National 78-Hour VFX Challenge
Creativity, technical execution, and storytelling under a hard 78-hour deadline.
Presented by ICMEG
Entry Fee ₹500 per submission
A national-level timed visual effects competition. Participants receive an official challenge theme and countdown timer simultaneously, then have exactly 78 hours to conceptualize, design, produce, render, composite, and submit a final VFX shot — simulating real-world production pressure from film, OTT, advertising, and gaming pipelines.
01Competition Format
- Competition Type: National
- Duration: 78 Hours
- Team Size: Solo artist or team of up to 3 members
- Challenge starts on theme announcement + countdown activation
- Submission deadline: exactly 78 hours after announcement — late submissions not accepted
02Mandatory Deliverables
Final VFX Shot
- Duration: 5–30 seconds
- Resolution: minimum Full HD (1920×1080)
- Frame Rate: 24fps, 25fps or 30fps
- Format: MP4 (H.264)
- Maximum Size: 2GB
Breakdown Video
- Shows plate footage, tracking process, simulation passes, compositing stages, layer breakdown, final render comparison
- Maximum duration: 2 minutes
- Mandatory to validate originality
Work-in-Progress Proof
- At least 3 screenshots from production stages, OR a screen recording timelapse, OR software viewport screenshots
- Verifies the work was produced within the challenge window
03Theme Announcement
- Theme title
- Mood board
- Creative references
- Optional technical constraints
- Countdown timer
Example themes: The Last Signal, Portal, Parallel Reality, Ancient Technology, AI Awakening, Time Fracture, Hidden Civilization, First Contact
04Categories
05Filtration Process
Stage 1 — Registration Verification
- Registration form validation
- Payment confirmation
- Eligibility verification
Stage 2 — Technical Compliance Screening
- Duration, resolution, file format, and deadline compliance checks
Stage 3 — Originality Verification
- Metadata verification
- WIP review
- Breakdown verification
- AI disclosure verification
- Asset verification
Stage 4 — Jury Shortlisting
- Top 20 entries proceed to finals
Stage 5 — Final Jury Review
- Top 20 entries reviewed by senior VFX supervisors and studio leaders
Stage 6 — Winner Selection
- Three winners selected
06Judging Criteria
07Jury Composition
08Registration Form Fields
Participant Details
- Full Name
- Date of Birth
- Gender
- Email Address
- Mobile Number
- City
- State
- Country
Professional Details
- Current Occupation
- Company/Studio Name
- Years of Experience
- Primary Skill (Compositing, FX, Lighting, Matchmove, Generalist, Motion Graphics, Unreal Artist, Other)
Team Information
- Individual or Team Entry
- Team Name
- Number of Team Members
- Team Member Details
Submission Information
- Project Title
- Category Selection
- Software Used
- Short Concept Description (200 words)
- Inspiration/Mood Statement
File Submission
- Final Submission Link (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive)
- Breakdown Video Link
- WIP Proof Link
- Thumbnail Image Upload
Payment Information
- Payment Transaction ID
- Payment Screenshot Upload
- Billing Name
09Declaration
- I confirm that this work was created within the official 78-hour challenge period.
- I confirm that the submission is original work.
- I agree to the competition rules and regulations.
- I agree to the organizers displaying my work for promotional and exhibition purposes.
- I understand that jury decisions are final.
10Awards
- 78-Hour VFX Challenge Champion (Winner)
- Runner Up
- Second Runner Up
- Recommended: Best Simulation, Best Compositing, Best Environment, Best CG Integration, Jury Special Mention
All three winners will be awarded during the Awards Night on 28 November 2026.
11Intellectual Property
- Creators retain ownership of their work.
- Organizers receive a non-exclusive license for promotion, exhibition, social media, event showcase, and press communication.
- Commercial rights remain with creators.
12Recommended Timeline
- 1 OctoberRegistration Opens
- 20 NovemberRegistration Closes
- 24 NovemberTheme Reveal & Countdown Starts
- 27 NovemberSubmission Deadline
- 27–28 NovemberJury Review
- 28 NovemberAwards Ceremony