Power team Meghan Frederico and John Tomma have been killing it on the Tongal Leaderboards.  From their winning Wildcard UNO video The Parking Meter to the adorable collection of Lego Duplo spots, Extraneous Noise can now call themselves the winner of Tongal’s largest ever first-place prize purse.  Not to mention their Secret Wedding Toast Lady video, which can be seen in movie theaters and Facebook feeds across the country.  Ex Noise’s advice for other Tongalers?  Carefully read through the Creative Brief, get talent releases signed and, of course, trial and error.  Read how bean bag chairs and a stick-on mustache played into their Tongal success – and helped them pay off most of their start-up debts – below.

Caleb Light-Wills: Who is Extraneous Noise?

Extraneous Noise: Extraneous Noise is Meghan Frederico and John Tomma.  In general, Meghan directs and edits, and John produces and does sound design, though our entire workflow is highly collaborative.

We’ve been working together for about three years.  We got our start producing live music videos, added small business videos, and now are working almost exclusively on branded documentaries, commercials, and music videos. (Thanks Tongal!!)

CLW: What is your production background like?

JT: My only formal education in filmmaking was a documentary filmmaking class I took about ten years ago in college.  This was long before DSLRs so we were stuck with DVX100s.  I found the image quality completely uninspiring at the time so I forgot about filmmaking for the next seven years.  Then DSLRs arrived…

MF: I never studied film in school. I was a government & psychology major, and after college I spent a year working at the Harvard Kennedy School. Part of my job involved programming our human rights film series (The other part of my job was conducting research for an incredible book that was later adapted into an incredible documentary, Sergio). But at that point any interest in film was pretty hands-off, and it wasn’t until after I met John that we stumbled into filmmaking.

CLW: What was the first Tongal project you participated in and what was the result?

EN: We submitted a few (deservedly) non-winning ideas to a couple projects in June, and sort of forgot about it until we saw the UNO project brief. Meghan got a little nostalgic over the card game, and since it was a lovely summer day we dragged bean bags onto the roof of our building and spent an hour brainstorming.  All of the success we’ve had over the last 8 months is a direct result of that hour on the roof!

Our “parking meter” idea ended up being one of the idea round winners for UNO.  Even though it was only $200 (less than most of the pitch budgets these days), we were super excited that if a good idea wasn’t overlooked, a good video wouldn’t be either.   It inspired us to turn around and use the $200 to finance what would be our wild card winning video, which in turn helped us win our first pitches, and so on….

CLW: I didn’t notice the first time I watched it, but there’s something interesting about the casting of that piece (UNO).

EN: Initially we planned on casting a friend of ours as the meter maid character, but on the day before the shoot, he broke his toe in a soccer match. He was barely able to walk, much less roller blade. So we bought a mustache, which is apparently all that’s needed to make an actor seem like a completely different person!  Props to Jesse Mangan for his hilarious interpretation of both roles!

We filmed the video at Revere beach, north of Boston on a strip of road with no parking meters.  The meter you see in the video was one we purchased off eBay.  We got a lot of weird looks from the locals. We shot for about 3 hours, and a woman who lived across the street spent the entire time finding the perfect placement for her Mitt Romney sign. She tried every square inch, but probably mainly as an excuse to watch us.

It was raining off and on all day and pretty windy, so she must have started feeling sorry for us.  Near the end of our shoot she came over with hot tea for us, and then warned us not to vote for Obama. “I know you did last time, you dummies”.  It’s confusing when someone gives you tea while also yelling at you.

CLW: What happened from there?

EN: Even though the Scope project didn’t actually involve filming the music at Voodoo Fest, it seemed tailor made for us with all of our experience filming at music events and navigating the unique challenges of event videography.  We went all out and created an entire website for the pitch – definitely our most elaborate pitch yet.

Going down to New Orleans was pretty awesome – neither of us had ever been there.  It was also our first time working directly with a big brand and an agency.  We really enjoyed meeting the Scope team and working with Einav, Shelby, and Todd from the agency Publicis.

We actually were so busy moving around the festival and filming the activities Scope was hosting, we probably only watched about an hour or two of music over the three days, but the ones we did see, Jack White, Metallica, and Bootsy Collins were great.

It was definitely one of our most fun projects – it’s pretty awesome to be paid to film a lot of people having fun and asking them to do crazy things like spit Scope out at 240 frames per second.

CLW: You guys are up to $150k in lifetime earnings, $105k of which was earned this year, including our largest ever 1st place prize for LEGO DUPLO; are you guys going to be the first seven-figure Tongal producers?

EN: We’re still amazed we reached six figures, let alone starting to think about seven figures.  Duplo was really unexpected!  We were lucky to hit Tongal at the time that we did as brand names and prize pools have gotten so much bigger than they were in the past.

In fairness, our earnings are a little deceptive.  We’ve spent over $50k producing our Tongal videos.  We almost always spend the entire pitch budget and our minimum guaranteed award on cast, crew, gear, and locations, and sometimes more than that. We’ve been very lucky to only have lost money on one project so far.  That said, even when considering the production expenses, our Tongal wins have really turned things around for us.

It’s really exciting that the average project purse and season prize pools seem to still be rising.  We managed to reach six figures in about six months, and I have a feeling you’re going to see the time it takes for other new producers to reach that point will be even faster.  It’s awesome that Tongal has the potential to create a viable business model for a lot of independent producers.

CLW: What has been your favorite Tongal Project?

MF: Secret was a really special one because I got to work with our lead actress Christie Nittrouer, who, in addition to being a brilliant stand-up/performer/writer, has also been my best friend since age 6. We’ve always enjoyed working on stuff together, it seemed like a great time to use the pitch money to fly her in from LA.

JT: Most recently, our Star Wars Pringles and Glide wildcard videos were a lot of fun to shoot.  We cast improv actors in both.  It was a good thing we didn’t need to record audio for most of the shoots, since we were laughing so much.

CLW: Most challenging?

EN: Our Secret spot was probably the most challenging.  A couple days before the shoot, we got feedback from the client that they’d prefer we set the video in a more “relatable” environment like a wedding (rather than a performer in a green room, getting ready to go on stage).  With that one change in concept, our budget shot up from $1500 to $4000.  Somehow we managed in less than 72 hours to find a mansion, cast a ton of extras, and create the illusion of an actual wedding reception.  To add to the stress, we had two actresses we had lined up to play the bride cancel on us – one let us know late the night before the shoot, and the second just never showed up.  Our production assistant, Lizbeth MacQuarrie ended up being the bride.  Her dress was created 10 minutes before we shot her, and was secured with binder clips!

CLW: Any advice you could offer those trying to break through and convince a sponsor to trust them with a budget?

Producing a wild card video is definitely the best way to establish yourself on Tongal.  Think strategically about which projects you submit to.  A project like Pringles Star Wars is going to be incredibly competitive.  Your best bet is to go for a project that generates less interest, has a smaller award package, or has more than one wildcard slot.  Don’t feel like you have to spend a ton of money producing a wildcard.  Remember that a great idea is more important than high production value.  A hilarious video shot on an iPhone is going to beat out a boring video shot on an Epic.  There are numerous examples of wildcards beating pitch winners (FCR’s hilarious Dunder Mifflin video!).  If you’ve got a great idea and make the best of whatever limited resources you have available, you’ll have a real chance.

Even if your wildcard doesn’t win, you’ll be able to use the video when you make subsequent pitches.  Tongal can give you a private link to include if the video isn’t public.  We had a large portfolio of work before we ever started working with Tongal, but the fact that we had a wildcard submission (UNO) helped us get our first three pitches (Scope, Polly Pocket, Logitech) since it gave the brands confidence we could produce good work within the Tongal system.

CLW: What’s next for you guys?

EN: We’re excited every time a new project gets posted on Tongal, so at very least you can expect some more wild card videos from us, as well as videos for Duracell, IAMS (puppies!), and Gorilla Glue.  We have a couple music video treatments that we’re looking to shoot, are in pre-production on a short documentary series profiling Boston taxi drivers, and are batting around short film ideas.

Our tenure in Boston is actually coming to a close, so this summer we’re going to be auditioning some new cities to station ourselves in.  Meghan will be in Brooklyn and John will be in the Bay area, both producing videos and shipping hard drives back and forth to each other.  We’d love to meet other Tongalers in the area(s)!

Since joining last June, Don Broida has taken the Tongal universe by storm.  He placed not once, but twice, in his first ever project for Bounty, created a brilliant wining wildcard for Swanson, and just became the 1^st Place Production Winner of Tongal Season 2.  Beyond the money (he racked up over $90,000 in just 7 months), and the exposure (his winning I can’t believe it’s not Butter! spot is currently airing on national television), Don’s success on Tongal earned him something intangible, which incidentally may the best argument we’ve ever heard for the value that this platform creates for it’s users.  In his words, “I have a 7 month-old son, and due to Tongal I have been able to work more from home. Not having to take constant film jobs has allowed me to spend time with him and connect with him in a way that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to.” Here’s to more time with family and a prosperous 2013!

Caleb Light-Wills – How and when did you first find out about Tongal?

Don Broida – I was first told about Tongal in early June by Matt Roe, a very talented DP that I’ve worked with on other projects outside of Tongal. Matt heard about Tongal through a fellow Tongaler, Ben Redmond, whom he often shoots with.

C.L.W. – Were you apprehensive about the Tongal process?

D.B. – I didn’t have any apprehension about the Tongal process, and found it to be pretty natural and instinctive. I think that Tongal is a great avenue for unrepresented filmmakers and advertising creatives alike. The multi phase structure draws on many people to produce the best ideas, pitches, and videos, regardless of if you are an already established commercial director or a fifteen year-old from Texas. It puts everyone on the same playing field with the same exposure to the companies, and lets talent speak for itself.

For both filmmakers and sponsors the multi phase structure is an all around win. It gives the Sponsors the opportunity to guide the filmmakers to produce the content they are looking for, and as filmmakers this is huge, because I am willing to invest more time and money in creating a project that I know is aligned with what they want. Other video contest sites do not do this, and I feel both the filmmaker and Sponsors are losing out as they’re both stuck working in the dark. Filmmaking is a collaborative process and the very nature of the multi phase structure is collaboration.

C.L.W. – What is your production background like?

D.B. – In high school I started making surf videos. My friends and I would surf every morning, go to school, and spend every evening cutting them together. We loved it, but the part I enjoyed the most, other than actually surfing, was the editing process. Choosing the best footage, creating titles, adding music, finalizing it, and eventually showing the finished product to everyone. From that, I decided I wanted to pursue post-production in feature films.

The summer after high school, I got a post job working on a feature film, DALLAS 362, directed by Scott Caan. I had the time of my life on the film and decided that post was definitely for me. I love how closely you work with the Director and Producers and the true impact post has on the final product. This realization helped shape my college decisions.

While in school, I found work within the industry that I could do while simultaneously studying. I worked closely with Directors such as Curtis Hanson, John Singleton, Mark Pellington, Robert Luketic, Jason Moore and Producers such as Tom Rosenburg, Clint Culpepper, and Paul Brooks. They are incredible filmmakers who have shared a lot of their knowledge with me about pre-production, production, and post production.

Along with them I was closely mentored by Lisa Churgin, who is an incredible film editor. She cut films such as Dead Man Walking, Gattaca, and Cider House Rules. She taught me the importance of story and how to find the best performances.

These are the people who helped shape my creative career.

C.L.W. – As part of your first Tongal win, you created, not one, but two winning wildcard videos for Bounty. Can you talk a little bit about “Kitchen Curling” and “The Ice Skater?”

D.B. – Bounty was the first project I creatively connected with after I found out about Tongal. It also lined up with my schedule and I could vividly see both videos in my head. I loved the project and really loved Bounty’s past Olympic commercials.

In “Kitchen Curling”, (great idea from Nicholas Staab) initially I had a really hard time imagining what the kid would use for the curling stone. I talked to a friend in Canada to see if there were toy curling stones. Apparently they do exist, but they all looked really cheap. It occurred to me it should be something already in the kitchen and a teapot seemed perfect. I really wanted to tell a story, so I decided to start it with the kid making the target. I felt this would create curiosity as to what was going on and I could ultimately end with reveal of the target.

The little boy was a family friend, who has a great look and demeanor. He was a champ and did everything I asked of him. Being an Olympic commercial, I felt I had to include love for our county, so I had him put an American flag sticker on the teapot.
In “The Ice Skater” I wanted to get into her head. To actually feel as though she was performing. To hear the crowd and feel the excitement. The big budget version of this commercial would have been intercut with an actual ice skating performance and rink.

I’m really proud of both of these videos, because they have such great points of view. I enjoy having stories told through the eyes of kids as they’re innocence and sense of fun greatly impact the feeling of the overall narrative.

C.L.W. – How does it feel to have created a National TV Commercial and do you see Tongal as a viable avenue to further your creative career?

D.B. – I’m very proud of this accomplishment and I can’t believe that Tongal has led me to it.

Originally, I thought the spot was going to air on an obscure channel in the middle of the night, so I was very surprised to see it on major networks and shows during primetime.

I see Tongal as a great avenue to further my creative career. Tongal is on the cutting edge of advertising and possibly represents the new filmmaking model. Tongal is cutting out many middle-man layers in the relationship between advertising executives and filmmaking creatives, and is really connecting untapped talent with those needing creative content. The I can’t believe it’s not Butter! commercial shows that Tongal can and will compete on the biggest national scale. I see this as only the beginning.

C.L.W. – How long did it take you to produce “Red Carpet Star” and what was your process like?

D.B. – The I can’t believe it’s not Butter! video project had very quick deadlines and thus caused me to work and produce it in a very short amount of time. I believe it was eleven days from the time the pitch was selected to when the video was due. I spent about seven days in pre-production, shot it in one night, and three days in editorial.

I had produced a very visual pitch, so I had a very clear idea of the look and scope. I was also able to share the pitch with all the key players to give them an idea of what I wanted it to be. I discussed with my DP about the costs and having it look as professional as possible while keeping the budget within the funds I was given to produce it.

The budget is always my biggest problem because, as with every project I partake in, I wanted to make it as big as possible. I knew that this would come through with the location and the number of people. I immediately started gathering extras together that were willing to work for low/no money. The group I got together was really great and the commercial is successful because of the energy and enthusiasm that they brought.

I felt to make the story effective there needed to be over the top excitement without being distracting. I focused on making the lights and actors the excitement and letting the camera stay somewhat still as to not distract. The only time we moved the camera was for the on camera dialogue. I didn’t want people yelling or flashes over their lines, so I used the whip pans to help create that frenetic energy.

The biggest snag during the production was that it started to rain in the middle of the shoot. Luckly it stopped, but it taught me a giant lesson about being prepared for everything.

C.L.W. – How did you celebrate your Tongal Season 2 Production win?

D.B. – I celebrated by mentally planning what I would shoot with the money. Fun, right? Can’t help but constantly think about the next step.

C.L.W. – Any advice you could offer those trying to break through and convince a Sponsor to trust them with a budget?

D.B. – I’m not sure that I’m really in a position to give advice to anyone, but I do think it’s important to always create things that appeal to you and that you think are cool. It’s a long road to making it in the entertainment industry, so it’s important to remain focused and driven, and to roll with the rejections and enjoy the successes.

C.L.W. – What’s next for you on Tongal or otherwise?

I have a 7 month-old son, and due to Tongal I have been able to work more from home. Not having to take constant film jobs has allowed me to spend time with him and connect with him in a way that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to. With that in mind, I hope to continue working on videos through Tongal, and recently submitted a pitch to the Olay contest.

Along with that, I recently cut an independent film starring Minnie Driver, am working on a comedy pilot for ABC, finishing up a short film starring Raoul Trujillo, and am in pre-production on a car commercial.

Lastly, I’m really looking forward to the Tongal Pringles/Star Wars video project.

Tongal changes people’s lives.  Just ask Andrew Adams who has amassed just over $70,000 in winnings since joining the Tongal community in January of this year.  Andrew’s Tongal career highlights include first place video wins for the Robert Half “Career Coaching Gone Awry Project,“ the Benjamin Moore “Chalkboard Paint In Any Color Project,” and Viggle’s “Viggle Me This Project.” These high profile wins, along with placing in numerous other projects, made Andrew our first ever Tongal Seasons production winner.  Besides bragging rights and a place in Tongal history, Andrew took home the $23,900 Seasons top prize.   We had a chance to ask Andrew some questions about his filmmaking background, what it’s like to be a “Professional Contest Winner.”

Caleb Light-Wills – How and when did you first find out about / start participating on Tongal?

Andrew Adams – There’s actually a surprisingly large community of Florida State grads who have been making their way onto Tongal, and I discovered it through them. I think Carrie Hunter was the first, and she was quickly followed by Colin Duffy and Aaron Moorhead (of the Norman Invasion). Those guys are two of my closest friends; Colin’s even my old college roommate. I lived in New York during the period when they were taking Tongal by storm, but moved out to Los Angeles in December of 2011. Colin invited me to produce and art design two videos for the LifeLock competition… And it’s been true love ever since.

CLW – What is your production background like?

AA – I taught myself to shoot and edit on iMovie with my stepfather’s busted-up Hi8 camera. I use the phrase ‘taught myself’ loosely because I wouldn’t say I made all that much progress in those days. Then I went to Florida State University’s film school, where they rotate students through every production job – writing, producing, gripping, booming, on and on – over the course of 50+ sets. It was a fantastic experience because I came out knowing the mentality of each and every worker on set, and knowing how every department works. When you’re actually on set, the benefits of that are nuts.

After school I started working on professional sets, but most of it was just production assistant work. I proved that I was real good at grabbing coffee for all sorts of celebrities… But it was demeaning, and I felt like I was squandering my education and talent.

CLW – Are you a video producer by trade or is it more like hobby?

AA – I used to jokingly say “I’m a Professional Contest Winner.” But then it actually did become my primary source of income, so I guess it’s not a joke anymore. I still haven’t figured out the best way to explain it to people. It has ended more than one conversation with pretty girls.

I realized I could do it full time when Colin and I won the LifeLock contests the same month that I was announced the winner of the Lonely Planet competition. In one month I’d doubled my earnings for the year by working half as hard and in a much more creatively satisfying capacity. My next gig as a production assistant was for a dating show that aired on CBS, and I was put in charge of the room where girls were sent to wait after the bachelors had rejected them. It was bad. On Day 5 I forfeited my day rate, walked off the set, and swore off PA work forever. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

CLW – What winning Tongal Video are you most proud of?

AA – Most times I find it hard to watch my work without burying my head in my hands at every other line. Even on videos where nobody else seems to notice, all I can see are the missed potentials, the lines that don’t land as hard as I’d like, the technical flubs that are inevitably my fault and could be fixed in four minutes if I just had a better grasp of postproduction sound…

The only video that doesn’t make me cringe at any part is the Benjamin Moore video… It seems like the most well-executed of the bunch. But honestly, I’m probably most proud of the Viggle one. Because even if the dialogue doesn’t all work and it might be too long and it might not explain the product as well as it should… It has the most me in it. It was the first time I decided to make a video I would want to watch instead of trying to match a brand’s existing style, and that gamble paid off!

CLW – How did you come up with the idea/premise for that video?

AA – The initial idea came from Brian Katz. ”Extreme TV chars popup in family’s living room to give gifts:a vampire has coffee,aliens give Mom gift cert,actress gives Dad movie tix,etc” It was the only one of the ideas that really connected with me, probably because it seemed like a comedy sketch. I pitched three or four variations on it to Viggle. One where all the characters were actually inside the room but based on famous shows like Breaking Bad and Mad Men. Another with original characters. Then one where all of the characters spoke through the screen and threw gifts out at the viewers. When Viggle picked it, that’s what we went with!

A lot of the creative decisions came out of production constraints, truthfully. I think DeMorge and Davey (who portray Jackson & Jackson) are two of the funniest humans on the planet, and I didn’t want to worry about casting people who could equal them once the channels started switching… I also wanted a consistent voice to be explaining the product. So I created a world where every TV show is a spin-off of ‘Jackson & Jackson.’ Then to pick the spin-off shows, I had to think about what props and locations I could get easily. A lot of DIT technicians buy old vans or trucks and retrofit them to become their workstations on set, and I had one friend who bought an old ambulance for his work truck. So I knew I could do a hospital show. Every decision was made based on things that.

As for the weird, alien tone of the couple watching TV… Viggle’s brief made it sound like ‘anything goes,’ so I decided to do whatever would make me laugh hardest. The actors and I came up with that Stepford Wivesy stare into the camera and it made me laugh super hard. So I never did any other takes. Thank God Viggle approved.

CLW – How long did it take you to produce that video and what was your process like?

AA – Almost all of the videos I’ve made have had extremely small crews. Honestly, it’s for selfish reasons. The fewer of us there are, the more money we all keep. And my first semester at FSU was very run-and-gun/wear-every-hat, so it’s a style of work that I don’t find at all overwhelming. It’s kind of invigorating to be writer, director, producer, editor, production designer, and grip all at once.

The two people who were pretty much always on my crews were Jennifer Ruiz and Eric Bader. They deserve the most epic shout-out possible; I couldn’t have done nearly as much as I did in this ‘contest summer’ without them. Jen was a producing partner on Benjamin Moore, Viggle, NASA, and Dow and came up with an insane amount of juicy ideas. All the gorgeous painting jobs in Benjamin Moore are her crafty doings. And Eric was a one-man show on Robert Half, Bounty, Viggle, and NASA; he lit and shot all of it wonderfully, changed styles on each one, and did most of the tech stuff solo. I moved at the end of the summer and they started their own profiles on Tongal and are tearing it up… But they were the crew on the Viggle video.

We shot nearly everything on a Canon 7D, using a Nikon adapter for the lenses. For dolly moves on all my videos, we either used a camera slider rigged up on two tripods or a Cineskates rig on a piece of plywood. For lighting we had two Kinos that we borrowed from a friend, and Eric had one or two Tungsten somethingorothers to supplement it.

We shot it over two days about a week apart. Day #1 was all of the ‘Jackson & Jackson’ scenes and had something like eight company moves. We were dancing all over LA for it, grabbing shots and then getting out… Going from our houses in Los Feliz to the beaches of Santa Monica to the hills of Eagle Rock to the dredges of the Los Angeles River… But even with all that moving, it was very casual… It’s hard to be too serious when you’ve got a fortysomething guy running down Venice Pier in a pink dress and a wig.

Then I edited all the footage into the ‘Jackson & Jackson’ shows over the weekend, and we came back a few days later to shoot all the living room scenes. Those were hot. Very hot. Everybody was covered in sweat and had to be patted down every few minutes. That was also a weird day. I threw a cheeseburger at my lead actor’s face without warning him… And then didn’t even use the shot. (He not only still talks to me but even started participating on the site: Patrick Muhlberger) For the end, when the confetti rains down, there are four people scattered all throughout the room using confetti sticks from Party City… On the count of three we all had to snap our elbows and just hope the timing worked out. It took two hours to clean.

CLW – Winning a Tongal Production Season is no easy feat. It requires consistent, high quality participation across a 20-project span. Was there a point at which you made a conscious decision to go for the win?

AA – I entered the Benjamin Moore contest with Jen just because I was hurting for money after I swore off PA work. But in the middle of that contest, I discovered that I’d earned a full scholarship to Fordham University and was going to need to make enough money by the end of summer to support myself for a year in New York. Getting first place solidified it, and I decided to make Tongal Seasons my top priority.

CLW – How much did Seasons Eligibility factor into your decisions about which projects to participate in?

AA – I stopped entering contests without Seasons Eligibility, and started entering I think every contest that was involved in Seasons. I made the decision with 11 projects left, and participated in 7 of them.

CLW – Were you nervous about the (seasons) competition?

AA – Yes. Once I realized it was the only way I’d be able to pay for school, I actually created a big chart with all the top Tongalers on it and started figuring out which contests they were participating in and how many potential points they had. So I knew exactly what the competition was and how much I would need to secure the win. But it took a long time to earn the large lead that I ended with, and so even once I was in the top seat, I was nervous at every announcement that I’d be dethroned. All the way up until the last day.

CLW – There’s so much Tongal content being actively promoted by our sponsors that sometimes it’s hard for us to keep track of. How do you feel about having your video being THE Chalkboard Paint In Any Color Video?

AA – It feels great! I actually stopped telling people “I win contests for a living,” and started just saying: “I direct commercials for a living. Check out Benjamin Moore’s website.” It was mostly an experiment to see how much I could control people’s perception of me, and it totally worked. Seeing the commercial in use made the whole experience feel like it mattered, in some way.

CLW – Do you see Tongal as a viable avenue to further your creative career?

AA – I would answer this way more enthusiastically if I thought you’d print curse words, so I’ll just say “Yes. A resounding yes.” Thanks to Tongal, I went from taking out the trash on Monday to directing commercials on Tuesday. Every project has helped me grow, and I feel like you can watch me develop into a better and more ambitious filmmaker from my first projects to my last. Hopefully that will continue. It’s changed the way people view me, it’s given me enough material to put together a reel, and it’s given me credibility so that the day I finally pitch a feature film to investors, I can say, “Look at all these commercials I’ve directed.” I love Tongal! I never want to leave!

Want to learn some tips and tricks to making a winning Tongal video?  Then watch Damon and Cassandra the beautiful minds behind Mindfruit Studio explain how they made their winning video “Box Girl” for The Duck Brand EZ Start Ship It In Style Project.

CLW – Can you give us a little background about yourself?

ZB – Sure. I’m 15, and I love doing stop motion animation.

CLW – When did you get into making stop motion videos?

ZB – After my parents got me a book on how to do stop motion animation in 2010, I started making stop motion videos with my LEGO collection.

CLW – That must be the single best Stop Motion book ever written if it only took you two years to get here. Is this going to be your job someday?

ZB – It’s a hobby that I like to do for fun.

CLW – What was the first Tongal project you participated in and what was the result?

ZB – It was the LEGO City Stop Motion Project. I made a video, and it won first place!

CLW – Were you nervous about the competition?

ZB – Yes, I didn’t know what I was going up against and was very surprised when I found out I had taken first place! I was very impressed with how well-done the other videos were. I enjoyed watching all of them!

CLW – What does it feel like to win $10,000?

ZB – I feel really blessed!

CLW – How did you come up with the story for Car Crooks?

ZB – Well, I knew I wanted to do a car robbery, and I also wanted to bring my idea of the iBrick into it as well. So I just built a story from there.

CLW – How long did it take you to create “Car Crooks” and what was your process like?

ZB – It took about 40 days from start to finish to complete. First I had to build sets. After that, I did all the stop motion animation, which took the most time. Then, all I needed to do was add VFX, edit, and put hundreds of sound effects in.

CLW – What kind of equipment and programs did you use?

ZB – For my camera, I used the Logitech C910 webcam hooked up to a PC with a free animation program called the “Helium Frog Animator.” I did all the effects in Adobe After Effects and I used Sony Vegas to edit. I also recorded some voices in Audacity with my webcam’s built in mic. One thing that came in handy was a little case for my camera made out of LEGO that held the webcam in place so I could easily stick it onto the LEGO baseplates.

CLW – How many people were involved?

ZB – Just 2 people. I did everything except for some voice acting, which my Mom did.

CLW – Parts of “Car Crooks” are unbelievably cinematic. You’ve got everything in there from focus pulls to shots you could only get in real life with crazy dolly setups or car rigs. Do you storyboard everything out or do you just watch a lot of movies?

ZB – I storyboard almost everything when it comes to doing stop motion. I decide on the final camera angles and lighting setups on set, and I try to get everything as cinematic as possible.

CLW – My favorite part of the video is the when the girl opens up the “Find My Brick” app to locate her stolen car. How did you come up with that idea?

ZB – I actually came up with that a while ago. I wanted to make a LEGO phone, so I took the iPhone, made a LEGO version of it and called it the “iBrick”. I wrote it down, and decided it would be a great addition to “Car Crooks.”

CLW – Got anything else in the works?

ZB – Well, I just finished another LEGO stop motion video for the LEGO City Mini Movie Animations project. It contains a car chase that’s 4x longer than the one in “Car Crooks” and there’s a huge explosion at the end. I’m also working on a video for the Marvel Super Heroes project with my Dad.

CLW – What are some key factors you take into consideration when figuring out whether or not to participate in a project?

ZB – The biggest factor I take into consideration is the connection I can make with the brand. I have a lot of experience in making LEGO videos, so, when I see a LEGO project, I have to participate.

CLW – What have you spent your earnings on?

ZB – More LEGO sets and a new camera.

CLW – What’s next for you?

ZB – I’ll definitely be doing more projects on Tongal, and will also continue to upload videos to my YouTube channel. If you’re interested, check it out at http://www.youtube.com/user/ZachFBStudios.”

CLW – What is your production background like?

BR – I took a video class in high school but I never knew anyone who went to film school. By my last year of college I found myself spending all my time working on videos, plus I hated working in government. I started as a PA at a commercial / music video production company in 2009 and now I work full time as an Associate Producer at Wondros, a production company based in LA. Production is my job full time but the directing is still somewhere in between hobby & job.

CLW – You just scored a $12,500 1^st place win from SpeedStick, which not only earned you some serious cash, but put you in the running for a Tongal Seasons win. That’s gotta feel pretty good right?

BR – Killer. I’ve never won anywhere close to that amount on a project so I’ve been in on and off celebration mode for a little while. And now seeing my name up on the Leaderboard has the competitive juices flowing.

CLW – How did you come up with the premise for the “Awkward Family Portrait?”

BR – That’s a case of art imitating life. My girlfriend was babysitting a few years ago and stumbled across a life size nude portrait of the parents in their bedroom. I was talking to her about a guy meeting her girlfriend’s dad in his office, which would be decked out like a hunting lodge and then she suggested the naked portrait.

CLW – How long did it take you to produce “Awkward Family Portrait” and what was your process like?

BR – The actual production was a lot of fun. Setup, shoot, and breakdown took about 10 hours. We took over an apartment and transformed it into the dining room you see on screen. I created the painting in After Affects & then had it printed out & framed.

We tried to emulate the overly dramatic look of the dinner scene from American Beauty and really play up the tension of the moment, pushing the hues warmer to heat up the scene. I have to give a lot of credit to the DP, Matt Roe, as well as Jeff Marlowe and Zach Salsman who were both really integral in crafting the light that makes the scene so intense. There’s a beautiful kind of halo behind the actors that they added that brings the scene to life.

We shot on a Red Epic. Conforming & coloring footage took a few days. Cast & crew all included, we had a 7-person operation going.

The wallpaper you see in the scene was kind of a last minute addition. We were trying to hang temporary wallpaper and it just looked terrible so Matt and I ran out to a few stores and found this sheet set that just kind of called out to us. So we ironed the sheets, pinned them to the wall and voila…

CLW – Were you nervous about the competition?

BR – I loved the idea that we had for this and I thought the cast & crew did such a great job that I really felt good about submitting. But then I got really nervous in the days and hours leading up to the announcement. I think this concept really works well for Speed Stick and there were a number of other submissions I thought could have easily taken the top prize for their execution.

CLW – What do you think of the Tongal Season? Are you more conscious of it now that you’re in the running?

BR – Absolutely. When I saw the announcement I didn’t think I had a shot to qualify and now that I’m in the running I’m working on pitches / videos for anything and everything that piques my interest.

CLW – What are some key factors you take into consideration when figuring out whether or not to participate in a project?

BR – The most important factor for me at this point is that I feel some sort of connection to the brand or brief and feel like I can bring something unique to the table. I was actually pretty reluctant to submit for SpeedStick because I don’t consider humor to really be my strong suit. If I have a take on the brief that I really feel strongly about then I’ll submit, otherwise I feel like I’m just wasting my time.

I’ve worked with a few sites like Tongal in the past and always felt like there was a lack of brand interaction that had me just throwing ideas at a wall and hoping something stuck. The fact that Tongal has committed to the concept / pitch / video model really put me at ease and helps me focus on production and execution without worrying as much if I’m even anywhere close to hitting the marketing message the brands are looking for.

CLW – How can people stay up to date with your world?

BR – I try to post everything to www.benjaminred.com but I’m also on twitter @benjmred and on facebook.

CLW – Anything else you’d like to add?

BR – It’s so hard to focus when you feel like you’re operating in a vacuum and there’s no confirmation from the brand that the idea is something that actually appeals to them. I feel like Tongal has really come in to it’s own in the last year or so. The site redesign really drew me back in and the introduction of the revision phase coupled with the pitch / video model is so key. Both the client and creator stand to gain quite a bit from these processes.

Caleb Light-Wills – Can you give us a little background about yourself?

Sean Lorton – I’ve loved movies since I was a kid.  When I was young, I wanted to get into visual effects (practical & mechanical effects.)  I also really enjoyed magic.  For me, movies were exactly that…magic.  In high school, my best friend’s parents got a video camera.  We high jacked it and started making shorts & skits.  That was it, I was bitten by the movie making bug and telling a story through images.

CLW – What is your production background like?

SL – I’ve been goofing around with a camera since high school.  I have a Marketing degree and TV production degree.  I was a promotions producer at the local NBC affiliate and a Creative Director for a very small ad agency.  I wasn’t doing videos much at the agency so I decided about a year ago to go out on my own and do video production full time.

CLW – What was the first Tongal project you participated in and what was the result?

SL – My first project was Ace Hardware and I was fortunate enough to win 1^st place.

CLW – You’ve racked up $25,000 in under four months, including two major 1^st place wins from big time sponsors, that’s gotta feel pretty good right?

SL – Absolutely!  I feel very blessed.

CLW – How did you come up with the idea/premise for the “The World’s Most Valuable Seasoning?”

SL – I saw a news article several months ago about a type of fungus that pound for pound was one of the most valuable foods on the market.  I was amazed and filed it in the back of my mind.

CLW – It’s pretty rare that there’s completely vertical creative on a project. In other words, you placed in the Idea phase, pitched successfully based on that Idea and created one of the best videos we’ve ever seen. Did you always have it in your mind to shoot a video for Pringles even if your Idea didn’t place?

SL – No, actually I almost didn’t shoot my idea even after it was chosen.  The original idea was just a mockumentary about the hunter tracking down the screaming dill pickle.  The idea for most valuable seasoning didn’t come until later.

CLW – How long did it take you to produce “The World’s Most Valuable Seasoning” and what was your process like?

SL – I don’t believe you need all the latest gadgets to achieve great creative content.  The overall process took about 3 weeks.  It was shot on a 5D mkII with 2 lenses.  I rented 2 kino 4 banks for lighting.  Funny thing is most of the lighting was for the interviews and I think only about 3 quick shots made it in final product.  I edit with Final Cut Pro.

The majority of the spot was shot at the Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife Reserve.  The lodge we shot in was owned by Frank Phillips, founder of Phillips 66.  I had to be careful not to disturb anything as it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places in D.C.  It was such a cool place I wish I could have worked more of it into the spot.

There was much more of the story and little details that were shot that didn’t make it into the final spot.  Like a black market for the seasoning and having to wear earplugs to prevent a headache when you get close to the pickles.

During shooting, the only snag was the rain.  I had to schedule around the weather.  Also, I wanted more people for the auction scene, very few showed up, so I had to grab people who were standing around.  Luckily I brought plenty of releases.  In post I struggled with finding the right type music for the tone I wanted.

CLW – Were you nervous about the competition in Pringles?

SL – Absolutely!  I was very nervous about the competition.  There are great videos from very talented artists.  I really liked the SnapBrothers spot, and the Norman Invasion production value and shot execution was fantastic.  I hope to work with some the great artists on this site for future projects.

CLW – Your other big win was for Ace Hardware. Can you talk a little bit about what went into creating “Soapbox?”

SL – Soapbox was a one-day shoot with a friend of mine and my nephew.  I went to the local Ace store and asked if I could borrow a bunch of tools for the shoot.  I had shot at the store a few days earlier for a second spot that didn’t make the final selection so they already knew me.  Soapbox took about 3 hours to shoot.  I usually make shot lists before hand so I can move quickly since most of it is in my head.

CLW – You also just clocked a win for your Benjamin Moore Pitch. Without giving too much away, what can we expect?

SL – There might be some skydiving involved. J  But mostly a guy living life to the fullest.

CLW – Having been through both types of projects now, open and tournament, which do you prefer and why? What are you thoughts on the tournament / pitch process? Any advice you could offer those trying to break through and convince a sponsor to trust them with a budget?

SL – I probably prefer tournament style because I think you can better communicate your vision to the client.  The pitch is not my favorite part, but I think it’s an important and necessary part of the process to explain how you plan to showcase a client’s brand.  That’s what they’re paying you for.

I would suggest to people to keep at it and don’t get discouraged.  Not every idea is pure gold and not every spot that you put countless hours into will be a winner.  Don’t beat yourself, or others, up.  And don’t be afraid to fail.  I’ve done it many times.  Learn, and keep moving forward.

CLW – What are some key factors you take into consideration when figuring out whether or not to participate in a project?

SL – Money of course is a consideration, but mostly I look at whether it’s something I can be passionate about and bring my best.  The fact that companies are putting their trust in me to represent their brand is something I take very seriously and I have a responsibility to them.

CLW – Do you see Tongal as a viable avenue to further your creative career?

SL – Absolutely.  I hope to continue to grow creatively and keep making bigger and better commercials.  Tongal allow creatives direct access to major brands.  It’s fantastic!

CLW – What have you spent your earnings on?

SL – Paying off bills and buying a few pieces of much needed equipment.

CLW – What’s next for you on Tongal or otherwise?

SL – Currently I’m working on the Benjamin Moore project, but I have some cool ideas for Nespresso, Lego and speed stick if I’m fortunate enough to get that far.

Outside of Tongal I have 2 short films on the horizon that I’m making with Jon Wilson.  The first is a science fiction film set in one location and the second is another sci-fi film, but much more epic with heavy visual effects, set in a steam punk world.

SL – I’m currently in search of some solid 3d artists & compositors to help bring those worlds to life.  If any members know of anyone, shoot me an email.

CLW – How can people stay up to date with your work?

SL – My website is www.seanlorton.com. Vimeo page is http://vimeo.com/seanlorton. And of course the almighty facebook.

CLW – Anything else you’d like to add?

SL – I’m constantly inspired by the work I see on this site.  As I said before, I hope to work with some of the people on here in some capacity in the future.

CLW – Can you give us a little background about yourself?

GK – I have been animating since I was 10 years old, I first started animating using the generic program Microsoft Paint and Microsoft Powerpoint. I got hooked on stick figure death animation and got Macromedia Flash MX9. From there I’ve been working in Flash and other adobe programs ever since.

CLW – Did you go to school for animation?

GK – I am currently finishing up my last semester for my BFA as a double major in Animation and Illustration at the California College of the Arts in Oakland. I plan on pursuing a career in animation and illustration as a freelance artist and have been using Tongal as my launching point.

GK – So far I love being on Tongal. It has opened up a world of possibilities I hadn’t considered before through animating for advertising; which turns out is really fun.

CLW – You’ve been on somewhat of a streak this past month, first with McDonald’s and now Pringles. Why do you think project judges have looked so favorable upon your work as of late?

GK – I am constantly trying new approaches, for every project I think of something from a technical standpoint in terms of how I would tackle it and explore from there. I don’t really think I’ve ever done the things before doing them on Tongal, I am just familiar enough with the software I use to experiment and hope for the best. So each project is really fun in the end and very refreshing. I think the judges can maybe see that process which might draw them in.

CLW – Your McDonald’s video earned you the highest prize ever awarded on Tongal. What does it feel like to win $15,000?

GK – It felt fantastic, I couldn’t believe it. I was shocked. It really was perfect timing in terms of my situation. I am still doubtful that it ever happened I’m not even sure that I’ve fully grasped it yet.

CLW – Were you nervous about the competition in McDonald’s?

GK – The other videos were great, especially the 2nd place winner Kent Yoshimura, incredible production all around. I don’t really think about the competition, I just make the video if I feel like it sounds fun and enjoyable and from there I submit and move on and hope for the best. I was doubtful mine would even place, as it was pretty make shift and spur of the moment, though I always try to view the world in the mindset of extreme pessimism so I can always expect better results.

CLW – Your 30 second animated version of “Romeo and Juliet” was a great take on Jacob Silva’s Bite-Sized Theatre Concept. What made you choose that Play and were you worried that Shakespeare might be hard to summarize in such a short timeframe?

GK – Shakespeare was my 2nd choice, the only thing I considered before Romeo and Juliet was Little Red Riding Hood, but I realized that wasn’t really theatre. I thought Shakespeare would be great because I figured through compressing a drama you could end up with a comedy rather than a comedy to a comedy or an action flick to a comedy. Also it seemed like judging from the concept it sounded like it was more meant for classic theatre so I just picked the play I knew everyone would know and understand that way the audience has an easy reference point.

CLW – How long did it take you to create “Romeo and Juliet” and what was your process like?

GK – Romeo and Juliet was much easier to create then my previous three entries, it only took a week to produce and was animated entirely by me, as per usual. All the animation is tween based done in flash combining shape and motion tweens by a means of puppeting out all the figures. There is some frame-by-frame patch ups but mostly it is automated with intention due to the tweening and keyframe based method. I looked at 50s animation styles made popular by John Hubley’s UPA studio, and the short film “Gerald McBoing-Boing.” I know that this modern 50s style of animation values limited movement, simplification, clarity, and more deadpan delivery, which would allow for comedy and snappier timing. I also looked at “Waltz With Bashir,” a documentary completed using Flash and other programs from the Adobe suite, where they employed a break up puppetting and tweening technique in order to create fluid movement.

GK – I used Adobe Flash for all animation, Photoshop for the texture, After Effects for compositing, and Premiere for editing. The big snag was I went through several iterations of how to treat the characters and backgrounds determining where to use the McDonalds colors and how, as in what combinations or amount of each color work and don’t work or if to use them at all. Some of the earlier designs were atrocious as I was trying to get acquainted with this style of working though throughout production I knew their names would float above them, similar to Run Wrake’s short film “Rabbit” and that their actions would be simplified.

CLW – What are you thoughts on the tournament / pitch process? Any advice you could offer those trying to break through and convince a sponsor to trust them with a budget?

GK – I looked at what was winning and noticed that it was all about being clean so I just made the ultimate goal for my work to be making it as clean as possible. This is why I switched to puppetry and for a pitch I feel it is more about making one to one comparisons.

GK – Don’t let the judges assume anything, present them with everything you can to give them a better taste of what’s to come. It’s good to show them exactly what you are going to do rather than a scribble representing what you are going to do so they don’t have to be doubtful of your execution. These might just be tips for animation but still, even with live action. If your character looks a certain way and you know it’s going to be great, show them the character fully developed instead of a rough idea so they know how it’s going to be and what it will look like.

CLW – Has Tongal helped you professionally, like has it helped you build a usable portfolio, get gigs, jobs, etc?

GK – Yes, my portfolio of commercials through Tongal just got me a job doing puppeted animation for a music video for a popular indie band.

CLW – What have you spent your earnings on?

GK – I used the money from the Q-tips project to purchase a Cintiq, a monitor you can draw directly on that is made by the Wacom company. And I established a Limited Liability Company with the money I made from the McDonalds job as well as funded a trip to New York and Europe where I plan to promote myself and my work. The rest of the money is going toward buying more equipment like hard drives and software to repair old hard drives as well as payment for my brother Ross Kolton who did the voices for the characters in McDonalds.

CLW – What’s next for you on Tongal or otherwise?

GK – I plan to keep submitting to Tongal when a project piques my interest or sounds fun, going for it with my usual attitude. Right now I am working on launching a new YouTube channel that you can view here http://www.youtube.com/grantkolton which I will be adding content to at a steady pace as well as constantly updating my website http://www.grantkolton.com. If you want to stay updated on all my animation and illustration shenanigans you can like me at http://www.facebook.com/grantkolton

February’s Tongaler of the Month is three-time 1^st place award winning, FCR Creations. When Fred first started participating in April of last year, I don’t think anyone could have predicted his meteoric rise through the ranks to become the second most highly paid creator on our site. Nine months, eight wins and 199 Leaderboard spots later, Fred was kind enough to answer some questions about his experience and what it takes to win consistently on Tongal.

Caleb Light-Wills – How and when did you first find out about / start participating on Tongal?

F.C. Rabbath – My friend Carrie Hunter, who is a fellow Tongaler told me about how great this site was. Ever since then I was hooked! I’m very thankful for her referral to the Tongal site.

C.L.W. – Most people only know FCR Creations as thumbnail on a profile page. Can you tell us a little bit about your creative background?

F.C.R. – I’m self taught. Never took a single film class in my life. My real life job is either being a consultant for engineer projects/firms, or creating videos for companies or individuals. I also make iPhone apps, and have written several children’s books. Essentially, it started off as a hobby from age 8, and since then I’ve created hundreds of videos. My team consists of several individuals who act for me and sometimes hold camera equipment. They have been essential to the video making process. Key people to mention are Michael Varde, Elan Elias and Jacob Harrelson. We enjoy working with Tongal and hope to keep doing so for many years to come!

C.L.W. – What was the first Tongal project you participated in and what was the result?

F.C.R. – My first project was for Benjamin Moore, we didn’t win but it was a fun little project about Benjamin Moore’s new website and how much faster it would be than other ways to get paint. In the end we took some valuable lessons on how to approach the next few projects. We began the process of learning what it was exactly clients were really looking for on Tongal. Which in the end was “something different”. Outside the box of normal ads because if they really wanted something traditional they would’ve gone elsewhere. That’s what I keep telling myself whenever I start a new Tongal project.

C.L.W. – McDonald’s marks your 8th video win, bringing your total earnings dangerously close to $30,000. Has Tongal become like a second job for you?

FCR – Tongal is more than just a second job, it’s something my team looks forward to doing during our real boring jobs.

I think it also gives us an opportunity to compete with others in order to grow. The Tongal community learns from each other by watching what the other person came up with which in turn expands our own horizons. Trying something new is the motto we came up with after working here for about 2/3 of a year.

C.L.W. – What winning Tongal video are you most proud of?

F.C.R. – That’s tough. I think we’re all very proud of “The Smallist” and “Leinenkugal’s White Christmas”. However if I had to pick I’d say “The Smallist”. It’s a fun look into someone’s life that is unique.

C.L.W. – How did you come up with concept for “The Smallist?”

F.C.R. – We based it off Margaret’ Ho’s “Bite-Sized Mocumentary”- but essentially we had a hard time coming up with ways to show a short story that showed both small things positively, funny and useful. After all, comedy is not an easy task as everyone’s sense of humor is very different. However, I think we found the best direction after several takes and cuts.

C.L.W. – How long did it take you to shoot “The Smallist” and what was your process like?

F.C.R. – It took a couple of hours from three separate days. It was interesting to see how much stuff could go wrong in such a small amount of time. For example, we had to shoot a scene with a tiny mug, (I’ve owned this mug for 10 years and finally found use for it!) and as we were about to use it in the scene – it fell into the ground and shattered into a million pieces. So we had to find something that looked like tiny mug at the last minute. Unexpected and frustrating, but that’s how it works. How can you adapt? After all, anything creative is basically finding a unique way of adapting into something and still finding uses in something useless.

C.L.W. – Are you already familiar with the companies you create videos for or do you have to do research?

F.C.R. – Yes! However research is always key. Looking at prior works/ad work of theirs helps me guage what it is they need and attempt to replicate their message in a different format.

C.L.W. – What are some key factors you take into consideration when figuring out whether or not to participate in a project?

F.C.R. – Our goal is to participate in every possible one. Of course time is a factor, but making time is also part of making the video. Scheduling is half the battle to making a video.

C.L.W. – Has Tongal helped you professionally, like has it helped you build a usable portfolio, get gigs, jobs, etc?

F.C.R. – Of course! I’ve got a much bigger and dynamic portfolio that I could show potential clients my previous works!

C.L.W. – What have you spent your earnings on?

F.C.R. – More equipment and funding for other projects. That way we potentially increase our odd of winning with better equipment and opens doors to other projects. It’s an investment that I think will be worth it in the long run.

C.L.W. – What’s the best thing about Tongal?

F.C.R. – The best thing about Tongal is that you get to improve in a real world setting. Meaning that when it’s good, it’s good enough for BIG companies to buy it. You get paid for it. How much better can that get?

C.L.W. – What’s next for you on Tongal or otherwise?

F.C.R. – I will keep attempting to push my team into working on more creative ways to make videos both unique and compelling. The key here is to keep trying and to communicate to the team that this process is a growing one.