GENERAL GUIDELINES

For the fourth consecutive year, Alane Adams Studios, with the support of the Rise Up Foundation, is sponsoring a Kids Original writing project to encourage creativity in US based students grades 3rd-8th. Our Kids Original program is designed to get students excited about the writing process by demonstrating what is possible when their imagination is turned into a professionally animated short. For more information on our Kids Original program, see our FAQ page here.

This year’s program is featuring none other than our favorite animated inkblot character Smudge along with their new friends, the inkompletes. Students are invited to write a short episode featuring the inkompletes on a new adventure in the Unfiniverse. We encourage you to watch the episodes together so they learn everything they can about Smudge and the Unfiniverse before setting out to write their story. This year we hope to pick MULTIPLE winners to create fun vertical and horizontal animations that highlight student creativity.

Between October 31, 2025 and November 15, 2025 US school-based educators of students grades 3-8 are invited to submit original student work at a link to be provided below.

SUBMISSION PROCESS

Educators may submit student’s responses through the official entry form. All submitted work must be uploaded in a PDF format. Multiple student submissions may be combined in one file provided each response has a header with the following information:

  • First name and last initial of student
  • Grade Level
  • City and State of school

TIMELINE

  • October 1, 2025: The writing prompt is available.
  • November 15, 2025: Last day to submit a story for consideration.
  • November 30, 2025: Finalists are announced.
  • January-May 2026: Animations will be released

ELIGIBILITY

  • Open to US public or private enrolled students in grades 3 through grade 8
  • All work must be original work created by students
  • Student stories should not exceed 1,500 words
  • All responses MUST BE submitted by an educator or other school representative. Direct student or parent submissions will not be accepted.

WINNER PROCESS

In a change this year, multiple stories will be selected to be turned into an animated short similar to our current animated Smudge shorts which can be viewed on YouTube. The team will then begin the animation process which is a BIG DEAL! And will take several weeks to complete. Starting in January, the team will begin releasing shorts depending on selection process and quality of submissions.

TIPS & TRICKS FOR WRITING A KIDS ORIGINAL

Throughout the month, we’ll be releasing videos packed with tips, tricks, and insights on how and why we select stories for Kids Original. Stay tuned for valuable guidance to help your students craft standout submissions.

We can’t wait to read what your classrooms create!