Chroma Awards: The Ultimate Guide to Your Final 5-Day Sprint

The Chroma Awards, a global competition for AI Film, Music Video, and Game, is entering its final stage. The submission deadline is 16:45 (JST) on Tuesday, November 18, 2025. Deliver your work to the world in a “5-day sprint” that you can still make in time.

First, a Summary of Important Points in Japanese

Official website: https://chromaawards.com/

The Chroma Awards A Film, Music, and Games competition to unite creators, commu chromaawards.com

Timeline

Submission Deadline

September 1, 2025, 9:00 (PT) - November 17, 23:45 (PT)
⇒ The final deadline in Japan time is November 18, 16:45 (JST).

Submission: Submit via the Devpost competition page using an externally published link.

Video (>90 seconds/16:9): YouTube / Reddit / Vimeo
Short (<90 seconds/9:16): TikTok / YouTube Shorts / Instagram Google Drive links are not allowed
Game: Web execution URL that can be played without download or login (your own domain, Rosebud AI, Itch.io, r/GamesOnReddit, etc.)

Tools Used

Language requirement: English audio or English subtitles are required (no dialogue is also OK).

Originality and Rights

Unauthorized use of existing IP, logos, brands, characters, etc., is not allowed. Deepfakes are prohibited.

Music must be either "self-composed/legally licensed/rights holder's permission/AI-generated (e.g., ElevenLabs Music)."

Eligibility (Important!)

Must be 18 years or older; those subject to OFAC sanctions or residing in comprehensively sanctioned areas are not eligible. University/school staff/contractors are not eligible. Government agency employees/family members are also not eligible. Employees and contractors of sponsoring companies are also not eligible (however, only “creative partners” and SNS affiliates are allowed).

Judging Criteria (Final Round) Theme Suitability

Prizes

Film: Total $45,500 (13 categories/1st place $3,500 each, etc.)
Music Video: Total $21,000 (6 categories)
Games: Total $12,000 (6 categories)
Sponsor Awards: Title / Gold / Silver & Community Total of $98,000 scale (multiple simultaneous awards possible/ no duplicate awards within the same sponsor)

※Rules are subject to the official rules of the organizer. The above is a Japanese summary. Pay particular attention to the “English subtitles required,” “submission platform conditions,” and “eligibility requirements” described in the English original!

Still in Time! 5-Day Sprint Plan

11/13 (5 Days Remaining)

Confirm planning & inventory materials
Determine workflow: Unify video (Sora/Veo/LTX Studio/CapCut/Runway etc.), audio (ElevenLabs), 3D/generation, and editing lines.
English subtitle policy: Decide on the work process for English dialogue or English subtitles first. No subtitles are required if there is no dialogue.

11/14 (4 Days Remaining)

Asset generation/shooting: Secure key visuals, main cuts, and loop BGM (AI-generated is OK) first.
Editing script: Prepare a composition with a view to two axes: 60-90 second version (vertical 9:16) and 120-180 second version (horizontal 16:9).

11/15 (3 Days Remaining)

Offline editing v1: Establish the “core” of the story (introduction → change → lingering emotion) first.
Sound/subtitles: Lay out drafts of BGM/SE/English subtitles throughout. Check lip-sync.

11/16 (2 Days Remaining)

Offline → Online: Check the notation of color, noise, title/credits, and Tool Tag.
Preparation for the public destination: Set the public settings to “public” on YouTube/Vimeo/TikTok/Shorts/Instagram, etc. Drive is not allowed.

11/17 (1 Day Remaining)

Final screening & legal check: Reconfirm the rights of third-party materials, usage permission of characters, and license basis of sound sources.
Metadata & thumbnail: Polish titles, descriptions, #tags, and thumbnails. The first 5 seconds of viewing retention are always strong.

11/18 (Submission Date) —

2025/11/18 (Tue) 16:45 JST Deadline

Devpost Submission: Do not miss the externally published URL, description, AI tools used, and Tool Tag of the relevant sponsor.
Review: Double-check that it is not set to private or age-restricted or region-restricted.

Final Submission Checklist!

Category selection (Film / Music Video / Games)
English audio or English subtitles of the work (not required if there is no dialogue)
External public URL (YouTube/Vimeo/TikTok, etc.) ※Drive is not allowed
Only original/legal materials (unauthorized use of existing IP/logos is not allowed, deepfakes are prohibited)
Basis of music (either self-composed/licensed/permitted/AI-generated)
Specify AI tools used
Credits (author/cooperation/tools used/source of materials)
Thumbnail, title, and description (strength of the first 5 seconds)
Public settings (public/no region restrictions/no age restrictions)
Enter all required items on the Devpost form

Five Final Polishing Tips to Attract Awards

Declare “what to see” in the first 5 seconds
“Overwhelming highlight” in one place is enough
Persuasive power of sound (narrate the story with the “space” between BGM and sound effects)
Subtitles minimize the “reading load” (aim for 13-17 characters/second, adjust line breaks)
Thumbnail x Title balances “genre + originality”

From the AICU Editorial Department

You may want to read the international competition “Odyssey,” which can be said to be the predecessor of the Chroma Awards, and articles in past AICU magazines!

Vol.13 (June) “Creative AI and the World”
Vol.14 (July) “AI for Cinema - Films Created with Generative AI”
Vol.18 (November)

Finally: Your Story to the World

This competition evaluates the “quality of the work itself” rather than the “quantity of AI.” Techniques are wings to deliver the story. The deadline is 11/18 16:45 (JST)——Now is the time to fly!

- YouTube Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, www.youtube.com

#ChromaAwards #AIFilm #AIVideo #AIGames #生成AI #IndieFilm

#Shortfilm #MusicVideo #GameDev #AIArt #ComfyUI #Sora #Runway #CapCut #LTXStudio #ElevenLabs