this more light-hearted content will be posted on the Lifetime social channels, which include a range of programming topics, so we still want the finished product to feel authentic to the overall brand.
In terms of the themes, take a look at the two different themes provided for November and December to get a sense of the subject matter that will typically be covered each month, and consider how your creative format could incorporate the different themes in creative ways.
For the November video, we want personal, anecdotal experiences and lighthearted takes on the "Relationships & Starting Over" theme, which could include observational life moments, questions around relationships, or exploring dating red flags in a creative format. For December's "Holidays & Traditions" theme, the video focus should be more about topics like having a fun day out at holiday markets, gift shopping for holiday parties, and showing ways to promote small businesses. With either of the videos, we want to encourage viewers to be their full selves and own every part of their experience, while also not taking themselves too seriously. We want the Lifetime social channels to feel like a space for important conversations to happen and provide a sense of community with other like-minded individuals who watch similar programs that can relate to their everyday lives.
FOR YOUR PITCH: Please include your creative format for the social series, how that could be adapted month to month, which specific month you'd prefer to create the pilot for (November or December), and any information regarding the influencers you are looking to create the content with.
For any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.
DELIVERABLES: There is 1 total video asset, per creator.
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 we CANNOT guarantee that usage is limited to these platforms. You should also review our Music providers in the Project Requirements, as well as the platform best practices.
TARGET AUDIENCE: Fans of Advice and How-To Content, Fans of Lifetime TV programming light-hearted shows
TONE/FEEL: lighthearted, fun, emotional, empowering, authentic, conversational
EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES:
AI USAGE: You may not use AI generated visual or audio assets in your final content. However, for the purposes of your pitch and pre-production materials, you are welcome to use generative AI to create visuals, storyboards, animatics, proofs-of-concept, etc. that might help the Sponsor understand your vision for creating the final content. Additionally, assistive AI tools (e.g. object removal, compositing, color grading, sound mixing, subtitling, etc.) may be used in post-production to supplement your workflow. Please keep record of any AI usage deployed in your submissions in the event that the Sponsor requests AI disclosures. If you have questions about any specific usage or tool, please ask your Tongal producer.
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.
HELPFUL INFLUENCER REFERENCES FOR INSPIRATION/TONE:
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.
BUILDING YOUR TEAM: Looking for help? Post crew and production opportunities connected to Tongal projects on Backlot - before or after the Pitch Phase. 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.
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.
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 Slipstream. 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.