Kodansha is seeking pitches for branded films that embody Kodansha's “Inspire Impossible Stories” concept. The production budget for the film is a maximum of 30 million yen. The prize money is an additional 3 million yen.
Kodansha will announce the best pitch in early 2025 and aim to complete and release it in 2026.
Kodansha is a “story” company. Writers, manga artists, creators, editors, sales staff, proofreaders… the stories woven by their work and lives, and the stories of the readers who are connected to them. There are many stories that come and go.
We are committed to creating impossible stories that inspire the world and people's hearts, stories that go beyond our imagination. We are looking forward to your submissions!
We are looking forward to receiving submissions from a wide range of people, including directors, producers, screenwriters, animators, CGI creators, production companies, studios, and others.
Payment will be made in accordance with a separate contract to be concluded after a consultation.
Individuals, corporations, and voluntary organizations are all welcome to apply.
How to submit
Please apply using the Kodansha Branded Film Submission Form below. Period: July 1, 2024 (Monday) 14:00 - September 30, 2024 (Monday) 23:59 *Multiple pitches may be submitted during the above period. In that case, please submit one application per pitch. *If the data exceeds the capacity limit, please specify the URL (preferably with a pass for an unlimited period of time) where the data can be downloaded.
■Please fill in the application form with basic information about your pitch.
■Please submit your pitch and resume in one file.
■Format of the proposal (required items)
[Pitch proposal]
-Video storyboard, classic storyboard, or equivalent material that allows us to visually grasp the finished film.
*Please prepare for a storyboard or material of a 15-second version and a 90-second version of the finished film, respectively. (A 30-second version must also be delivered if your pitch is selected.)
*MP4 format is preferable.
-Estimated production budget
-Expected crew members and their profiles, if you have any.
[Resume]
-Portfolio of background and past work (including samples of past work, viewing links, etc.)
If you can include the following information in your proposal, we will consider it in our selection process. (Not mandatory items.)
■Any format or genre will be considered, including live-action, CGI, animation, etc.
■We can consider pitches the use Kodansha's novels, manga and other publications.
*Kodansha will contact the copyright holders to inquire about permission at the time of final selection. Therefore, we ask that applicants do not contact the copyright holders or the editorial department at the time of submission. Please refrain from submissions that infringe on the copyrights or other intellectual property rights, honorary rights, privacy rights, or any other rights of third parties.
-Do not publish proposals that make use of existing copyrighted IP (including those on social media, etc.).
-Please be aware that publication of a proposal that includes copyrighted materials of others or a film based on the plan may constitute copyright infringement.
■Applicants selected from among the submitted pitches that pass the initial screening (documents) will be notified of the selection results by the end of November 2024. (The results will also be announced on Kodansha's corporate website and the official Creators Lab website). Applicants who pass the initial screening will be contacted individually for a second round of screening (interview).
■The completed branded film will be submitted to film festivals in Japan and abroad.
■There is a possibility that no award winners will be selected based on the number of applications received or the screening process.
■Upon selection of the Best Branded Film Pitch, you will be required to enter into a contract (hereinafter referred to as the “Agreement”) with Kodansha regarding the Pitch.
■Until this Agreement is executed in writing, no rights or obligations other than those set forth in the Application Guidelines shall arise between the Applicant and Kodansha with respect to this selection process. In addition, no legal rights or obligations shall arise between the Applicant and Kodansha after the execution of this Agreement. Any legal relationship between the Applicant and Kodansha after the execution of this Agreement shall be governed by the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
■The rights of the submitted pitch shall belong to the applicant. However, in the case of a submitted plan that uses a copyrighted work managed by Kodansha, the rights also belong to the author, so the submitted plan may not be published (including but not limited to publication on social media, etc.) without permission. In addition, if the submitted pitch is made into a film the winning pitch and the film produced by the applicant may infringe on the rights of the author.
■The rights to the winning pitch and the film produced by the pitch belong to Kodansha. However, it is possible to include them in personal biographies.
■The contents of this Agreement will be fully explained at the interview, and the Agreement will be signed only after the parties have agreed to the terms. Please be assured that your application does not signify your acceptance of this contract.
-Please understand that Kodansha will not be able to respond to any inquiries regarding screening criteria, selection results, or other matters related to the screening process.
-The handling of personal information of applicants obtained and held by Kodansha in connection with the operation of this pitch shall be in accordance with the Privacy Policy (https://www.kodansha.co.jp/privacy/) separately established by Kodansha.
-The Pitch is subject to change or discontinuation in whole or in part at the discretion of Kodansha without prior notice.
-The interpretation and application of the Application Guidelines shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Japan. The Tokyo District Court shall be the court of exclusive jurisdiction in the first instance for all disputes related to the Pitch.