Illumination Entertainment, Universal Pictures And YouTube Partner To Showcase "Real Talent, From Real Life" On The World's Most Popular Video Platform In Support Of "Sing"

Fans Have a Chance to Be Featured on the YouTube Homepage Masthead, and Three Lucky Fans Will Win a Trip to L.A. and Get to Participate in a "Next Rising Star" Digital Development Workshop at YouTube Space L.A. to Learn How to Become a Top Content Creator on YouTube

News provided by

Universal Pictures

Nov 18, 2016, 06:31 ET

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Nov. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

WHAT:	Launch of the "Real Talent, From Real Life" contest in support of Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures' *Sing*. Contestants to record themselves singing, clapping or dancing to at least 30 seconds of the event film's original song "Faith," from the legendary Stevie Wonder featuring Ariana Grande. From submissions, YouTube creator Mike Tompkins will create an edited video of "Faith" that will play on the YouTube homepage.

	Throughout their daylong journey, three lucky winners will get to interface with some of today's hottest YouTube influencers, as well as hear from top professionals behind the scenes (Universal Music execs, YouTube creative + music teams, YouTube + Google product specialists, and more) on how to create a successful channel on the platform.

WHO:	Fans with vocal talent, energy, passion and charisma; YouTube creator Mike Tompkins

WHERE:	www.RealTalentFromRealLife.com and YouTube Space Los Angeles

WHEN:	November 30: Submissions must be received.

	December 5: Submissions reviewed and three individuals selected to visit YouTube Space L.A. and attend a bespoke creator workshop, courtesy of Universal Pictures.

	December 14: Travel to Los Angeles.

	December 15: Three winners participate in a "Next Rising Star" digital development workshop at YouTube Space L.A., designed by YouTube and Universal specifically for this initiative.

	December 16: Edited "Faith" video plays on the YouTube masthead on the homepage.

About Sing: Illumination has captivated audiences all over the world with the beloved hits Despicable Me, Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, Despicable Me 2 and Minions, now the second-highest-grossing animated movie in history. Following the release of this summer's comedy blockbuster The Secret Life of Pets, Illumination presents Sing this holiday season.

With its highly relatable characters, heart and humor, the first collaboration between writer/director Garth Jennings (Son of Rambow, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) and Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri marks the sixth fully animated feature from the studio.

The event film stars Academy Award^® winners Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon, alongside Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, John C. Reilly, Taron Egerton and Grammy Award-nominated Tori Kelly.

Set in a world like ours but entirely inhabited by animals, Sing stars Buster Moon (McConaughey), a dapper koala who presides over a once-grand theater that has fallen on hard times. Buster is an eternal—some might even say delusional—optimist who loves his theater above all and will do anything to preserve it. Now faced with the crumbling of his life's ambition, he has one final chance to restore his fading jewel to its former glory by producing the world's greatest singing competition.

Five lead contestants emerge: Mike (MacFarlane), a mouse who croons as smoothly as he cons; Meena (Kelly), a timid teenage elephant with an enormous case of stage fright; Rosita (Witherspoon), an overtaxed mother run ragged tending a litter of 25 piglets; Johnny (Egerton), a young gangster gorilla looking to break free of his family's felonies; and Ash (Johansson), a punk-rock porcupine struggling to shed her arrogant boyfriend and go solo.

Each arrives under Buster's marquee believing that this is their shot to change the course of their life. And as Buster coaches each of his contestants closer and closer to the grand finale, he starts to learn that maybe the theater isn't the only thing that is in need of saving.

Featuring more than 65 hit songs, Sing is produced by Meledandri and his longtime collaborator Janet Healy. Together, they have produced all of Illumination's films since the studio's inception. Released by Universal Pictures, Sing arrives in theaters on December 21, 2016. www.singmovie.com

About Illumination Entertainment: Illumination Entertainment, founded by Chris Meledandri in 2007, is one of the entertainment industry's leading producers of event animated films. Illumination, which has an exclusive financing and distribution partnership with Universal Pictures, is the creator of the hugely successful Despicable Me franchise, which includes Minions, the second-highest-grossing animated film of all time, as well as Despicable Me 2, an Academy Award^® nominee for Best Animated Feature of 2013. In all, Illumination's films, which also include the 2016 record breaking The Secret Life of Pets, 2011's Hop and 2012's Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, have grossed more than $4 billion in worldwide box-office revenues and feature some of the world's most renowned talent. Upcoming films include Despicable Me 3, starring Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig and Trey Parker, which is set for June 2017; The Secret Life of Pets 2, written by Brian Lynch and directed by Chris Renaud, which arrives in theaters in July 2018; and a newly imagined version of Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas, starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role of The Grinch, which is set for release in November 2018. In addition, "Despicable Me: Minion Rush" (more than 750 million downloads) has become one of the world's most popular apps, and Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem attracts huge crowds at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood.