Capture an immersive and sensory-rich suite of still photos, in a distinctive Gen Z-voice, that showcases what it feels like to be a T-Mobile customer with a next-level network and exclusive benefits.
A photograph may not be able to do everything that a video can do, but it can still make quite an impact on viewers and can tell a powerful story that hits different. With the right composition and intent, a single image can speak volumes and that’s exactly the goal here. T-Mobile employees frequently share posts about the brand—its products, offers, and community involvement—across their own social channels. For this project, we're focusing on a series of thoughtfully crafted still images designed to spotlight T-Mobile’s core values and key initiatives that employees can share on their own social channels.
We are looking for a photographer to capture a total of 35 different photography assets to support messaging around five unique T-Mobile pillars, utilizing a mix of locations and casting. You can find more information about those in the Background, but creatively, there's a particular vibe we're going for here: we want photography that captures what it feels like to be a Gen-Z T-Mobile customer. Think less stock photo, and more "this could be your camera roll." T-Mobile sees the style as dynamic, expressive, authentic, and evocative, and we want to get a sense of the humanity, the emotion, and the connection that's present. Photos should be vibey, unique, and in the moment, reflecting lifestyle moments that highlight how everyday experiences are enabled by T-Mobile. You'll ultimately need to create at least one still image for each of the seven offerings, but there's flexibility in how the remaining images are broken down from there.
The messaging and themes that T-Mobile wants to support can be found alongside the offerings in the Background, but there's no need for text or graphics in the final assets themselves. That said, even if you're not including messaging, you'll still want to connect your photography to support it in some relevant way, and that's part of the creative challenge here. THIS video from T-Mobile is a good example of how airplane travel perks or messaging abroad can be communicated without the need for an actual plane set or traveling to a new location. You should aim to capture at least one photo for each of the messages found in the Background, but the remaining photos can be a mix of any of the messages.
It won't be hard to connect your photos to the messaging in most cases, but T-Mobile understands that some of the messaging is tied to to things like concerts or in-flight WiFi, which aren't practical to fully stage given the scope of this project. With that in mind, we're looking for, and happy to discuss, creative or unexpected solutions. There may be a way to address rights and clearances concerns when trying to shoot (or even fake) certain locations or activities.
In terms of logistics, you don't need to have a different location for every single key message, but we would encourage you to have different locations across the 5 different pillars you're looking to capture. We are open to you shooting with a small crew and running guerilla style on this project in particualr. In terms of casting, you do not have to have different talent featured in every single image, but there should be a range of at least 3-4 diverse Gen-Z talent across your 35 images, and the talent should be in different outfits when in content for different pillars. To allow yourself more flexibility, don't just think about shooting full body shots with talent: you can get more creative and utilize close-up shots, camera effects, or creative angles that might only reveal items, like movie tickets, or parts of something larger, like video game screens. HERE is a good example where the photos were focused more on the act of going to the movies instead of the talent.
In terms of camera equipment, we are open to different methods of capturing content for this project, so while you can shoot on a professional camera, a polaroid camera, film, or 360 spinner camera, you could potentially shoot all of your photos on one of the latest smartphones for ease and to push that organic, social feel even further. T-Mobile has even found that wide-angled, 0.5 zoom, imagery seems to play well to their audience (as you can see in their latest photography guide). While the final photos should still be professional-looking, considering the locations you may be in, you do not need a full crew to shoot these, and you can plan to incorporate more natural lighting. You can also incorporate hints of Magenta in your images, but it is not required, as we do not want these photos to lean too branded or have Magenta be the focus of every photo.
Keep in mind that T-Mobile is a tech-forward company, so we need dynamic images that have an energizing and immersive aesthetic - perhaps even a little unexpected playfulness, but nothing that you'd really call "quirky" or "corporate." We want the artistry of the photographs to shine, and hook audiences, so the messaging that is posted with it is reinforced and comes through clearly. These photographs will need to be evergreen to be used and shared by T-Mobile employees on their personal social media accounts for their family, friends, and professional contacts, so you should also avoid anything that feels too seasonal or otherwise connected to a time of year or event (i.e. Thanksgiving).
For any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.
DELIVERABLES: There are 35 total photography asset
EXPECTED TIMELINE: HERE
EXPOSURE: This project requires a full rights buyout from photographers and talent. That means all rights, globally, in perpetuity, and in all media. This is not negotiable. In terms of usage, we expect content will be used on the platforms below. 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 it is NOT limited to these platforms. You should also review our Music providers in the Project Requirements, as well as the platform best practices.
TARGET AUDIENCE: Employee's friends, family, business contacts, and social networks.
TONE/FEEL:
EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES:
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.
T-MOBILE CONTENT PILLARS: These are the main pillars T-Mobile is looking to capture with this photo library that their employees can repost on their channels to promote the benefits of being a T-Mobile customer and show how T-Mobile gives back to their communities. Each bullet below represents at least one photo out of the 35 images we are looking to encapsulate through your creative.
PREVIOUS T-MOBILE GEN-Z REFERENCES: These are some of the recent video and image content created on Tongal, and they're all great examples of the style we're looking for:
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.
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 storyboard, 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.).
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.
BUILDING YOUR TEAM: Looking for help? Post crew and production opportunities connected to Tongal projects on Backlot. 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.
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 content 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.
ASSET DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS & RESOURCES: You must also provide all project files and master files 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.