Create a Trailer for the wildly popular Wattpad story Expiration Date to get fans excited for an original SYFY digital pilot adaptation. 

Imagine a world in which you know the exact day you’ll die – and that you know it because that very date is imprinted on your arm at birth, a constant and terrifying reminder of your inescapable fate. For 18-year-old orphan IRIS LEVINE, that date has always been the day of her 19th birthday. Yet, when the clock finally strikes midnight, a mysterious man appears and snatches her away from her imminent death. What happens next is the epic story of EXPIRATION DATE, a wildly popular science fiction adventure with over 16 million reads on Wattpad. 

Outliving her expiration date has marked Iris as “Expired” and made her a dangerous threat to The Society, the secretive organization that runs everything. Her only hope now is the mysterious man, who reveals himself to be none other than ERIK BLACKWOOD, third-in-command of The Society itself. Erik wants to end expiration dates, and thinks Iris may be the one to help him do it. Soon Iris finds herself thrust into a life-or-death struggle between warring factions and revolutionaries, caught in an unlikely love triangle between the man who saved her, and his cousin JONAS BLACKWOOD, the charismatic leader of The Society, who has his own surprising motivations… 

This is where you come in: SYFY, Wattpad, and Tongal want to transform Expiration Date from Story to Screen as a digital pilot, and they want to start by having you create a thrilling Trailer that will get the fans excited, and tee up the adventure, the danger, the drama, and yes, the romance, that plays out within Expiration Date’s pages. SYFY gives science fiction fans of all kinds a universe to call home by celebrating the genre in all its forms – from premium original programming to imaginative digital and social content – so it’s a natural home for a story like this. 

You’ll find a synopsis in the Assets for this project, but be sure to check out the full story on Wattpad too. Then, check out more details below…

The goal of this project is to create a Trailer up to 2 minutes in length to get audiences hyped about a potential digital pilot based on Wattpad’s thrilling sci-fi adventure Expiration Date. Your Trailer will have to introduce the main characters, capture the voice, look, and feel of your potential digital pilot, and tee up the narrative that would drive a series forward. 

Three Filmmakers will each receive a budget to produce a Trailer, with potential for one Trailer to be greenlit for a short form digital pilot episode with additional budget. After the Trailers are finalized, fans will be invited to SYFY.com to watch all three and vote on their favorite one to help determine which Trailer gets greenlit to a digital pilot. Once a digital pilot is produced, SYFY and Wattpad, at their own discretion, will have the opportunity to further develop the digital pilot into a full series.

A crucial element in developing your Trailer is first thinking about how you’ll adapt the story for a scripted short form digital format. Put thought into how you’d be able to sustain a story across multiple episodes, and what you might need to do (or change) to create a compelling serialized narrative with clearly defined characters and a fully developed world. Use Expiration Date as the foundation of your narrative, but feel free to expand upon what’s included in the original story and take creative license in your adaptation. Don’t forget the fans or ignore the elements that made the original story successful, but don’t feel rigidly locked in to the original narrative, either.

You should also keep in mind that if you plan on creating a digital pilot with lots of mystery, betrayal, romance, and action, your Trailer needs to include those elements so the audiences know what they’re in for. As you get started, here a few notes to consider:

HIGHLIGHT:

• Lean in to the action/thriller elements, especially being on the run and fighting against the Society
• Give this a fast-paced, sci-fi thriller feeling
• Heighten the idea/storyline of rebels subverting and fighting against the oppressive Order
• Heighten the mystery and develop additional backstory/plot points around The Society and The Order – who are they and why are they bad? 
• Expand upon the rules of the world; explore how the expiration date works

TONE DOWN:

• The love triangle – we’re fine with it to a certain extent but don’t want to bog audiences down in “Team Erik” vs “Team Jonas.” This is more than a teen love story.
• Move away from the aliens in Book 2 (spoiler alert!). We want a more grounded take on this world.

Your Trailer can be live action or animation, but it shouldn’t be a rip reel or composed of scenes from other shows/movies. Treat your Trailer like your digital pilot’s already been greenlit– and look to cast talent that can be in the actual digital pilot itself, since they’ll be as important to your work’s potential as your vision, style, and storytelling. Diversity in storytelling makes your narrative more relatable and realistic, so build your cast and crew accordingly! 

PRE-PRODUCTION NOTE: This project includes a Pre-Production Phase (What is a Pre-Production Phase?). This means you will be required to submit certain items for Approval before moving onto the Video Phase. The Approval items for this project are:

• SCRIPT  – This project requires Script Approval before you can move onto the Video Phase. The Sponsor may provide feedback on your Script and ask you to submit a new version. There may be multiple rounds of feedback until a Script is approved by the brand.
• CASTING  – This project requires Casting Approval before you can move onto the Video Phase. You must submit at least two actor options per role. If the Sponsor does not approve either of your options for a role, you may be asked to submit two new actor options.

--Target Audience: 18-34 year-olds, with a 50/50 male/female split.

--Tone:

• Fast-paced, action-packed, with mystery, adventure and sci-fi
• Should resonate emotionally with the audience - even though the world is a dystopian sci-fi twist on ours, emotions and storylines should feel grounded

--Executional Mandatories:

• No nudity
• No third party logos or visible licensed products or product placements
• No gratuitous language or violence

--Exposure: Trailers will be posted on SYFY.com so fans can vote on their favorite.  The potential digital pilot will premiere on SYFY.com, as well as on Wattpad's and Tongal's digital and social channels.

--Anticipated Timeline:

Pre-Production Phase: August 1 – August 17. 

Series Trailer Production Phase: August 17 – September 6

First Cuts Delivered to Tongal: September 6

Internal Review: September 6 – September 10

First Cut Trailers Delivered to SYFY: September 10

Editorial Feedback from SYFY: September 14

Revisions: September 14 - September 19

Second Cuts Delivered to Tongal: September 19

Internal Review: September 19 - September 24

Second Cut Trailers delivered to SYFY: September 24

Editorial Feedback from SYFY: September 28

Final Revisions: September 28–October 2

Final Cuts Due to Tongal: October 1

Final Revised Trailers Delivered for Approval: October 1

Master Files Delivered: October 3

This Project will be worth a total of $24,000 and consists of 6 Phases: a Pitch Phase, a Pre-Production, a Video Phase, a Revisions Phase, a Delivery Phase, and a Voting Phase. Be sure to read the following information carefully as well as the Official Rules.

PHASE 1: PITCH - Submit your Pitch (What is a Pitch Phase?) convincing the Sponsor why you should be selected to execute a Video using:

• Text (REQUIRED): 500 characters or less synopsizing how you plan to approach and execute this Video.

• Links (REQUIRED): To your previous video work. Please specify your role (producer, director, cinematography, etc.) and DO NOT INCLUDE LINKS TO YOUR SHOWREEL. Please link to individual videos.

• Treatment (REQUIRED): A detailed narrative description of what's going to happen in the video. If it's helpful to you, we've provided a Treatment template, which you can find here.
  
  
• Pitch Video (REQUIRED): This is your opportunity to be face-to-face with the Sponsor and show them what you're capable of. Consider submitting a Pitch video in which you tell the Sponsor what they can expect should they choose your Pitch. Also, test videos, animatic, etc. are welcome.   

• Script (Optional): This should include dialogue from the video you intend to create. 

• Storyboards (Optional): Additional concept art, storyboards, shot list, anything that helps get your point across. You can download the Tongal storyboard template here.

• Headshots/Casting Boards (Optional): Casting notes or concepts, headshots of actors, etc.  

The 3 most compelling Pitches will be selected and upon submitting the Winner’s Affidavit and the IP Assignment, will each receive $4,000 to help create a Trailer. Additionally, upon submitting a Trailer that satisfies the criteria laid out in your winning Pitch, completing Sponsor notes, providing the necessary release forms, and providing all assets required by the Sponsor, each Filmmaker will receive a final payment of $4,000. The final payment will be issued prior to the Voting Phase detailed at bottom. For an example of an effective Pitch, check out The Indie Machines winning “3 Artists & 5,000 LEGOs” Pitch video. All Pitches will remain private until after the winner of the Video Phase is announced and the Project is complete. 

PHASE 2: PRE-PRODUCTION – The 3 Filmmakers from the Pitch Phase will enter the Pre-Production Phase (What is a Pre-Production Phase?). During this phase, filmmakers will need to receive the following Approvals from the brand: 

• SCRIPT  – This project requires Script Approval before you can move onto the Video Phase. The Sponsor may provide feedback on your Script and ask you to submit a new version. There may be multiple rounds of feedback until a Script is approved by the brand.
• CASTING  – This project requires Casting Approval before you can move onto the Video Phase. You must submit at least two actor options per role. If the Sponsor does not approve either of your options for a role, you may be asked to submit two new actor options.

No filmmakers may begin shooting their Video until all Approvals are completed and the Video Phase has officially begun. If you begin shooting your Video during the Pre-Production Phase before you have received final approval, there is a chance you will need to reshoot (at your own expense).

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.  They can all be accessed here.

PHASE 3: VIDEO – Once the Pre-Production Phase is complete, Filmmakers will each create a Trailer up to 2 minutes in length, based upon their winning Pitch. 

--Video Phase Payout: Each Filmmaker that goes into the Video Phase will earn $4,000.

--Music:  For this project Tongal has partnered with the music provider Jingle Punks, which can be used to source music for your Video submission. Music from this provider 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 Jingle Punks, click the provider’s name above. 

Tongal members interested in a more customized music solution for your project are invited to connect with our partner Score A Score. Email a brief description of your project (timing, creative, budget, etc.), along with any specific music direction and/or references to their creative team at music@scoreascore.com and include “Tongal Project - Your Name” in the subject line.  Their creative team will be in touch within a few minutes to discuss the simple process and options with you. Please note that you will be responsible for the fees associated with using Score A Score. 

If you are selected as a winner and 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.

PHASE 4: REVISIONS – Once the Video Phase has closed, Filmmaker will enter the Revisions Phase (What is a Revisions Phase?). During this phase, filmmakers will perform reasonable edits on their Videos according to the Sponsor's feedback. 

PHASE 5: ASSETS DELIVERY - 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.

Upon submitting a Trailer that satisfies the criteria laid out in your winning Pitch, completing Sponsor notes, providing the necessary release forms, and providing all assets required by the Sponsor, each Filmmaker will receive a final payment of $4,000, prior to the commencement of the Voting Phase below.

PHASE 6: VOTING - After the Trailers are finalized and delivered, fans will be invited to SYFY.com to watch all three and vote on their favorite one to help determine which Trailer gets greenlit to a digital pilot. 

For Tongal’s file delivery specs and any other questions you may have about post production please click here.

1. The Video MUST not exceed 2 minutes in length. Preferred format for upload to the Tongal website is HD 720p 16x9. Acceptable file formats are .mov, .avi, .mp4, .wmv. Acceptable codecs are H.264 (MP4), MPEG-4, H.263, MPGV, WMV, DivX. Should you be selected as winner, you will also be required to provide a 1080p .mov master file, using a ProRes, Animation, or Uncompressed Codec.

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. 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.

5. Submissions cannot contain any profanity, offensive language, nudity or otherwise objectionable material, the determination of which is solely at the discretion of Sponsor.

6. Submissions must not portray Sponsor in a negative way, the determination of which will solely reside with Sponsor.

7. By submitting to this project, you acknowledge that your work may become subject to public voting on the SYFY.com site. Public voting may be used to help the project sponsor determine the final rank order.

8. Videos must be in the English language or subtitled.

9. Limit 5 submissions per member, per Phase.

10. You must be at least thirteen (13) years or older to enter.

11. The Sponsor reserves the right to repost the contest.

12. 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 filmmaker.

13. 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.

14. In addition to the standard Tongal W-9, Winner Affidavit, and IP Assignment, winning Video creators MUST also provide Talent, Location, Music (or other) Releases for all assets appearing in their winning Videos, as well as a photograph/headshot OR copy of a photo ID for all On-camera Talent releases. 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 award.

15. 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.