Pilot Challenge: Official Rules

Season 01

What Is It?

The Pilot Challenge is a series greenlight competition. Creators submit the first episode of an episodic microdrama series, and the Grand Prize winner will receive funding to produce 5 episodes of the season. Think of it like pitching a TV pilot for greenlight — except mobile-first, creator-owned, and open to everyone. Once we narrow the field to five finalists, the grand prize winner will be selected by our jury panel which includes Todd Makurath, the Executive Producer of the Academy Award winning Best Picture Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Eligibility

Who can enter:

  • Anyone 18 years or older
  • Vignetta account required (free to create)
  • One contest entry per creator (no multiple contest submissions)
  • Team entries allowed — designate one account as the submitting creator

Content requirements:

  • Entry produced in the last 12 months. We do not ask for platform exclusivity.
  • Conforms to Vignetta's Terms of Service, Community Guidelines, and Copyright Policy
  • AI-generated content is acceptable (any tools allowed)
  • You retain 100% ownership of your content — Vignetta only receives a license to distribute on our platform

Submission Format

Pilot Episode (required for entry):

  • Duration: 30–90 seconds
  • Aspect ratio: Either 9:16 (vertical format) or 16:9 (horizontal format)
  • Must be submitted in MP4 or MOV format

Timeline

Submission deadlineJuly 10
Audience voting periodJuly 13–27
Nominees announced (3 Audience, 2 Jury)July 27
Winner announcedEarly Aug

How to Enter

  1. Upload your pilot episode through the Creator Portal
  2. During upload, select "Contest Upload" to enter the Pilot Challenge Entry
  3. Your contest entry must be uploaded by the deadline.

Judging

Jury Selection (2 nominees)

Selected by an internal panel evaluating:

  • Continuity potential (40%): Does Episode 1 establish characters, world rules, and story arc that can sustain at least 5 episodes?
  • Narrative craft (30%): Pacing, hooks, emotional engagement
  • Technical execution (20%): Visual quality, audio clarity, editing
  • Originality (10%): Fresh concepts, distinctive voice

Audience Selection (3 nominees)

  • All valid entries are eligible for audience voting
  • Voting occurs in-app during the voting window
  • Each Vignetta audience member may vote once per day for any entry
  • The three entries with the most total votes win the Audience slots

Prizes

Grand Prize Winner receives:

  • $2,500 production budget
  • "Pilot Challenge Winner" branding
  • Permanent algorithmic boost

Remaining Nominees receive:

  • $150 prize
  • "Pilot Challenge Nominee" badge on all your content
  • Pulsed top-of-feed placement in the Vignetta app

Note that all cash prizes will be considered deductible if you subsequently generate Creator revenues on Vignetta.

Content Rights & Ownership

You own your work. Vignetta does not acquire ownership of your content entry through this contest and no Vignetta exclusivity is ever required.

By entering, you grant Vignetta:

  • A license to distribute your entry on our platform
  • The right to feature your content in marketing materials related to the contest
  • The right to display "Pilot Challenge Nominee" branding alongside your content if nominated

Remember, this is not an exclusive relationship and you may distribute your content wherever you choose.

Disqualification

Entries may be disqualified for:

Questions?

Join our Discord for updates and direct access to the Vignetta team: discord.gg/BfmyHm7skb

VIGNETTA PILOT CHALLENGE — SEASON 01 · OFFICIAL RULES v2.0