Abyss Competition

Your Rating Decides $3,000 in Prize Money for AI Filmmakers

The submissions are in, and now it's your turn to make history. The Archive In Between Competition on Abyss has entered its crucial voting phase, where community members like you will determine which groundbreaking AI films win thousands of dollars in prizes and potential series development on ABY streaming service.

Why Your Vote Matters

From September 24 through October 7, 2025, the fate of dozens of creative AI filmmakers rests in the hands of the Abyss community. Unlike traditional film festivals where closed-door judges make all decisions, Abyss empowers viewers to directly impact which creators receive recognition and rewards.

Your ratings will determine:

Audience Award: $2,000 - The submission with the highest community rating takes home this substantial prize, proving that popular appeal and artistic merit can align.

2nd Place Audience Award: $1,000 - The second-highest rated entry also receives recognition and financial reward for outstanding work.

While the head curator will separately select The Archive Award ($3,000) winner, your votes shape which films gain the visibility and momentum needed for potential ABY series development.

What You're Voting On: The Archive In Between

This science fiction and alternative history competition challenged AI filmmakers to create 3-6 minute pilot episodes responding to one of four mind-bending prompts:

"We last visited the moon in 1972. There's a reason we haven't gone back." - Discover what conspiracy theories, cosmic horrors, or hidden discoveries filmmakers imagined lurking on the lunar surface.

"The world tree died a hundred years ago. The Sap Wars have raged ever since." - Experience post-apocalyptic fantasy worlds where resource conflicts and ecological collapse reshape civilization.

"The Intersolar Protectorate's colony on Pluto went silent 6 months ago. They sent me to find out why." - Investigate mysterious space colonies through first-person narratives filled with tension and revelation.

"WW3 began not with nukes, but when the mole people finally decided Earth's surface was theirs to take." - Witness audacious world-building that transforms absurdist premises into compelling alternative histories.

How to Vote on Abyss

Participating in the community voting process takes just minutes:

Step 1: Visit Abyss - Head to getabyss.com and create your free account if you haven't already. No payment information required.

Step 2: Find Competition Entries - Navigate to the competitions section where all Archive In Between submissions are now publicly viewable.

Step 3: Watch and Rate - View as many submissions as you'd like. Each film runs only 3-6 minutes, making it easy to experience multiple visions in a single sitting.

Step 4: Submit Your Ratings - Rate films based on storytelling quality, world-building potential, visual execution, and overall impact. Your honest assessment helps surface the best work.

Step 5: Spread the Word - Share your favorite discoveries with friends and encourage them to vote, expanding the community's voice in determining winners.

What Makes a Great Submission?

As you watch and rate entries, consider what separates good AI filmmaking from exceptional work:

World-Building Depth

The best pilot episodes establish universes that feel lived-in and expansive. Do you want to know more about this world? Could you imagine multiple episodes or seasons set in this universe? Films that create genuine curiosity about their settings deserve high ratings.

Character Connection

Even in short-form content, compelling protagonists with clear motivations and relatable struggles drive engagement. Rate highly the films that make you care about their characters within minutes.

Visual Consistency

AI tools can produce varying aesthetics from shot to shot. Exceptional submissions maintain coherent visual language throughout, demonstrating the filmmaker's artistic control over their tools rather than being controlled by them.

Narrative Economy

With only 3-6 minutes available, every second counts. The strongest entries establish premise, introduce characters, present conflict, and create intrigue for future episodes without feeling rushed or incomplete.

Technical Excellence

While flashy effects aren't everything, professional execution in pacing, sound design, dialogue clarity, and visual storytelling significantly impacts viewer experience. Films that demonstrate technical proficiency alongside creative vision stand out.

Series Potential

Remember, these aren't standalone shorts—they're pilots for potential streaming series. The best submissions resolve immediate narrative questions while establishing larger mysteries that could sustain multiple episodes. Rate highly the films you'd genuinely want to watch more of.

The Power of Community-Driven Discovery

Abyss's approach to competitions represents a fundamental shift in how creative talent gets discovered and rewarded. Traditional gatekeepers no longer hold exclusive power to determine which filmmakers deserve support and recognition.

Democratic Validation

When you rate a film highly, you're not just clicking a button—you're providing professional validation to a creator who may be testing whether their unique voice and vision can find an audience.

Direct Impact on Careers

The creators whose films you rate highest don't just win prize money. They gain:

• Portfolio credentials they can leverage in future opportunities
• Increased visibility on the Abyss platform, building their follower base
• Momentum for series development, as high-rated competition entries receive priority consideration for ABY adaptation
• Community support that extends beyond single competitions into long-term creative relationships

Discovering Tomorrow's Storytellers Today

Remember that approximately one in five films discovered on Abyss are adapted into full ABY shows. The submission you rate highly today could become the streaming series you binge-watch six months from now.

Voting Deadline: October 7, 2025

The community rating period closes on October 7, 2025. After this deadline, votes are finalized and winners will be announced two weeks later.

Don't miss your opportunity to influence which AI filmmakers receive recognition, financial rewards, and potential series development. Every rating counts, and your participation helps build a more democratic creative industry where talent rises based on merit and audience connection rather than insider access.

What Happens After Voting

Once the community rating period closes and winners are announced, several outcomes unfold:

Prize Distribution - Winners receive their cash prizes, providing financial runway to develop future projects or upgrade their creative tools.

Platform Features - Winning submissions receive prominent placement on Abyss, exposing them to the hundreds of daily viewers seeking new AI filmmakers to follow.

Series Development Conversations - Top-performing entries enter discussions about potential adaptation into full ABY streaming series, with creators maintaining IP ownership while benefiting from distribution.

Community Recognition - Winners join the ranks of featured Abyss filmmakers, building reputations that attract collaboration opportunities and future audiences.

Beyond This Competition

While The Archive In Between represents current voting opportunities, Abyss regularly launches new competitions throughout the year. The platform recently ran a Horror Animation Competition and will announce future themed contests.

By participating in this voting round, you become part of the Abyss community—a growing ecosystem of creators, viewers, and supporters reshaping how AI filmmaking talent gets discovered and developed.

Your Voice Shapes the Future

The next generation of streaming content is being created right now by independent AI filmmakers using democratized tools. But talent alone isn't enough—these creators need audiences willing to engage, rate, and champion their work.

That's where you come in.

Visit getabyss.com/competitions today, watch the incredible submissions that have been crafted for The Archive In Between Competition, and let your ratings help determine which visionary filmmakers receive the recognition and rewards they deserve.

The voting period ends October 7, 2025. Make your voice heard.