The VidOpp Video Contest Community

You’ve had your vision and talent forever. Now, you’ve got your story locked, your treatment ready, and your big meeting with the Studio Chief on the books…It’s time to drive on to the Tongal lot and Pitch your LEGO City Mini Movie—and you didn’t even have to spend five thankless years in the mailroom to do it.

That’s right, LEGO City wants all you budding Bricky Bruckheimers out there to bring some cinematic inspiration to the product line by producing a series of exciting, story-driven Mini Movies that will highlight its depth, find an edge and grab the attention of a slightly older demographic.

Requirements

Videos MUST not exceed 120 seconds in length. Preferred format is HD 720p 16×9. Acceptable file formats are .mov, .avi, .mp4, .wmv. Acceptable codecs are H.264 (MP4), MPEG-4, H.263, MPGV, WMV, DivX.

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.

Submissions should reference only the models provided by LEGO.

Videos must include an end bumper with the copy, “Watch more LEGO City movies or play online games at City.LEGO.com!”
Videos must be in the English language or subtitled.

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

Eligibility

Contests are open only to natural persons, thirteen (13) years or older at the time of entry (or the age as otherwise specified in a particular project’s requirements on the Project Details Page), who are registered members of the Tongal online community (each, a “Member”).

Judging Criteria

Create the greatest animated short film ever made. Do it using LEGO City.

Please keep in mind that the objective of this campaign is to dial up the “coolness” of the theme, not by means of amplifying violence but by adding depth and complexity to the story. A combination of action, humor and unexpected twists are essential to capture both the young and older audience. We want kids to fall in love and stay in love with City.

–Major Themes: This project will focus on FOUR Major Themes, which you may work off of:

• Police- it is the most iconic and broad assortment within the City portfolio. It is a concept that is loved and understood by boys of all ages. The City police force is located both in the City and its outskirts (the forest). The Forest and City police forces team up to chase and capture the crooks in and outside of the City to ensure that the LEGO City citizens are safe. The LEGO City police force is known for having high-tech vehicles and search equipment.

• Fire- The second most iconic assortment within City. The City fire squad also teams up with the forest fire squad to keep the City and its outskirts safe and can also respond to many other emergencies. The fire assortment is broad and packed with cool vehicles.

• Great Vehicles- 5 different vehicles that are not tied to any of the City themes but play an important role in the day-to-day of any City (Garbage Truck, Ambulance, etc.)

• Mining- is a brand new theme that brings a lot of action and excitement to the LEGO City universe. The LEGO City gold mine is located just outside the City. The theme is packed with amazing heavy duty vehicles that are used to perform many, many tasks in the LEGO City gold mine. Every single vehicle within the Mining theme is differentiated and has unique functions and features. Dynamite is key component of the Mining theme; it is used to blow up the big rocks in order to extract the gold. The LEGO City miners perform dangerous and challenging tasks and belong to the long list of heroes of the LEGO City. But watch out for the crooks! They are on the look out for gold.

–Tone and Key Elements:

• Humor – Humor is your catalyst ingredient: use it to turn the action and drama into a fun break-away.

• Action Packed! – It’s like John Woo and Tony Scott had a baby and it was your movie keeping us on the edge of our seats. Use action and tension to heighten the sense of urgency and danger.

• Bumbling Crooks! – The crooks are everywhere, stealing everything — regardless of its value…BUT they always get caught!!

• Plot Twists – Unexpected twists and turns will only make the stories more engaging, but don’t force it…these should feel natural to your story.

• Special Effects – While by no means a requirement, if it’s at your disposal don’t be shy in trying to make these cinematic.

Prize

1st – $12,000
2nd – $6,000
3rd – $4,000
4th – $2,000
5th – $1,500
6th – $1,000
7th – $1,000

Please don’t hesitate to ask any questions in the comments below.