To help promote The Garfield Movie, create a short social video that features Garfield consumer products that will be sold at Walmart locations across United States that captures Garfield's quirky and fun essence.
***Please note that only U.S. Residents are eligible to submit for this project.***
On May 24th, the beloved orange cat that got us all obsessed with lasagna and naps is taking over the big screen. In The Garfield Movie, Garfield goes on a wild outdoor adventure after an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father, Vic. Garfield and Odie are forced to abandon their pampered life to join Vic in a hilarious, high-stakes heist.
To go alongside the premiere of the movie, there will also be a bunch of new Garfield consumer products for fans to buy at Walmart locations across the U.S., and Nickelodeon wants YOU to showcase these products in a fun social video that both gets fans excited for the movie and encourages them to buy the products. When it comes to execution, Nickelodeon is primarily looking for live-action or stop-motion videos, but if you have another idea that doesn't fall into one of those categories, Nickelodeon still wants to hear about it. They are open to any creative style that can showcase the products and capture the weirdness/playfulness of Garfield. Importantly, the video should NOT look like an ad and should feel native to the TikTok and Instagram Reels platforms.
The video itself should showcase the products in a playful and engaging manner, while capturing the essence of Garfield's unique personality, humor, and weirdness. The products themselves should be the stars of the video, and each item should be uniquely highlighted (for example, they cannot be relegated to the background of the frame). There will be six total products to feature, and while the specific list of products will only be available to the greenlit filmmaker, here are the type of products you can expect:
Since you won't be able to see the specific products ahead of time, we encourage you to submit multiple creative concepts in your pitch treatment that could work with the above types of products. The more ideas, the better - but a key component here is that we want the charm of Garfield to resonate throughout the video. It's very important that all products are visible, so although storytelling is encouraged, the main focus here is to highlight the features of each product in a fun and entertaining way. The greenlit creator will receive product samples for filming and will receive reimbursements for any products purchased directly. Since these products have yet to be released, we'll also be looking solely for US-based creators (due to shipping constraints).
In your pitch treatment, make sure to describe how you plan to feature each consumer product, include previous work samples for any consumer products videos you've done, and if helpful, include a proof-of-concept or a reference video to show how your idea would come to life visually. Check out some previous product videos that we've done in the past in the Background, and for any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.
DELIVERABLES: There are 3 total video 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: Family audiences (parents and kids who are fans of Garfield).
TONE/FEEL: Fun, exciting, quirky, and weird... just like Garfield!
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.
HELPFUL REFERENCE VIDEOS FOR INSPIRATION/TONE:
Here are some examples of past consumer product videos created for Nickelodeon to give you a sense of the style we're going for.
While these are stop-motion examples, the Nickelodeon team is open to live-action or other creative visual approaches, so don't let these examples hem in your creativity! They are open to any creative style that can showcase the products and capture the weirdness/playfulness of Garfield.
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 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, 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.