PayPal is looking for a highly capable production company or creative team to produce a substantial number of live-action video and photography assets as part of a fast-moving Back to School campaign that will be launching this summer in the United States, revolving around the campaign platform Trust the Way You Pay. This will involve about 6 days of physical production and nearly 200 assets for different digital and social platforms.
Schools might be letting out for the summer right now, but we're looking ahead at Back to School here, and whether it's school supplies, fashion, or really any other thing that you may need this fall, PayPal believes that you can trust in yourself to be yourself, and to decide how to bring your best self to the table (or the classroom). When you pay with PayPal, you take control of your financial freedom in the way that suits you best. Simply, securely, and with all the flexibility you may need, through the wide range of products and different ways to pay that PayPal offers. All of this is what's at the core of Trust the Way you Pay, PayPal's campaign platform, and it's what they're looking to communicate as they launch into a multi-faceted, multi-platform digital and social campaign this summer.
The goal of this project is to produce almost every element of that fast-moving campaign, and so it will involve creating a large collection of live action video and photo content, with nearly 200 assets, and potentially some social post copywriting (this brief will be updated if that's confirmed during the Pitch Phase). The campaign includes several hero videos that will serve as an anchor, as well as individual videos that will profile different key PayPal products and other messages, multiple variations of those videos for different aspect ratios and platforms, and a substantial assortment of supporting content in the form of cutdowns, GIFs, and static image assets. This suite of content should focus on everyday moments, and a positive and emotional story, inspiring consumers to Trust the Way You Pay when they check out with PayPal. Everything will build upon existing PayPal brand foundations, and further details will be provided to a select group of filmmaking teams.
Necessarily, this will require a robust team - this is not something than an individual filmmaker can handle - and you will need to tackle a large number of deliverables in parallel, while moving at a very quick pace. We will put a high premium on organization, close attention to detail, and regular communication. You should expect to create and manage a thorough pre-production campaign document, with an asset tracker, and an asset library, and ultimately we expect to have at least 6 days of physical production, and you will need to have multiple editors in post-production to be able to keep up with the fast-moving schedule.
In terms of the creative, we're anticipating that we'll develop about 8 different "vignettes" or individual stories, that we'll use in a modular fashion to piece together several different hero videos. Those vignettes will then also be used as standalone videos, and as the basis for different cutdowns and GIFs. It's reasonable to assume that each vignette will require its own cast and at least one location, but it's possible that may change as the campaign is developed in conjunction with PayPal. Photography will also be important to the campaign, so you should anticipate to work photography into each day of physical production. Motion graphics capabilities are absolutely critical, and you'll need to account for VFX compositing if talent is shown using their phone in a shot, which is more likely than not.
As not all details can be shared yet, if you are interested in being considered for this project, please be sure to submit your team to the Pre-Qualification Phase. This will be a highly competitive project, and six teams will be selected and receive funding to put together a full pitch with their vision for the campaign. One team will be selected to move forward into the Video Phase and produce the full suite of content.
THE PROCESS
For any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.
DELIVERABLES: A work-in-progress breakdown will be shared with the six filmmaking teams selected for the Pitch Phase, but as mentioned above, you can expect approximately 200 assets, ranging in duration from :30 to :06, in three aspect ratios: 16x9, 4x5, and 9x16. We expect to shoot 8 different vignettes, which will be used to modularly build several hero videos, and all of the short form content. GIFs and standalone photography assets are also included.
TIMELINE: HERE
EXPOSURE: We anticipate content will be used on the platforms listed below, but if casting talent, please be sure your talent reviews the required Talent Release, 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 page.
TARGET AUDIENCE:
TONE: Positive, relatable, authentic, inclusive, optimistic, humble, clever
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.
REFERENCES FOR INSPIRATION OR TONE:
PAYPAL PRODUCTS:
PITCH QUALIFICATION PHASE:
In order to be considered for the full Pitch Phase, you must include the below materials in your Pitch Qualification Submission. This Phase gives filmmakers the opportunity to submit a 500-character synopsis with some initial creative thoughts for the social suite, and tell us a bit more about your team. Six creators will then be given $750 to develop robust treatments as part of the Pitch Phase.
PITCH PHASE:
If selected to move forward to the Pitch Phase, you will be sent additional information about the campaign to create a robust Treatment as part of your pitch. You must include the below materials in your pitch submission to be considered for this project. 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. Please see the full payment schedule.
PRE-PRODUCTION REQUIREMENTS: Prior to shooting, filmmakers must receive the below approvals from the Sponsor. Note that there may be multiple rounds of feedback until pre-production materials are approved by 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 & RESOURCES: 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. 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 any music from a library for your content, you MUST use one of Tongal's three music providers - Jingle Punks, Universal Production Music and Epidemic Sound. 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 about using each of these music providers, click on any of the providers’ names above.
If you choose to use custom or 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 content 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 beforehand, and an account will be created for you to access the library and its features. Once your video submissions are approved by the Sponsor, 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 the costs associated the hard drive and shipping.
To ensure a smoother delivery, please review the Export Presets, Specifications, and Project File Organization Tutorial in our Filmmaker Resource Portal.