You may have heard of the X PRIZE Foundation through their innovative competitions, especially their original Ansari X PRIZE, which paid $10 million in prize money to the SpaceShipOne team after it became the first non-governmental organization to launch a reusable manned spacecraft into sub-orbital space: the craft had to be reusable because they had to fly it twice within two weeks to win the prize! What you may not know is that more than 100 million dollars was poured into research by various teams to enter that challenge and win the prize. This success fueled several more X PRIZES which you can see and learn about by clicking the link. (Do check it out – it’s one of the most inspiring URL’s on the Internet!) 

What is the “Greater Good Challenge” all about?

With this challenge, we’re looking to visually dramatize the capabilities of large-scale teamwork, and specifically, the value of exponential technologies* to reimagine how people identify, address, and solve significant problems for humanity.

We’re asking the members of our Tongal community to 1). Identify a specific problem on any scale: global, national, or local -- then, 2). Recommend solutions, 3). Pitch video treatment of solutions, and 4). Produce video of the best solutions. The winners will screen at the X PRIZE Innovation Partnership Program (IPP) meeting in Silicon Valley on March 20, 2013, in front of 100 senior executives from Fortune 250 companies.

*What are “Exponential Technologies,” exactly?

If you’re a Tongal veteran, you’ve already been engaged with an exponential technology – ours. Tongal gathers ideas from a diverse, globally distributed network, works with people who have specific domain-knowledge to select ideas with the best potential, and engages experts with outstanding vision and technical skills to create exceptional results.

Generally speaking, exponential technologies work the same way: seeking ideas, second opinions, refinements, and insights on a very broad basis, then enabling a network of knowledgeable, technically skilled contributors to collaborate: by critiquing, counter-proposing, or testing solutions. The power of the distributed, diverse team is exponential. The “wisdom of crowds” is one thing. The wisdom of crowds, combined with diverse teams of experts is another. Other exponential technologies include artificial intelligence, robotics, 3D manufacturing, digital medicine, synthetic biology, connected sensors, just to name a few.

And now…you can help us make them visible!

In a 45-90 second live-action or animated video, bring a local, national or global human problem, and its solution, vividly to life.

This project will be worth a total of $30,000 and will consist of four phases, so there’s a place for everyone to participate!

PHASE 1: PROBLEM STATEMENT – Clearly state a problem of any scope: global, national, or local. (Space provided is 100 characters) and express its effect to you personally and to your community.

We will work with IPP attendees via the Tongal platform to evaluate and select 3 Problem Statements. Note: we will choose one each for global, local, and national problems. Those who submit selected PROBLEM STATEMENTS will win $300 each.

PHASE 2: PROPOSED SOLUTION – Select one of the winning Problem Statement descriptions and outline your proposed solution to the selected problem. If you can express how an exponential technology approach will help create or test the solution, please do! (250 characters)

We will work with IPP attendees via the Tongal platform to select 6 PROPOSED SOLUTIONS -- two for each selected problem. The creators of the proposed solutions will be awarded $600 each.

PHASE 3: PITCH – Using text (500 characters or less), images (storyboards), video, and/or external links (to other supporting assets such as your reel, etc.), give us your Pitch for how YOU would go about producing a video that dramatizes your selected PROBLEM and SOLUTION. The three most compelling Pitches will be selected and the creators of those Pitches will receive a $1500 production budget to produce their video. Those winners will also be GUARANTEED to place in the subsequent Video Phase. So, if you’re Pitch is selected, you will earn a minimum of $5,500 ($1,500 for your pitch and $4,000 if you place third); with a 1-in-3 shot at second place and $7,000, or first place and the $10,000 video prize. Remember your Pitch can include any, and all, of the assets mentioned above, with storyboards being a particularly effective way of conveying your take. To avoid information cascades, all Pitches will remain private until after the video winners of the subsequent phase are announced.

PHASE 4: VIDEO EXECUTION – Create your video treatment that brings your selected PROBLEM and SOLUTION to life. If the proposed solution includes an exponential technology, please make this clear in your video treatment. The winning video will receive a $10,000 prize, second place will receive $7,000, and the third place winner will take home $4,000. (Remember, this is in addition to the $1,500 pitch winnings.)

1. Videos MUST not exceed 90 seconds in length. Preferred format 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.

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. Any use of an Noise/Racket track obtained through Tongal in connection with this Project that is outside of such Tongal member's submission to such project is strictly prohibited. 

4. In the event you utilize any third party materials, such as music provided by a third-party music provider, 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.

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

6. Submissions must not portray X Prize or Tongal in a negative way, the determination of which will solely reside with X Prize and Tongal.

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

8. Limit 5 submission(s) per member, per phase.

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

10. Minimum 20 Pitches, or the contest may repost for fourteen (14) days at the sponsor's discretion.

11. Sponsor will be entitled to one reasonable round of 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.

12. In addition to the standard Tongal W-9, Winner Affidavit, and IP Assignment, winning video creators MUST also provide Talent, Location, and Music Releases for all assets appearing in the video as well as the project files, editing sequence and an uncompressed quicktime .mov file in either Animation or ProRes 422 codecs at either 1920x1080 or 1280x720 to claim their prize.

13. BY SUBMITTING A VIDEO ENTRY, YOUR SUBMISSION IMMEDIATELY BECOMES SOLELY THE PROPERTY OF TONGAL – 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 WEB SITE 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.

14. 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.