How It Works
How You Submit
Sound interesting? Okay, let’s get started.
​
-
Make sure we’re currently running a contest. Sometimes we get backed up or sometimes we’re in the middle of judging. Sometimes we’re on vacation. Sometimes we’re just too hungover.
-
Some contests are topic-specific. Some are free form. Pay attention.
-
Some contests are time-limited by deadlines. Sometimes we wait for a volume of submissions before we close it. As we said. Pay attention.
-
You submit your finalized script and character descriptions to the contest.
-
There are some rules associated with scripts, including:
-
No more than 3 original characters
-
No more than 6 pages (Final Draft formatted)
-
No more than 2 distinct scenes
-
-
Note, we might elect to change those rules, so read each contest description if we do.
-
You pay a $xxx contest fee (more on this later).
-
While you’re at it, you follow us on these social channels and don’t be afraid to share or comment on our content. Remember, this is kind of like a collaborative art project. That means we help each other out. We’ll try and follow you back (meaning you tell us your handles as well if you want that kind of hot sun exposure).
How We Judge
Now that your precious work of art is in our hands, here’s what happens in the TrashTown Studio magical box.
​
-
Once the threshold for the contest has been reached (deadline or submission volume), we’ll close the contest and let everyone know some stats and rough confirmation of the timeline.
-
We then go into a candlelit room and read your episodes. At least two members of the team read every submission.
-
We’ve got a standard grading system that is a bit of a secret, but it includes things like:
-
Was it funny (if your submission is comedic, it better be) or compelling or intellectually stimulating?
-
Does it feel fresh and new (sometimes we say fresh and nude)?
-
Is the pacing good?
-
Is there a solid narrative arch?
-
Can we animate it successfully?
-
Do we think people will want to watch it?
-
-
Based on those grades, we narrow the submissions down to a top 3 and then do a writer’s room session brainstorming how we could see your submission expanding beyond the first episode. If you
have ideas, share them. Then we vote and a winner is named. -
Then we tell you you’re a winner. Your mother would be proud. Your father would probably be ambivalent.
-
If you’re NOT the winner, the good news is your submission fee isn’t totally lost. We give you 50% of the value of your submission as a credit in our merch shop. Why do you care? Because you can use that to support other creators (keep reading). Like we said. Collaborative art project.
Production and Promotion
Great. You won. Congratulations. You’re on your way to great things. Read some details.
​
-
As the creator and writer, you sit in the front seat of the production process. It’s as if you contracted with us to develop your original concept directly.
-
And this is why we have a contest fee. The fees fund the production of your script. They fund the creation of your characters, voice talent, etc. etc. They fund our little beer fridge that keeps us happy and judging these contests.
-
The fees also fund some promotion of your script. So not only are you a published writer, but we’re going to try to get you some eyeballs. This includes paid social promotion on top of our standard promotion channels like YouTube.
-
Depending on script complexity, production might be as fast as 2 weeks or as long as 6. We try to target 4 weeks or less.
-
Once it’s ready, we’ll also create a series feature page for your script on our website, a selection of clips for social promotion, and a category of merchandise in our shop. Cool right? Your idea on a tee-shirt.
Making You Money
Our goal is to support creators. So where possible we try to make you not only a published writer, but also a compensated one.
​
-
10% of revenue for all merchandise on your characters and script sold in our shop for so long as they remain listed. We reserve the right to delist a project at any time.
-
See above about 50% of submission fees from your competition becoming credits in our shop. Meaning we’re working tirelessly to have your peers in the contest support you as winner.
-
50% of any directly attributable ad or sponsorship revenue we earn on your produced video for so long as we have it published. We’re always exploring monetization options, including sponsorships, ad networks and more. This means you can help us help you. Promote promote promote.
-
We reserve the right to take down these episodes at any time, especially if there is a copyright violation.
Our Rights
By submitting to our contest, you’re granting us some specific Producer rights. Read and understand these. You’re going to need to accept them on submission.
​
-
For the first 6 months after we complete the episode, we have exclusive rights to publish it on our channels. Meaning it goes on our YouTube or TikTok or IGTV.
-
You can publish clips (we’ll give you a media packet) on your social channels and take credit for the video for sure, but we need the links back to our properties. This is actually a good thing as you’ll want to consolidate viewership for monetization.
-
First right of refusal (FROR) on production of additional episodes for that 6 month period. Meaning if you have a second script, we get a look-see at it and the right to produce it under the same terms of the contest if we think it’s fire. If not, we’ll release you from that FROR and you can go forth and prosper, but the original episode remains as-is.
-
An honest discussion on running additional contests leveraging your concept. You get the final say here, but we at least want you to consider it.