PROJECT UPDATE:

We’re opening this project up until next Wednesday, September 13. We’re looking for filmmakers who live near these particular locations to pitch:

• Salem, NH
• Santa Clara, CA
• Staten Island, NY
• Buffalo, NY
• Paramus, NJ

Macy’s is THE quintessential American department store. With over 700 physical locations and over 100 MILLION views per month on Macys.com, they have served generations of consumers providing everything you need in one destination!

And, now they want YOU to join the Macy’s family as part of their first-ever Video Commerce Network. As part of this project, you’re invited to earn guaranteed up front compensation for the content you produce weekly AND earn a percentage of sales for all product sold as a result of your videos.

How Will It Work?

Macy’s is looking for Tongal filmmakers to partner with a Macy’s digital brand ambassador (check out the gallery here) in their city to create new content that will be created and distributed weekly October 1, 2017- December 31, 2017. The content will be pushed out on the ambassadors’ individual channels, and promoted by Macy’s, with embedded shopable links. All sales driven by your video earn you incremental revenue on top of your production fee!

The more the digital brand ambassador sells through his/her videos, the more you’ll be compensated.

If this sounds exciting to you, please read below for more details.

• Pitch winners will need to create up to 15 minutes of content per week across up to 3 videos and up to 5 still images. The videos could be used across multiple social platforms (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook) hosted on the digital brand ambassador’s own channels. 

• Think about this project as an opportunity to help build up an ambassador’s personal channel; all the content created should feel like it’s in the ambassador’s personal voice. You could be working with the next Ingrid Nilsen! PRO TIP:  Be mindful of best practices for the social platform you’re creating content for.

• Once Pitch winners are selected and paired off with his/her brand ambassador, you will have two weeks for pre-production. During pre-production you will hear more from Macy’s about their goals for this project. And, you’ll also have the opportunity to collaborate with our brand ambassador to shape strategy for building our his/her channel(s).

• As you will need to film weekly, make sure to select a digital brand ambassador in your area (check out their introduction videos here).

• You will get paid $12,000 over 3 months ($1,000 per week) plus 5% of sales generated by the content you produce. Every other week, there will be a performance-driven bonus of $2,000 awarded to one of the 19 filmmakers.

• By submitting to this project, you are making a 3 month commitment to your brand ambassador and will need to be available for weekly shoots and edits from September 11, 2017- December 31, 2017.

Pitch Tips

• For your pitch, please select from the dropdown which digital brand ambassador you’d like to work with.  You can check out their videos in the gallery linked here. PRO TIP: You can submit up to 5 pitches, so please consider pitching on more than one stylist in your area!

• While pitch videos are not required, it’s highly recommended.

Inspiration

Macy’s is open to a variety of executions. You’ll be able to work with your digital brand ambassador on programming that your viewers would want to watch and programming that would inspire them to shop!

• Here are some examples of videos that Macy’s likes:
  
  Find your Style Series 
  Styling Tips 
  Unboxing Hauls 
  Try on Hauls
  The Look for Less
  Unboxing 
  Find Your Style Series 
  How-To 
  Wardrobe Essentials 
  How-To 
  Music Video Look Books / Basic Seasonal Trends 
  Music Video Look Books / Music Video Inspired 
  Music Video Look Books / On Screen Brand/Product Call-Outs  

Check out their creative guide in assets (subject to change).

This project will be worth a total of $228,000 and consists of THREE of Phases: a Pitch Phase, a Pre-Production Phase and a Video Phase. Be sure to read the following information carefully as well as the Official Rules.

PHASE 1: PITCH - Submit your pitch (What is a Pitch Phase?) convincing the sponsor why you should be selected for this project using:

• 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.

• Treatment (REQUIRED): A detailed narrative description of what’s going to happen in the video.

• Macy’s Brand Ambassador (REQUIRED): Please select from the dropdown which digital brand ambassador you’d like to work with. You can check out their videos in the gallery linked here. 

• Pitch Video (Optional): This is your opportunity to show us 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.

The 19 most compelling pitches will be selected and, upon submitting the Winner’s Affidavit and the IP Assignment, will each receive $1,000 weekly to help create the video. Additionally, upon submitting a video that satisfies the criteria laid out in your winning pitch, the pitch winners will also be GUARANTEED a winning place in the subsequent Video Phase.  

So, if your pitch is selected and you execute your pitch effectively in your video submissions, you will win an additional $1,000 per week (paid out bi-monthly per Tongal’s payment cycle), at a minimum (for 12 weeks). You will also receive 5% of sales generated by the content you produce. Every other week, there will be a performance-driven bonus of $2,000 awarded to one of the 19 filmmakers.

For an example of an effective pitch, check out The Indie Machines winning “3 Artists & 5,000 LEGOs” pitch video. All pitches will remain private until after the winner of the Video Phase is announced and the project is complete.    

PHASE 2: PRE-PRODUCTION – The 19 pitch winners from the Pitch Phase will enter the Pre-Production Phase (What is a Pre-Production Phase?). During this phase, filmmakers will need to receive the following approvals from the sponsor:

TREATMENT – This project requires treatment approval before filmmakers move onto the Video Phase. The sponsor may provide feedback on your treatment and ask you to submit a new version. There may be multiple rounds of feedback until the sponsor approves a treatment.

SOCIAL CHANNEL STRATEGY DOCUMENT  – This is where you will have the opportunity to collaborate with your brand ambassador to shape strategy and create a content plan for building our his/her channel(s).

No filmmakers may begin shooting their video until all approvals are completed and the Video Phase has officially begun. If you begin shooting your video during the Pre-Production Phase, there is a chance you will need to reshoot (at your own expense) so please don’t jump the gun.

PHASE 3: VIDEO – Once the Pre-Production Phase is complete, the pitch winners will each create  up to 15 minutes of content per week across up to 3 videos and up to 5 still images each week.

--Video Phase Payout: Winners of the Video Phase will earn the following prizes: $1,000 per week (paid out bi-monthly per Tongal’s payment cycle), at a minimum (for 12 weeks). You will also receive 5% of sales generated by the content you produce. Every other week, there will be a performance-driven bonus of $2,000 awarded to one of the 19 filmmakers.

--Music: Tongal has partnered with three premiere music providers: Jingle Punks, Killer Tracks 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 provider’s names above.

If you are selected as a winner and choose to use custom/original music, you must fill out and submit our Music Release Form. If you obtain music from other catalog providers, you must purchase the appropriate license at your own expense and submit it with our Music Release Form when you turn in your video paperwork.

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

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

7. 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.

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

9. Limit 5 submissions per member for the Pitch Phase.

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

11. In the event that fewer than 50 pitches are received, the sponsor reserves the right to repost the contest for up to fourteen (14) days at their discretion.

12. 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.

13. The sponsor will be entitled to reasonable revisions on the finished video(s) without providing additional compensation. Remember it’s easier to re-edit than re-shoot so try to get as much coverage as possible.

14. 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.

15. 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.