1st Place — $1,500
Chosen by the jury.
ZENCREATOR × BYTEDANCE
Jade Lens Awards: An AI Video Contest Inspired by Asian Art and Legend
$3,500
in prizes
Submissions open in
21
days
07
hours
09
min
41
sec
Submissions open Nov 13 and close Dec 3, 2026.
Create in ZenCreator
We'll email you when submissions open.
About
What the Jade Lens Awards are
- Theme:
- Asian art and legend: myths, painting, sculpture, silk, jade, porcelain
- Length:
- up to 30 seconds, 16:9 or 9:16
- Tools:
- Seedream and Seedance in ZenCreator
The Jade Lens Awards is an AI video contest from ZenCreator, with support from ByteDance, for films inspired by Asian art and legend, with a focus on Chinese tradition. Make a 30-second AI film inside ZenCreator, with Seedream for images and Seedance for video, then submit it on this page.
Asian art has always known how to say a lot with very little: a glance behind a fan, light moving across carved jade, a goddess stepping out of an old scroll. Bring that language to motion, and let drapery, camera angle, silhouette and light tell the story.
Prizes
Three winners. $3,500 in prizes.
Two places are chosen by the jury, and one by everyone who watches.
2nd Place — $1,000
Chosen by the jury.
Audience Choice — $1,000
The film with the most votes on this page from Dec 4 to Dec 10.
Prizes are paid in cash or as a gift card after the winners are announced on Dec 11. Presented by ZenCreator with support from ByteDance.
Enter
How to enter in four steps
1. Create
Make your film in ZenCreator. Use Seedream for images and Seedance for video; films made with other models are not eligible.
2. Share (optional)
Post it on Instagram, TikTok, X or YouTube with #JadeLensAwards. Sharing is optional and doesn't affect your entry.
3. Submit
Log in with your ZenCreator account and upload your video on this page. We check your generation history to confirm the models.
4. Win
The jury picks 1st and 2nd place. From Dec 4 to Dec 10, viewers vote for Audience Choice.
Inspiration
Six motifs to start your film
Each tile pairs a motif with a prompt starter. Use it as it is or make it your own.
Ink landscape
A mountain painted in ink comes alive.
Prompt: ink-wash mountains, mist drifting between the peaks, slow camera rise, rice-paper texture
Silk
Let the fabric carry the movement.
Prompt: emerald silk robe moving in a soft breeze, warm side light, deep shadows, slow push-in
White jade
Light travels across carved stone.
Prompt: white jade sculpture of a dancer, gallery light sweeping across the surface, slow orbit
Porcelain
Blue-and-white patterns in motion.
Prompt: blue-and-white porcelain vase, painted cranes lift off its surface and fly, static camera
A legend
A figure steps out of an old scroll.
Prompt: a goddess from a Chinese scroll painting steps out of the paper, ink turning into flowing silk, temple courtyard at dusk, slow push-in
The fan
Small gestures carry the scene.
Prompt: a hand slowly opening a painted silk fan, plum blossoms on the silk, jade bracelet, warm lantern light, slow motion
Have an idea already? Start with one frame in Seedream.
Workflow
How to make a 30-second film in ZenCreator
Each Seedance clip in this workflow runs up to 15 seconds, so most 30-second films are two or more clips joined together.
Design the frames in Seedream
Generate the key images of your film: the characters, the setting and the first frame of each shot. Reuse the same style description across frames to keep the look consistent.
Animate each shot with Seedance
Turn each frame into a clip of up to 15 seconds. Describe what moves and how the camera behaves; one motion idea per clip gives cleaner results.
Join the clips in Video Merger
Combine 2 to 5 clips into one film with a Cut, Fade, Slide or Dissolve transition. Merging doesn't re-render your clips.
New to video in ZenCreator? See how Image to Video AI works, or start from the AI Video Generator overview.
Judging
What the jury looks for
Strong entries
- A clear reference to Asian art and legend: myths, painting, sculpture, silk, jade, porcelain
- Craft in light, camera movement and motion
- A small story or mood that holds for 30 seconds
- Restraint: drapery, silhouette and a single gesture
Entries we remove
- Films made with models other than Seedream and Seedance
- Photos or footage of real people
- Explicit content or anything that breaks the Content Policy
- A second entry from the same participant
A well-crafted film rooted in Asian art and legend fits this contest. A real person, a copied clip or an explicit scene does not.
Rules
Contest rules at a glance
Read the Official Rules
- Use only Seedream for images and Seedance for video.
- Characters must be AI-generated. Do not use photos or footage of real people.
- Keep the film suitable for a general audience: tell the story through drapery, camera angle, silhouette and light, never through explicit content.
- Length up to 30 seconds. MP4 or MOV, 16:9 or 9:16, up to 200 MB.
- You can join several clips into one film in ZenCreator Video Merger.
- One entry per participant. Entrants must be 18 or older.
- By entering, you allow ZenCreator and ByteDance to show your film in their promotion and on social media. Organizers may remove any entry that breaks the rules.
Timeline
Key dates
Nov 13
— Submissions open
Dec 3
— Submissions close
Dec 4–10
— Jury review and public voting
Dec 11
— Winners announced
Jury
Meet the jury
Jury announced soon. Follow ZenCreator on Instagram for updates.
Gallery
Watch the films
The first films arrive on Nov 13.
Submit
Submit your film
Step 1. Log in with your ZenCreator account (email).
New to ZenCreator? Create an account
Step 2. Upload your video: MP4 or MOV, up to 30 seconds, up to 200 MB.
Upload not working? Paste a link to your published post instead.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Who can enter the Jade Lens Awards?
Anyone aged 18 or older with a ZenCreator account. You need the account both to make your film and to submit it. Country eligibility and any other conditions are listed in the Official Rules.
Does making my film use credits?
Yes. Every generation in ZenCreator, including Seedream images and Seedance clips, uses credits. The cost depends on the model and settings and appears on the button before you confirm. Credits work across ZenCreator tools and do not expire; see Pricing for the available packs.
How do you check which models I used?
When you submit, we review the generation history of the ZenCreator account you log in with, so you don't need to copy any task IDs. Submit from the account you made the film in; shots we can't trace to Seedream and Seedance generations are not eligible.
What if my video won't upload?
Check that the file is MP4 or MOV, up to 30 seconds and up to 200 MB. If it still fails, paste a link to your published post in the fallback field, or contact support through the Support link in the footer.
How are winners chosen and paid?
The jury picks 1st and 2nd place. Audience Choice goes to the film with the most votes from Dec 4 to Dec 10. Winners are announced on Dec 11 and paid in cash or by gift card, as described in the Official Rules.
Can ZenCreator and ByteDance use my film?
Yes. By entering, you allow both companies to show your film in their promotion and on social media, as set out in the Official Rules. Your own use of the output follows the ZenCreator Terms and Conditions, which grant you a non-exclusive license, so similar outputs may exist for other users.
Your 30 seconds of Asian art and legend
Start with one frame in Seedream, bring it to motion with Seedance and submit before Dec 3.
ZenCreator × ByteDance · Support · Official Rules · Content Policy · Privacy Policy · Terms and Conditions
zencreator.proInstagramLinkedInXTikTokDiscord
© 2026 ZenCreator. Seedance and Seedream are products of ByteDance.