R.I.C.E

General Info

RICE: Rewards Imagined by Community of Editors

RICE is a community feedback event made by editors, for editors.
The categories & the videos that apply to them are decided through voting during the event by the participants.
That means the only people who vote, review, and judge entries are the editors who submitted something to it.

You must be a member of the server to participate in RICE.
If you are not already in the server, you can click here to join.

The Basics

  • RICE is an annual event with the same dates every year. (See: Schedule)
  • To submit a video, you must be in the server by 30 November, before RICE starts
  • Anyone can be a spectator, regardless of when they joined
  • RICE uses blind submissions, meaning no one should know who created which video.
  • All participants are encouraged to review all videos and provide feedback or constructive criticism.
  • Award categories are decided by peers after seeing all the videos for that year
  • Videos can use any source (live-action, animation, etc.)
  • Minimum video duration of 30 seconds
  • Submit two videos as long as 5 minutes each or a single video up to 10 minutes
  • Submitted videos must follow content restrictions
Read this before submitting (tap to expand)

RICE is a feedback event first.
We want everyone to leave as much constructive criticism as feasible.

  • You can leave a public note in the submission form detailing what feedback you would like to receive.
  • You can upload additional materials, like side-by-side comparisons of no effects vs. effects or parodies vs originals, etc.

RICE is intended for BentoVid regulars.

  • Anyone can be a spectator, but people who submit videos must have joined by 30 November.
  • It is a mostly casual environment with people who are already familiar with one another.
  • Accessibility is a focus (CWs, VPR, captions, etc.).
    These are not required to submit but may be applied to your video.
    (Your video files will not be changed.)

The coordinator might submit a video.

  • The coordinator's video is unblinded after category finalization.
  • No one is able to nominate the coordinator's video for any awards - it is completely removed from voting.
  • The purpose of the coordinator entering a video is only to receive feedback from other participants.

When RICE ends, your videos are unblinded and displayed on the RICE Event History page.

  • Downloads are available through an indirect link.
  • This website is not indexed by search engines.

The finalist & awards show is pre-rendered, publicly viewable on YouTube, and uses the following settings:

  • 23.976 fps
    Submissions not at the framerate will be played at this framerate and may stutter.
  • 1920x1080p
    Larger submissions will be downscaled.
    Smaller submissions will be scaled up to fit as much as possible without cropping.
  • All videos have lower thirds added to them
    The graphics are 155px high and remain on the video through its entire run.
    Submissions with text will be shrunk so the graphic does not cover it.

These only apply to the finalists and awards shows. During the actual event, your videos remain in their natural state.

If you are uncomfortable with any of the above, consider spectating instead.
Spectators do not submit a video and cannot vote, but they can view and comment on all videos and suggest categories.
Spectator signup has the same window as video submission: January 1 - February 1.

2026 Umami

The Passage of Time

The changes in our world, seasons, body, and/or mind

The Umami is the theme for that year's RICE.
It is changed every year and is announced at the end of the previous year's RICE Awards video.

Participation in the theme is optional, but it is the only (genre-related) category announced before the event starts.

New for 2026

(Click to reveal)

Deadline time changes
All deadlines were changed from 12PM Noon EST (17:00 UTC) to 10AM EST (15:00 UTC).
The dates remain the same.

Membership age minimum
People who intend to submit a video must have joined no later than 30 November.
However, anyone can be a spectator.

Rule changes

  • The content restrictions were modified and clarified.
  • The rule about subtitles, watermarks, etc., was removed.

New category scaling
≤ 49 videos → 8 7 categories
50 - 70 videos → 10 9 categories
71+ videos → 12 11 categories

New permanent awards

  • Wandering Samurice is now its own separate award independent from other categories.
  • If there are 10+ spectators, the spectators can give their own award named Ozaku.

New video amount & duration rules

  • You can submit two videos with a max length of 5 minutes each (down from 5:30) OR
  • You may submit a single video up to 10 minutes long

Category suggestion changes

  • Spectators can suggest categories, but not vote on them
  • The word "Best" is banned from category names
  • You must list 3 example videos that will fit in your category when you suggest it

The Coordinator might submit a video

  • No one is able to nominate the coordinator's video for any awards - it is completely removed from voting
  • The coordinator's video is unblinded after category finalization
  • The purpose of the coordinator entering a video is only to receive feedback from other participants

General website update
The RICE pages were redone & updated for (hopefully) easier navigation & understanding.

Your videos are unblinded & accessible for download via an indirect link after the event
This is not new. It has been declared on the submission form since RICE 2022.
Since many people have missed this declaration, it has been added to the new "Read this before submitting" section and this notice.

The submission form opens on January 1, 2026.
All submissions must be received by 10:00am EST (15:00 UTC) on February 1, 2026.
Submit to RICE

If you have any questions, please DM @standardquip (Vars) on Discord.

Rules

Rules Navigation

Video Submission Requirements

Blind judging is a key part of RICE, so videos must not identify their editors.

  • The video must not have been seen by any other participants of the contest, to the best of your knowledge.
  • The video may not be publicly available online until after the RICE awards stream has ended.
    This is typically in the 2nd week of March.
  • If there is not a reasonable amount of ambiguity to who edited your video, it will be disqualified from RICE.

  • RICE submissions may be sent to other events ONLY when the editor of the video is not identified until on or after 4 March.
    This includes when the editor + identifying video information appears in text!

    Frequently Asked Questions (tap to expand)
    Do I have to make a video specifically for RICE?

    No, but:

    • Your video must not have won any prior awards
    • Your video must not have been publicly attributed to you yet
    • Your video must not be easily found online
    • You must be reasonably sure other RICE participants have not seen your video
    Can I submit unfinished videos to RICE?

    Yes, but your video will get better feedback and have a better chance at awards if you fill the timeline (and don't have any black spots left).

    Can I beta test or proof my video before I submit it to RICE?

    The official stance is that as long as you are reasonably sure other RICE participants haven't seen your video, you can submit it.
    In practice, this means you should only beta test with people who have said they will not be entering RICE.

    I realize it is impossible for everyone to be blind from every single video.
    I cannot control what you do privately, but I would expect you to at least try to follow the spirit of the rule and avoid beta testing your videos with people you know will be entering RICE alongside you.

    Can I submit my RICE videos to other contests before RICE is over?

    Your video cannot be unblinded before 4 March.
    This means your video cannot be shown outside RICE with your editor name attached to it before 4 March.

    • If the contest lists finalists or winners online with only the video titles or only the editor names (but not "video title by editor name") then you are good to go.
    • If the contest awards show happens on 4 March or later, you are good to go.
    • If the contest is small/local/obscure and doesn't list your videos (even with your name attached) in a place easily findable by other RICE participants, then use your best judgement.

      The spirit of the blind rule is to prevent other RICE participants from knowing you made your submitted videos. If you are reasonably sure other participants won't be able to see that info before 4 March, then go ahead and submit to the other contest.

      Part of the advantage of being an event designed for server regulars is the allowance for flexibility in this matter. Use your best judgement and submit in good faith.

Discord server membership

  • Anyone can be a spectator, regardless of when they joined.
  • To submit a video, you must join the server by November 30th, before RICE begins.
    (For example, to submit to RICE 2026, you need to join by November 30, 2025.)

Video count & length

  • You can submit up to two videos.
  • Each video must be at least 30 seconds long.
  • If you are submitting two videos, each video cannot be longer than 5 minutes.
  • If you are submitting only one video, it can be up to 10 minutes long.
  • These are hard limits. We do not round the durations.

Multiple editors

  • A video can have a maximum of 2 editors credited.
  • The collaboration counts as 1 video submission for each editor listed.
  • If a video credits more than 2 editors, it will be rejected.

All video types and sources are accepted.
It can be live action, animated, or other.

Content Restrictions
Your video must follow a general 16+ rating or below.
Read the actual content restrictions here.

File specifications

  • .MP4
  • 8-bit
  • H.264 (AVC) or x264 codec
  • 250MiB or under

If you don't know what this means, use AMVTool's default settings to encode the final version of your video for submission.

Files over 250MiB will be recompressed with your original file discarded.

Files otherwise outside the specs will not stream properly on the platform we use to view and comment on videos.
If your video does not stream properly, a proxy version will be made.
While participants have the option of downloading original files, many only view the streamable versions.

Subtitles and captions
Upload a separate SRT file for captions.

Our streaming platform will not show included subtitle tracks without a separate SRT file to reference.
If your captions require styles not supported by SRT, consider burning them into your video, instead.

Content Restrictions

Your video must follow a general "16+" rating or below. If your video does
not meet the specifications listed below, it will be rejected.

RICE content restrictions are stronger than the general server rules.
Content that may be posted to #vid-share may not be allowed in RICE. As
RICE is a feedback event, we want all participants to be able and willing to
watch and comment on all videos.

  • No porn.
    1. No bare genitals on screen.
    2. Sexual arousal of the viewer should not be the intended effect of coital scenes.
  • No obscene/harassing lyrics.
    Songs with lyrics that do not follow these rules must be cut or otherwise censor the words that do not comply.
    1. No audio sources (e.g. songs, trailers) where sexual acts are the primary theme.
    2. No racial epithets, racial slurs, or hate speech of any kind in lyrics.
    3. Cussing is okay, as long as those words comprise less than approximately 30% of the overall content/words.
  • No realistic or detailed wounds.
    • The focus is the realism and detail of the wounds themselves.
    • "Blood" refers to any red or black liquid that comes from a wound.
    • Blood without visible wounds is not a concern.
    • These rules are enforced EXACTLY as written. Context is NOT taken into account.

    Realistic and detailed wounds are:
    1. Bloody dismemberment of body parts.
      (such as arms, fingers, teeth, etc., being split from the body).
      Example GIF

      From Sekiro Shadows Die Twice (2019 - game):
      sekiro_arm

    2. Visible internal organs such as muscle, intestines, guts, brains, eyes popping out, etc.
      Example GIF & image

      From Elfen Lied (2004 - 2005):

      elfenlied From Cyberpunk Edgerunners
      (2022):

      cyberpunkedgerunners_gore

    3. Visibly torn or shredded skin inside a bloodied wound.
      Example images

      From Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind (2022):

      mk_gore From the show Supernatual (2005 -
      2020) season 10:

      spn_tornskin

      and season 5:

      spn_tornskin2

    4. Blood actively pumping out of wound.
      Example GIF

      From the Supernatural (2005 - 2020) show, season 3:

      spn_pump

    5. Blood chunks.
      Example image

      From the Supernatural (2005 - 2020) show, season 5:

      spn_bloodchunks

    The wounds are NOT realistic or detailed when any of the following are true:
    1. The wounds are hidden or censored (such as covered by clothes)
    2. The blood (or fluid) is a color other than black or red
    3. There is no blood (or fluid) coming from the wound
    4. The scene or action takes place in silhouette
  • No videos with malicious intent.
    1. No entry should harass a person or group, online or offline, even if the names are censored.
    2. No entry should be made with the intent to harm (e.g. "bending the rules" or using upsetting content specifically to injure, shock, and/or upset people).
    3. If it can be assumed many people will want to avoid watching your video because of its subject matter, it may be rejected.

Discussion Rules

In addition to the Server Rules,

  • Please use the Kollaborate comments for anything you want the editor see, especially in-depth critiques.
    They are exported to TXT files at the end of the event. You can use this tool to convert from Text (Copy&Paste) to your editing program's marker format.

  • Do not reveal which video(s) you edited.

  • Do not guess who edited which video.

  • When reviewing videos, do not emphasize video quality related to compression.
    We asked for videos under a certain file size and many people aren't experienced with compression.
    Video quality may be lower than usual because of this.
    Don't discount an otherwise good video due to compression issues.

  • When creating an event, you must state the "theme" in the description or title.
    Anyone is allowed to schedule/host voice chats (VCs) with any theme. Want to host a viewing where no one is allowed to talk? A VC where only positive things are allowed to be said? How about a VC that is a roundtable of feedback?
    You can do it, just make sure you state what it is about before you start.
     
    All VCs must still follow our rules, which includes any criticism-geared VCs.
    Read our guide on how to give feedback here.

  • Refrain from playful jabs or joke insults.
    What you say affects more than the person you're talking to.
    Even if you think the those jokes are okay between you and the person you're joking with, it can (and often does) give the wrong impression for people who are not in on the joke, are not close to you, and/or are new to the event.
    Even if your joke may have been fine at another time, during RICE it may be interpreted incorrectly due to the stressful nature of the event. This goes for both voice chats and text chats.

  • You may reveal and/or upload your video publicly ONLY once the RICE award stream ends.
    Inside the RICE-specific Discord channels, there will be a special thread where you can reveal once the final round of voting has completed.
    However, you should not reveal or post the video ANYWHERE ELSE until the stream has ended.
    The exact date of the award stream varies, but is typically within the 2nd week of March.

Schedule

Note:
"Entrants" refer to RICE participants who have submitted videos.
"Participants" refer to entrants AND spectators.



December

  • Initial notification of the event, release of the basic rules and info for early motivation.
  • Release of the "Intent to Participate & CW Request" form.
    • Help RICE predict how many people & videos to expect
    • Submit any subject matter you want RICE submissions to be CWed and/or VPR'd for

1 January

  • RICE Video Submissions open.
  • Spectator Signup opens.
  • RICE Discord channels open to the public.

1 February - 10AM EST (15:00 UTC)

  • Video submission deadline.
  • Submissions form is closed.
  • Spectator signups close.

1 - 4 February
It is a range to give the coordinator time to finalize/certify submissions, give everyone the proper discord roles, etc.
Generally speaking, everything should be available no later than 3 February.

  • Videos become available for participants.
  • Category suggestion form opens.

The form for suggesting categories opens as soon as the videos become available to download.

The deadline for suggesting categories is 15 February.
The form allows all participants to submit any category - more typical categories like "Drama," custom names for already-suggested categories, and/or your own custom/funny categories. All category submissions are made public in real-time or close to it, so you'll always know what's already been suggested.

Note: The word "Best" cannot be used in category names.

15 February
Deadline for the submission of category suggestions.


15 - 17 February
Category finalization voting form opens.

  • All submitted categories are collected with repeats discarded.
  • The coordinator groups similar categories together at their discretion.
  • RICE Entrants vote on:
    • Which category "groups" should be used for the rest of the event
    • Which category name & description should represent that group

22 February
Deadline for category finalization form submissions.


22 - 23 February

  • Final categories are released/decided.
  • If the coordinator submitted a video, it is revealed. You will not be able to nominate it for any awards.
  • Video nomination form opens.
  • Entrants nominate the finalists for each category.

28 February
Deadline for video nomination form submissions.


28 February - 1 March

  • The list of RICE finalists are released. There are 5 finalists per category.
  • Finalists form opens.
  • Entrants vote on:
    • Which finalist video should win each category
    • Which non-finalist video should win Tamago Don

If there are 10+ spectators:

  • Spectators vote on which video will win Okazu

A When2Meet is posted to determine the date and time of the RICE awards stream.

3 - 4 March

  • Deadline for finalists form submissions.
  • The RICE Awards date/time is announced.
  • A thread for video/editor reveals is made after finalist voting has ended.

2 - 7 days later
The actual date of announcement varies based on the scheduling availability of the entrants.

  • RICE Winners announced!
  • The Umami (theme) for next year is revealed.
  • Entrants can upload/show their videos publicly at the end of the awards show.
  • Kollaborate comments are exported to TXT format for editors to download.
  • RICE Winners are DMed asking for their their mailing addresses for physical awards.
  • The event is finally over! :)

The awards are 5x7" (12.7x17.78cm) cards and stickers. They can be mailed globally in an A9-sized envelope and should not be stopped by customs.

RICE In-Depth

The overly verbose description about how RICE works.
Navigate using the menu on the left.
( You DO NOT need to read this to participate in RICE. )

RICE Event History

Lists past RICE event information and downloads.
Use the menu to the left to navigate.