MICRODRA.MA × ADARENA · PILOTRUSH Make them need Episode 2. Create a show a brand would want to sponsor. THE CHALLENGE Always dreamed of launching your own series? AI gives you the tools to create it. But how do you turn it into a series that sells? Microdra.ma helps creators develop series with commercial potential and connect with streaming platforms, brands and sponsors who could fund or commission more episodes. Your challenge: create an original 50–80-second pilot for a vertical microdrama series. Hook us. Then leave us wanting more. Start with a scroll-stopping hook. Establish the world. Introduce your characters: what do they want, and what stands in their way? End on a cliffhanger or a major twist that leaves us needing Episode 2. THIS IS A STORY, NOT AN AD. Build your world. Make it entertaining. Give brands a reason to see themselves in it. A fashion-world rivalry could attract a clothing brand. A travel comedy could catch an airline’s eye. A sports coming-of-age story could interest a sneaker sponsor. Do not include sponsors, their logos or product placements in your pilot. The required official Microdra.ma opening logo is the only branding exception. Pick a distinct world you know or are excited to explore and tell a story that makes people want more. Sponsors will be watching. You bring the story. Our goal is to help turn it into a series that sells. DELIVERY Up to 2 pilots per creator. Each pilot is an original Episode 1 and a separate entry. Revisions do not use another entry. 50–80 seconds. Vertical · 9:16. MP4, 1080p quality or higher. Fully AI-made imagery. Motion control is allowed; human voiceover is allowed. Keep characters, voices and locations consistent. English without subtitles. Another language is allowed only if central to the plot, with readable English subtitles. Keep text clear of social interface overlays. THE FIRST FIVE SECONDS — MANDATORY The series name must appear within the first 2 seconds of the opening shot. Graphics, effects or animation are welcome. The exact label “Season 1 · Episode 1” must appear 1–2 seconds after the series name. Any font or color is allowed if clearly readable. An episode title is optional. Place the exact supplied official Microdra.ma logo in the top-right corner of the VIDEO and keep it visible for the first 5 seconds, starting at the opening frame. Do not substitute the competition icon or redraw the logo. Opening-frame design example: The Last Well shows the official top-right logo with smooth dark gradients for legibility. No creator credit is required on the video. This frozen image demonstrates composition, not timing. READY-TO-USE VIDEO OVERLAY: download MicroDrama-Opening-Overlay-9x16-v12.png from the brand kit. Place this transparent 1080×1920 layer over your 9:16 video for the first 5 seconds. It includes the exact official logo, safe insets and top/bottom gradients, with a transparent center and no series title. Add your own series title and the episode label at the required times. For later frames, the kit includes MicroDrama-Gradients-Only-9x16-v12.png without the logo. The suggested margins are a layout aid, not an additional numerical entry rule. Overlay: https://adarena.app/competitions/micro-drama/MicroDrama-Opening-Overlay-9x16-v12.png Recommended submission filename/title: [Series Name] - Season 1 Episode 1. Official logo: https://adarena.app/competitions/micro-drama/MicroDrama-Official-Wordmark-v4.png Brand kit: https://adarena.app/competitions/micro-drama/MicroDrama-Brand-Kit-v13.zip LEAVE A NATURAL ROLE FOR A SPONSOR Do not invent a fake brand or build the story around an existing real brand or trademark. Keep any plot-central product, venue, service or category generic so a future sponsor can enter naturally. Keep products, locations and services generic. No sponsor logos or product placements; only the mandatory official Microdra.ma opening logo. SIX CREATIVE WORLDS — SUGGESTIONS, NOT A REQUIRED FORMAT 1. Location-led: a hotel, resort or penthouse; mystery, love, relationships or action. 2. Friends and romance: a relationship with a twist; fashion, beauty or an upscale location can belong to the world. 3. Action / science fiction: technology or finance helps drive the stakes. 4. Sports, cars and private jets: a competition, ambition or journey with consequences. 5. Music: an original song or fictional band becomes part of the story. 6. Wildcard: any original world with characters, conflict and a repeatable series engine. STORY, EDITING AND PACE Hook within 1–2 seconds through tension, curiosity, beauty, surprise, conflict or an unanswered question. Characters must want something, take action and face consequences. A montage is not a story. Stack meaningful beats; do not spend 20 seconds on atmosphere with nothing happening. Every scene or cut should increase conflict, emotion, information, stakes or anticipation. Use intentional dialogue, sound, music and subtitles. An optional 60-second rhythm: 00–05 hook and mandatory opening labels/logo; 05–20 establish the characters’ desire and obstacle; 20–45 escalate through choices and consequences; 45–60 end with a genuine cliffhanger, reversal, reveal, threat, choice or unanswered question. The title and episode label belong in the opening, not an end card. This rhythm is illustrative; the required duration is 50–80 seconds. CINEMATIC QUALITY AND DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERS Aim for the production quality of premium live-action entertainment: believable motion, coherent locations, clean faces, hands, props and text, intentional camera choices, polished editing and clean sound. No AI-tool watermarks, broken text, distracting artifacts or unfinished shots. Create distinctive, believable people with individual personalities and natural imperfections: skin texture, asymmetry, freckles, wrinkles, scars and expressive faces. Avoid interchangeable, overly polished AI-model faces. Their individuality should remain consistent across scenes and episodes. Licensed reference photography can inspire character design. Unsplash, Pexels and Adobe Stock are examples, subject to each image’s license and restrictions. Do not directly replicate an identifiable person’s likeness without appropriate permission. Use rights-safe music, images, footage, voices and other assets. HOW WE JUDGE — 100% TOTAL 20% Addictiveness & microdrama storytelling 15% Real sponsor reactions 15% Hook, retention & cliffhanger 20% Distinct, consistent world, hook & retention 10% Interesting hero & distinctive faces and imagery 10% Originality 10% Editing, pacing & soundtrack Will viewers NEED the next episode? PRIZES — $5,000 TOTAL VALUE · 40 WINNERS $3,500 cash across 15 winners; $1,500 in Kolbo AI credit value across 25 winners. 1st: $1,200 cash 2nd: $700 cash 3rd: $500 cash 4th–5th: $200 cash each 6th–10th: $80 cash each 11th–15th: $60 cash each 16th–40th: $60 in Kolbo AI credit value each (4,000 credits each). Kolbo reference value: $15 = 1,000 credits. Credits are not cash. Up to 2 pilots, with at most one winning place per creator. Competition funding and opening remain pending. BEYOND THE PRIZE The winning creator will be invited to complete additional Season 1 episodes with Microdra.ma through a paid consignment agreement of up to $10,000. Royalties will apply if a sponsor client picks up the series, subject to a separate written agreement defining production scope, payment milestones, royalty structure and rights. This development opportunity is separate from the $5,000 prize pool. You keep ownership of your work. The final entry step requires explicit acceptance of the non-exclusive Episode 1 publishing licence below. Development requires a separate agreement; no deal is guaranteed. The preview does not collect legal acceptance. SUBMISSION When submissions open: publish the pilot and invite both Microdra.ma and AdArena to Collab on networks that support collaborator invitations. Tag @microdra.ma and @adarena.app on Instagram and include #MicroDrama #PilotRush #AdArena. Use the linked official accounts on other networks. We recommend posting on more than one network; one valid social post link is required. Write an authentic caption about your first episode, characters or creative idea. Give viewers a reason to watch instead of simply saying “I submitted to the Micro Drama competition on AdArena.” Add the social post link and original MP4 through the AdArena competition page. Include the series title, synopsis and direction for future episodes; explain where a future sponsor could naturally fit. The preview lets you review the submission steps. It does not upload files, submit entries or sign agreements. EPISODE 1 PUBLISHING LICENCE — REQUIRED AT SUBMISSION By submitting this pilot, I grant Microdra.ma a non-exclusive licence to display and publish the first episode I submit on its website, in its catalog and on its official social media channels. Microdra.ma may use the catalog to pitch my series to buyers and sponsors, with the goal of selling the series or securing paid commissions. When a buyer or sponsor shows initial interest, Microdra.ma will sign a representation agreement with me before any sale. I retain ownership of my work. This is a usage licence for the submitted first episode, not a transfer of intellectual property or an exclusive licence. For this competition only, these terms take precedence over general AdArena provisions requiring an IP transfer or exclusive licence upon entry. Any development, payment, royalties or additional rights require a separate written agreement. Submitting a pilot does not guarantee a development, commissioning or commercial deal. The acceptance is recorded with the exact terms, version and submission time. It is not an IP-transfer signature. SCHEDULE Planned opening: Thursday, 22 October 2026 at 16:00 IST. Submissions close: Thursday, 12 November 2026 at 22:00 IST. The schedule is approved for the preview; it does not activate the competition. All times use Asia/Jerusalem. The competition is listed as upcoming. Submissions remain closed until explicitly activated. REFERENCE FILMS Use the numbered collection on the competition page. References are benchmarks for story, acting, editing, pace and cinematic quality. Their formats and lengths vary; your original AI pilot must meet the competition’s 9:16 and 50–80-second requirements. Do not copy concepts, insert featured brands or reuse footage, music or other assets without permission. https://adarena.app/challenges/microdrama OFFICIAL CHANNELS Website: https://www.microdra.ma/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/microdra.ma/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/microdramaai X: https://x.com/microdra_ma YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@microdra_ma TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@microdra.ma LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/microdra-ma/ STORY WORKSHOP What is a microdrama? A story told in short, vertical episodes. Each episode moves the story forward and leaves viewers wanting the next one. Your pilot starts it all. YOUR FOUR STORY FOUNDATIONS Distinct world / setting Where are we? Show a world with its own rules, tensions and visual identity. Hero Who do we follow? What do they want, and why should we care? Dramatic question The big uncertainty that keeps us watching. Will she find her birth parents? Tone / genre How should it feel? A tense thriller, playful romance or sharp comedy? Keep the dramatic question alive throughout the pilot. Give us clues and complications. Don’t give us the answer! Your pilot checklist A FIRST EPISODE THAT MAKES US NEED EPISODE TWO. A scroll-stopping hook Grab attention in the opening seconds. Start with a moment that raises a question. A clear goal and real stakes Show what your hero wants and what they could lose if they fail. Conflict that escalates Put something in the hero’s way. Make the situation harder or more surprising. A reason to care Give us an emotion, a relationship or a choice that makes the hero matter. A cliffhanger or major twist End on an unresolved moment that makes the next episode feel essential. A story that can continue Hint at conflicts and relationships that can sustain a series beyond this pilot. 50–80 seconds per pilot. Up to 2 pilots per creator. A world worth coming back to A FEW EXAMPLES. REALLY, YOUR STORY CAN START ANYWHERE! HOTEL Guest secrets. Staff rivalries. YACHT Secrets far from shore. PRIVATE JET One flight. A hidden agenda. FASHION HOUSE Ambition behind the runway. SPORTS ACADEMY One spot. Everything to prove. A SINGER OR BAND Fame, friendship and rivalry. 16TH-CENTURY PARIS Forbidden love. Court intrigue. RESTAURANT Family loyalties under pressure. WILDCARD: YOUR WORLD Surprise us with your awesome world! THIS IS A STORY, NOT AN AD. BUT BRANDS WILL BE WATCHING :) Brands will be looking for worlds their products could naturally belong in. They may fund future product placements or sponsor your whole series. Keep your pilot free of sponsor branding. Include only the competition logo. These are just examples. Explore a world you love. Bring us something original.