Calling all writers!  That’s right Tongalers, we want one of you to be the mastermind of a Series Bible that will lay the groundwork for a completely new entertainment property.

It’s not every day you get the opportunity to dream up an entire animated series... except today.  The Little Red Truck Licensing Group is looking to bring their company’s logo to life as a short form YouTube animated series for kids.  As of now, this brand is relatively unknown to the entertainment world, but we are going to change that! 

We bet you are thinking, “Who is the Little Red Truck?”  And we’re looking to you to help answer this question.  Nothing is established, which means there’s fertile frontier for creative minds, and we want to hear it all!  You will be creating a compelling narrative around the Little Red Truck, complete with fun and unique characters, an exciting world, and relevant themes for kids.  So, get those creative motors running. 

To act as a springboard for your creative vision, the Sponsor has already come up with a basic framework that they like (see Objectives).  Even with this seed, the entire universe is literally up for grabs.  Did we say, “Universe?”  More on that later.

We are sure visions of design and execution are already racing through your head.  And future, separate projects will tackle the design elements and the actual animation.  For now, we’re just focused on developing the story! 

Plain and simple, the primary objective of this Project is to generate a Series Bible that describes the Little Red Truck character and builds out the world around him/her that can be translated into a short-form YouTube animated series. 

WHAT IS A SERIES BIBLE? A series bible is proof that you know that you’ve got a real story to tell. It’s more than just a collection of character bios and episode summaries; it’s an elaboration of the critical elements that will shape and define your show. From explorations of character backstories/motivations (even catchphrases) to detailed descriptions of the world, the Series Bible should clearly lay out the narrative structure of the series and give the reader a vision of the show’s trajectory. You will need to address the story engine that drives the show forward, define the voice and tone of the show, touch upon the themes of the show, and explain the message that you’re trying to convey. A good series bible transports the reader into the world and makes him/ her want to see the world come to life.

As mentioned above, the Sponsor has provided a framework on which you should base your Writer’s Pitch.  Read the below in red carefully:

• The story should be anchored in every episode by a garage / auto shop headquarters.
• This might sound out there, but there is particular interest in the series being based in outer space!  We should also see the characters on Earth for part of the time, but would like to venture into space as well.  Think about ways to incorporate space into your storytelling approach.
• We want to see the Little Red Truck as the main character – a personified truck – who has a variety of different vehicles as friends.  In addition to the vehicles, human friends are also a possibility.
• Looking for characters / vehicles to be inherently “toyetic,” meaning they can be easily translated into toy and consumer product.  We’d like to see some transformative abilities – think toys that can turn from one thing into something else.  Even though you’re not going to be doing any designing here, it’s helpful to consider the form & function of these vehicles and how that relates to their personalities.
• We are also open to music being a part of each episode or just a few of the episodes. Think about those memorable songs you remember from kids cartoons. 
• The target audience is young kids (ages 4-6).
• Themes should have emotional (EQ) and educational / creative problem-solving components – but remember to keep things easily understandable and age appropriate for a younger audience. We also want to see themes of teamwork.

What is required to submit in your WRITER’S PITCH:

• Text (REQUIRED): 500 characters or less synopsis of your approach to the Series Bible. 
  • Treatment (REQUIRED): This PDF must contain the below:
    • Series overview in which you answer the below questions:
      • What is the inciting incident in your story?
      • What is the format / structure of each episode?  Define the beginning, middle, & end.
      • What is the story engine?
      • What are the key themes of your series?
      • What are the rules of your world?
  • 3-4 brief character descriptions
  • 3-4 brief episode descriptions

SERIES BIBLE Deliverable:

• Series Bible: This PDF must contain the below:
  • Refined and complete series overview including all discussed components.
  • Refined and complete descriptions for all characters (at least 5).
  • Refined and complete descriptions for all episodes (at least 10).

*The Series Bible Winner whose bible is selected to be the foundation for the animated series will receive a percentage of net royalties to Little Red Truck licensing. 

This project consists of 2 phases: Writer’s Pitch and Series Bible. Be sure to read the following information carefully as well as the Official Rules.

PHASE 1: WRITER’S PITCH - Submit your Writer’s Pitch convincing the sponsor why you should be selected.

What is required to submit in your Story Bible Pitch:

• Text (REQUIRED): 500 characters or less synopsis of your approach to the Series Bible. 
• Treatment (REQUIRED): This PDF must contain the below:

• Series overview in which you answer the below questions:
  
  
  • What is the inciting incident in your story?
  • What is the format / structure of each episode?  Define the beginning, middle, & end.
  • What is the story engine?
  • What are the key themes of your series?
  • What are the rules of your world?

• 3-4 brief character descriptions
• 3-4 brief episode descriptions

The Sponsor will choose at least two Winning Pitches to move forward into Series Bible creation, and each will be awarded $500.

PHASE 2: SERIES BIBLE PHASE – Once the Pitch Phase has closed, those with the winning pitches that have been greenlit by the Sponsor will enter the Series Bible phase.

• Series Bible: This PDF must contain the below:

• Refined and complete series overview including all discussed components.
• Refined and complete descriptions for all characters (at least 5).
• Refined and complete descriptions for all episodes (at least 10).

--Series Bible Phase Payout: Upon submitting a Series Bible that satisfies the criteria laid out in your winning Pitch, completing Sponsor notes, providing the necessary release forms, and providing all assets required by the sponsor, each winner will receive a final payment of $1,250.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Submissions cannot contain any profanity, offensive language, nudity or otherwise objectionable material, the determination of which is solely at the discretion of Sponsor.

5. Submissions must not portray Sponsor in a negative way, the determination of which will solely reside with Sponsor.

6. 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.

7. Videos must be in the English language or subtitled.

8. Limit 5 submissions per member, per Phase.

9. You must be at least thirteen (13) years or older to enter.

10. Sponsor reserves the right to repost the contest.

11. 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.

12. Sponsor will be entitled to reasonable revisions on the finished Video without providing additional compensation. Remember it's easier to re-edit than re-shoot so try to get as much coverage as possible.

13. In addition to the standard Tongal W-9, Winner Affidavit, and IP Assignment, winning Video creators MUST also provide Talent, Location, Music (or other) Releases for all assets appearing in their winning 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 prize.

14. 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.