*We are reopening this brief for additional submissions. The new deadline to submit will be by noon PM PT on Thursday, May 7th. The brief, relevant assets (character breakdowns/sides), and budget have also been updated, so please read the full brief below thoroughly before submitting your pitch.*

Casting voice-over actors for short, stop-motion animated proof-of-concept video. 

Oliver the Ornament is an award-winning seven-book series about one family's collection of ornaments who actually have a life of their own (think Toy Story, but make it Christmas). Each book is heartwarming tale told from the persepective of one of the ornaments, Oliver, and tells a story about how a different ornament entered the family's collection, while also teaching children important lessons like kindness, friendship, forgiveness, and determination. Now, Tongal is producing a short proof-of-concept stop-motion animated video for Oliver The Ornament, and we're looking to cast some talented voiceover artists to bring the characters to life.

For this project, we'll be looking to cast several different actors to portray five different roles. In the minute-long proof-of-concept that we're developing, we'll meet Oliver and two of his fellow ornaments, who are anxiously unwrapping themselves inside a cardboard box in anticipation of being hung on the family Christmas tree - as the story unfolds, doubts, fear, and excitement build until they finally catch a glimpse of the family tree in all its luminous glory. The video will feature three ornament characters: Oliver, Buck, and Nellie, as well as the two human parents of the family that owns them, Mr. and Mrs. Nelson. We've included a character description and a corresponding line of dialogue for each character in the relevant assets HERE.

The lines of dialogue included in our relevant assets will be the script that should be used for your audio sample/audition. Your casting submission should include at least three unique takes on the line of dialogue for the character you are choosing to audition for. Please make sure to read the character descriptions carefully for direction on your performance.  For the characters of Mr. & Mrs. Nelson, you may choose to audition for them, in addition to Oliver, Buck, or Nellie, but please submit as a separate submission or make a note on your submission that you are recording for both characters. Please also include a VO reel to your previous work that fits the tone of the character in your submission. Please DO NOT include a reel in place of a VO Sample/Audition, it's your performance of the sides provided in the relevant assets section that will determine if you book the role or not. The final video will only include a few lines of dialogue for each character.

This is a project intended for self-recording, as the budget does not accommodate for studio rental, travel, etc. All voice-over artists are required to have their own, high-quality recording equipment, capable of delivering isolated, dry signal (no reverb, compression, EQ, or processing of any kind) at 48k with 24-bit WAV files. VO sessions will be directed remotely via a virtual meeting. In order to be cast, all VO actors must sign a Tongal Talent Release. All recording will be done in one session, with an additional session for pickups (only if necessary). 

Check out more information in the Background, and for any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.

DELIVERABLES: 

• All raw audio files (48k/24-bit WAV) 

EXPECTED TIMELINE: HERE

RELEVANT ASSETS: HERE

EXPOSURE: We expect content will be used as a proof-of-concept, all voiceover talent must be sure they review our required Talent Release before submission, as we CANNOT guarantee that usage is limited to a proof-of-concept.

TARGET AUDIENCE: Family-Friendly, Children, Nostalgic Adults 

TONE/FEEL: Sentimental, Festive, Optimistic, Wholesome, Warm

AI USAGE: No AI usage of any kind is permitted on this project.

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.

OLIVER THE ORNAMENT:

You can check out all of the Oliver The Ornament books, as well as the ornaments themselves, HERE.

CHARACTER IMAGES:

• Oliver
• Nellie
• Buck
• Mrs. Nelson (Mom)
• Mr. Nelson (Dad)

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.

• TEXT (REQUIRED): Up to 500 characters synopsizing how you plan to approach and record the content listed in the Deliverables.
  
  
• AUDITION SAMPLE (REQUIRED): Select One Character from the dropdown menu. Please provide three unique takes of the line of dialogue provided for the character you are auditioning for in this brief.
  
  
• LINKS (REQUIRED): To your previous voice-over work, or your voice-over reel.

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.

ASSET DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS & RESOURCES: You must also provide all audio project files, as well as isolated, dry signal (no reverb, compression, EQ, or processing of any kind) 48k/24-bit WAV 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.

1. In addition to the standard Tongal W-9, Winner Affidavit, and IP Assignment, greenlit Video creators MUST also provide Talent  Releases if appearing. 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 earnings. Tongal also reserves the right to request all raw files associated with the project.
   
   
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. The Sponsor will be entitled to reasonable revisions on the finished Videos without providing additional compensation. Remember it's easier to re-edit than re-shoot so try to get as much coverage as possible.
   
   
5. Preferred format for upload to the Tongal website is HD 720p and formatted for the aspect ratios listed in the Deliverables (e.g. 16x9). Acceptable file formats are .mov, .avi, .mp4, .wmv. Acceptable codecs are H.264 (MP4), MPEG-4, H.263, MPGV, WMV, DivX. Should your submission be greenlit, you will also be required to provide a 1080p .mov master file, using a ProRes, Animation, or Uncompressed Codec.
   
   
6. 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.
   
   
7. You may not contact any employees or members of the Sponsor's organization, their affiliates, or any of their partners. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in disqualification of your entry in the project.
   
   
8. 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 creator.
   
   
9. Videos must be in the English language or subtitled.
   
   
10. Submissions must not portray Sponsor in a negative way, the determination of which will solely reside with Sponsor, nor can Submissions contain any profanity, offensive language, nudity or otherwise objectionable material, the determination of which is solely at the discretion of Sponsor.
    
    
11. You must be at least thirteen (13) years or older to enter.
    
    
12. The Sponsor reserves the right to repost the contest.
    
    
13. 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.