Capture one person's full pregnancy journey – and all the changes, trials, joys, and surprises that come along the way – in a suite of videos for Motherhood Maternity. If you or your partner just became pregnant, this is an opportunity to tell your own story.
To say that pregnancy is a "journey" feels like an understatement to anyone who's been through the experience. Each month presents unique changes to your mind, your body, your soul, your guest bedroom-turned-nursery, your relationship with your partner or family, your views of humanity, and even your entire worldview... but that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Pregnancy represents constant change for nine months of your life, and Motherhood Maternity is looking for a Tongal filmmaker to capture one person's pregnancy in a suite of videos that includes both monthly status updates as well as a final, long-form hero video that covers the full journey. You'll need to source the mom-to-be, and it could even be you or your partner; remember that you'll be working closely with this person for nine to ten very intimate months of their life. You'll also need to be flexible, nimble, and able to devote a little bit of time each month to work with your subject so you can capture some of the funny, surprising, hard, weird, and tender moments that your mom-to-be experiences.
In terms of the videos you create, not everything needs to be polished and professionally produced: the brand is open to UGC and/or selfie-style content, more produced 'confession booth' videos, visual belly measurements, time-lapses, or really anything compelling that you can think of that helps express the different phases of this journey, and this singular mom-to-be's story, with authenticity. All this means is that how you bring this story to life is up to you, and Motherhood Maternity is looking for a unique approach when sharing how your mom-to-be is feeling, how her body, wardrobe, and diet are changing, and how her pregnancy is – and isn't – impacting her life, as she nears her due date.
Since production will obviously be a long road on this project, your pitch should go beyond your creative approach, and discuss how you'd collaborate with not only your pregnant subject (or partner), but also with Motherhood Maternity throughout the project. Perhaps this is stringing out dailies after each check-in, or perhaps it's addressing your overarching POV on the monthly status update videos, or how frequently you'd have your mom-to-be share their own self-shot content (and how she'd capture it). This will be a highly collaborative project, so come prepared to play well with others!
Your proposed mom-to-be will need to have just found out about, or be in the very early stages of, her pregnancy. Depending on the comfort of your subject, a person trying to get pregnant through natural conception or IVF can also work, so long as they are comfortable communicating the viability of each attempt with the production team as part of the process. All of this is to say, though pregnancy is typically a 9 month journey, there is definitely flexibility for the right team. Your pitch video is a great resource for your mom-to-be to introduce herself to the Motherhood Maternity team. If you or your partners are currently pregnant, we encourage you to submit yourself as both the subject and the filmmaker if you're willing to document your pregnancy journey. We know committing to sharing such a personal time of life could be a little nerve-wracking for the mom-to-be, but her health and comfort are a top priority for Motherhood, so there'll be an opportunity for Motherhood's top selection to do a virtual meet-and-greet with the brand before committing to the project.
For additional information, check out the Background section below. For any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.
DELIVERABLES: There are *potentially* 38 total video assets and ten stills, but this largely depends on where your mom-to-be currently is in her pregnancy and on your creative approach, all of which will be a discussion with Motherhood Maternity in pre-production:
TIMELINE: Click here for the full project timeline. Please note that this timeline is a good approximation of how this project will flow; specific dates and milestones will be adjusted to align with the greenlit filmmaker and their subject's actual pregnancy journey. Regardless of where your mom-to-be is in her pregnancy at the time of your pitch, all final files will need to be delivered by early December 2022.
EXPOSURE: Motherhood Maternity website and social platforms. Please review the platform best practices page.
TARGET AUDIENCE: Pregnant and soon-to-be pregnant people; parents, families.
TONE: Authentic, Engaging, Sentimental, Humorous, Emotional.
EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES:
By participating in this project, creators acknowledge that the Sponsor is under no obligation to greenlight a submission. Though most projects on our platform do move forward, we will 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 the project team.
Shooting live action or stop motion? Our priority is ensuring everyone's safety, and we're now requiring a COVID safety protocol plan for all relevant productions. Please review our COVID-19 Production Safety Guide and check federal, state, and local rules before and during your shoot to make sure your on-set protocols are up to date. We're working hard to keep people working during this extraordinary time, and you should ensure your submission is executable within the anticipated timeline and budget, while also ensuring everyone's safety.
Real Mothers. Real Stories. Real Life. That's Motherhood Maternity's ethos, and since 1982, they've had mamas' backs (and bumps) when it comes to what to wear, from belly to baby and beyond. And when it comes to pregnancy, Motherhood Maternity believes that all pregnancies are good pregnancies. So you do you, mama.
Check out their style and vibe at their website!
In order to be considered for this project, you must include the below materials in your pitch submission. For examples of effective pitches, check out this gallery.
The most compelling pitch will be greenlit, 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.
PRE-PRODUCTION REQUIREMENTS: Prior to shooting, filmmakers must receive the below approvals from 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: 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.
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: 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. In addition to the project files, you are also required to provide all raw footage. You are responsible for the costs associated the hard drive and shipping.
For Tongal’s file delivery specs and any other questions you may have about post production, please click here.