Capture an immersive and vibe-y suite of still photos, in a distinctive Gen Z-voice, that showcase what it feels like to be a T-Mobile customer with exclusive benefits.
A photograph may not be able to do everything that a video can do, but it can still tell a good story, and it can still make quite an impact on viewers. Not only that, but even without words, a good photograph can still convey a compelling message too - you just need a really smartly executed shot. That's actually what brings us here. T-Mobile's employees regularly post content about T-Mobile offers, products, and community on their own social media channels, and much of that content is what Tongal creates. So for this project we'll be creating a suite of smartly executed still photos that can be used to showcase some major company pillars.
We are looking for two photographers to produce a combined total of 22 different photography assets to support five T-Mobile pillars of Magenta Status, Network, Home Internet, International Roaming, and Corporate Social Responsibility, as well as the messaging around them. Each selected photographer will be responsible for 11 total images from either Lifestyle-based photos (Magenta Status, Network, Home Internet) or Travel & Community photos (International Roaming, and Corporate Social Responsibility), which you can find in the Background section. For the purposes of the Pitch stage, you should submit for one of the two buckets you would like to create for the most, but there is a chance you could be chosen for both buckets if you feel that you could accomplish all 22 images.
Creatively, there's a particular vibe we're going for here: we want photography that captures what it feels like to be a Gen-Z T-Mobile customer. That means photography that is dynamic, expressive, and evocative, where we get a sense of the humanity, the emotion, and the connection that's present. They should be cool, vibey, unique, and immersive to reflect moments that highlight how everyday life and experiences are enabled by T-Mobile. The exact messaging and themes that T-Mobile wants to support can be found in the Background section below; however, there should be no text or graphics added to these photography assets.
Some of this messaging connects to things like concerts, and we understand that you won't be able to shoot at a full concert, so we're happy to discuss creative solutions and how we might manage rights and clearances when trying to shoot (or fake) certain locations or activities. You also don't need to have a different location for every single key message, but we would encourage you to have different locations across the different messaging you are looking to capture. In terms of casting, you do not have to have different talent featured in every single image, but there should be a range of at least 3-4 diverse, Gen-Z talent across your 11 images and talent should be in different wardrobe across the different pillars. You also can get creative with the way you shoot talent and focus more on the items we are trying to highlight like movie tickets or video games, rather than focusing on talent's faces. HERE is a good example where the photos were focused more on the act of going to the movies instead of the talent.
We are open to different methods of capturing content for this project meaning you can shoot on a professional camera, a polaroid camera, film, a 360 spinner camera, or even capture everything from your phone! T-Mobile has even found that wide-angled, 0.5 zoom, imagery seems to play well to their audience as you can see in their latest photography guide. While the final photos should still be professional looking, considering the locations you may be in, you do not need a full crew to shoot these and you can plan to incorporate more natural lighting. You can also incorporate hints of Magenta in your images, but it is not required as we do not want these photos to lean too branded or have Magenta be the focus of every photo. The full photo suite should feel like it's all part of the same coherent series, BUT that doesn't mean every image needs to look the same or use the exact same style. We are not looking for corporate stock images here, instead, we want photos that are bold, creative, relatable, and authentically social. You should focus on how T-Mobile enables the Gen-Z lifestyle through activities like sports, music, travel, gaming, and content creation.
Keep in mind that T-Mobile is a tech-forward company, so we need dynamic images that have an energizing and immersive aesthetic - perhaps even a little unexpected playfulness, but nothing that you'd really call "quirky" or "corporate." We want the artistry of the photographs to shine, and hook audiences, so the messaging that is posted with it is reinforced and comes through clearly. These photographs will need to be evergreen to be used and shared by T-Mobile employees on their personal social media accounts for their family, friends, and professional contacts, so you should also avoid anything that feels too seasonal or otherwise connected to a time of year or event (i.e. Thanksgiving).
Check out links in the Background to see what T-Mobile has created lately, and for any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.
DELIVERABLES: There are 11 total photography assets, per creator, per bucket.
EXPECTED TIMELINE: HERE
RELEVANT ASSETS: HERE - Style references of recent T-Mobile photography assets for tone, camera angles, and vibe.
EXPOSURE: This project requires a full rights buyout from photographers and talent. That means all rights, globally, in perpetuity, and in all media. This is not negotiable. In terms of usage, we expect content will be used on the platforms below. 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: Employee's friends, family, business contacts, and social networks.
TONE/FEEL:
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.
T-MOBILE CONTENT PILLARS: These are the main pillars T-Mobile is looking to capture with this photo library that their employees can repost on their channels to promote the benefits of being a T-Mobile customer and show how T-Mobile gives back to their communities. Each bullet below represents the 22 photos we are looking to encapsulate through your creative. These are broken up by 2 different buckets and one photographer will be capturing 11 of the bullets within each bucket.
PREVIOUS T-MOBILE GEN-Z REFERENCES: These are some of the recent video and image content created on Tongal, and they're all great examples of the style we're looking for:
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 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.
ASSET DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS & RESOURCES: You must also provide all project files and master 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.