Create a Halloween campaign with twelve to fourteen unique pieces of social content - a mix of short videos and static images - that can be used on Paramount Scares' social channels to engage with horror fans of all stripes, and raise awareness about Paramount's wide catalog of iconic and terrifying horror movies.
Are you ready to bring your scariest ideas to life? Are you ready to conjure up some spine-tingling content? Is Spooky Season your favorite time of year? Then this is the perfect project for you. This Halloween, the Paramount team wants to create a campaign of social content - a mix of short videos and static images - for their Paramount Scares TikTok and Instagram channels. They want to promote Paramount's impressive catalog of horror movies, which you can buy in digital or watch at home, and do so in a way that resonates with diehard horror fans. From the bone-chilling Friday the 13th franchise to the eerie A Quiet Place: Day One, there's a wide range of titles that they want to speak to, so we want to think BIG and think SCARY. This is your chance to engage with other passionate horror fans by creating a suite of hair-raising, blood-curdling, nerve-racking social content.
The ultimate goal is to create twelve to fourteen different pieces of social content - including a mix of short videos, static images, or carousels - that are varied in terms of execution, but that still look and feel like a part of a cohesive Halloween campaign intended for social media. The exact breakdown and balance of video and static content in this suite will be up to you, so you'll have to think holistically about the campaign here. Paramount also wants someone who's a genuine horror fan, so that they can authentically relate to the community we're speaking to.
In terms of execution, Paramount is looking for a mix of mediums in this suite of content - that means everything from live-action to stop-motion to illustration to 2D animation and motion graphics. If you want, you CAN incorporate footage from the movies into your content ideas, but you should think about ways to creatively integrate the footage (instead of just pulling clips). You should also AVOID jump scares - lean into the creepy and eerie aspects of horror, rather than trying to shock or surprise people. You can even get get a bit cheeky and humorous, so long as it's in a way that would resonate with horror fans. Make sure to check out the Paramount Scares TikTok and Instagram channels to get a sense of their tone of voice and how they like to engage with this community.
Each piece of content should feature at least one of the horror titles provided in the Background, but which one(s) and how to incorporate them are up to you. You do NOT need to touch on every title, and you CAN include multiple titles in a single piece of content, although that is NOT required. Importantly, you won't be able to feature the likenesses of any actors in these properties, so keep that in mind.
With the campaign being top of mind, you'll want to think about a common theme or format that you can build your content around, and think about how that theme can apply to the wide breadth of titles in Paramount's horror catalog, which includes more offbeat horror titles like the hauntingly delightful Addams Family Values, the razor-sharp musical Sweeney Todd, and the timelessly terrifying Rosemary's Baby. For more information about the titles that Paramount is looking to highlight in this campaign, take a look in the Background. The Paramount team has discussed, and is interested in, the theme "Anatomy of a Villain," but they're not fully sold on it, so if it speaks to you, feel free to run with it, but don't let it hem you in. They really want to hear about YOUR unique creative vision and perspective. Take a big, bold, scary swing, so bring your best (and creepiest) ideas to the table.
You can also divvy up the budget however you like - each piece in the suite does NOT need to be roughly the same budget level. In fact, you can create one longer hero piece that focuses on one title (like a stop-motion tribute to Friday the 13th, for example), and then create several smaller pieces that touch on other IP. Or you can go an entirely different direction - the mix of content is entirely up to you. You can mix & match format and execution depending on what would work best for each title. The most important thing is that the entire suite looks cohesive, and each individual piece feels elevated and high fidelity. Paramount is NOT looking for lo-fi UGC-style content, and these are NOT meant to feel like ads.
Your pitch treatment should explain the overarching theme that you plan to anchor the campaign around, and the more detail you can include about your plan for the individual pieces of content, the better. It also would be be helpful to know which films and franchises you want to feature, along with your proposed executions. We're not necessarily looking for a detailed breakdown of the entire suite of content, and we recognize that there are likely to be changes as we move into pre-production with the greenlit creator. That said, your pitch treatment should give us a broad understanding of how you'd tackle this project, with the understanding that things will likely shift and change after we get feedback from the Paramount team. Remember that you can mix and match different titles, and that each piece should be able to stand on its own while feeling like a part of a larger campaign.
We also encourage you to submit an optional proof-of-concept video and/or artwork that demonstrates how one of your ideas would come to life. If submitting a proof-of-concept video, it should be designed for social media, shot in a 9x16 aspect ratio, and roughly 15 seconds long. Proof-of-concept artwork should give us a visual idea of the overall aesthetic you're aiming for with the suite of content. For either, feel free to include links to any existing social assets (they don't have to be your own) that represent the style you'd be aiming for.
For any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.
DELIVERABLES: There are 12-14 total social assets.
EXPECTED TIMELINE: HERE
EXPOSURE: 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: Thriller/suspense and horror fans
TONE/FEEL: Scary, Thrilling, Chilling, and Eerie
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.
PARAMOUNT SCARES COLLECTION:
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 REQUIREMENTS: Prior to the commencement of actual production, creators MUST receive final approval from the Sponsor on the elements below. There may be multiple rounds of feedback until an element is approved.
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 videos 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.
MUSIC: If you use music from a library for your content, you MUST use one of Tongal's music providers: Jingle Punks and Universal Production Music. 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 Music Release Form. To learn more, click on any of the providers' names above.
If you choose to use original music, you must fill out and submit our Music Release Form. Please ensure your composer reviews and signs this form BEFORE beginning their work.
STOCK FOOTAGE: Tongal has partnered with the stock footage library STORYBLOCKS, which can be used to source video clips, photography, and After Effects templates for your video submission to this project. Video or photo content from Storyblocks is available at no charge, solely for incorporation into submissions on this project, and will not require a separate Release Form. If identifiable people or intellectual property appears in a video clip or photo, you may only utilize assets that are clearly marked “Model released: Yes” or “Property release: Yes” on the clip description pages. You may not use any audio.
If you intend to use Storyblocks, inform your Tongal producer, and an account will be created for you to access the library. Once assets are approved for delivery, you must provide a complete list of all Storyblocks content that you used via our template HERE.
ASSET DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS & RESOURCES: 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. 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.