Founding campaign rules
Clear briefs.
Fair opportunities.
Founding model · September 16, 2026 · Version 2026-09-16.3
The $3,000 founding campaign funds ten Stage briefs at $100 each. Four creators then take on an additional $200 studio trial. Payment follows completed, approved work. Apply with existing work; there is no entry fee, follower minimum or unpaid custom audition.
1. Who can take part
Creators and community accounts must be 18 or older. Each campaign publishes its supported countries and regions, creative requirements, availability and payment eligibility before entries open. Creators declare their contribution, asset permissions and location. Declarations are not identity verification. Secure identity, tax and payout checks and signed creator terms must be complete before new work begins. Do not upload identity, tax or banking documents to a profile, entry or ordinary delivery link.
2. Apply with existing work
Submit work you already made and have permission to share. DebutYou and the named studio may review it to select the Stage. With the entry permission, a selected example and chosen display name can appear on the campaign Stage. Applying does not grant studio advertising rights, transfer copyright or require new promotional work. Your accepted rules and campaign scope are recorded with your entry. Campaign display ends 30 calendar days after confirmed results, or earlier following an approved withdrawal; a separate Core remains controlled by its own visibility setting.
3. A carefully selected Stage
The standard paid Stage has ten creators. More than ten may express interest. DebutYou reviews existing work against the published craft, creative approach, brief-fit and availability requirements. We seek complementary strengths that suit the game. Follower counts do not determine Stage selection. When creators are similarly suited, we give preference to those without a recent Stage opportunity. This is a judgment-based review, not a guarantee of selection or a random draw.
DebutYou records reasons and obtains studio approval of the group before the Stage begins. We do not fill places with unsuitable work to meet a number. A larger or smaller format needs its own funded scope, selection terms and approval before entries open. If the agreed format cannot be filled, extend or cancel and resolve obligations; do not silently change it after entry.
4. Briefs and studio collaboration
The standard founding package requires three distinct short edits from each of ten Stage creators, plus three additional distinct short edits from each of the four trial creators: 30 Stage edits and 12 trial edits, or 42 in total. The $100 Stage payment covers all three required Stage edits; the additional $200 covers all three required trial edits. Durations, vertical or landscape formats, approved source assets, one consolidated revision round per piece, posting expectations, permissions and dates are defined in the signed campaign brief. We recommend two weeks of Stage production and creator posting, followed by two weeks of trial production. Applications, onboarding, review, selection and payment administration add time; the dates in the signed brief control. Creators may offer more edits, with scope and usage agreed in writing, but extras are voluntary and are not a condition of earned pay or selection. Studio-requested additions require new scope and pay. Stage creators can discuss direction with the studio, but conversation does not create an unlimited production obligation.
All creator agreements, onboarding and approved assets must be ready before written kickoff. Only publish campaign work when you have explicit permission, including footage and music, and any required promotional disclosures. Private delivery links are visible only to the creator, assigned studio reviewers and DebutYou. A public Stage link is optional and requires separate publishing permission.
5. Earned pay and review
The studio funds the campaign before entries open. No creator advance is promised. At the end of the Stage, each creator who completes the agreed requirements earns $100, regardless of whether they receive a Door. The studio has three business days after the later of delivery or Stage closing to approve or identify a specific material requirement needing correction. A reasonable correction window is agreed; requests outside the signed brief need new scope and pay.
Silence or a dispute goes to DebutYou for review against the brief. Minor preferences, low views or a decision not to publish are not reasons to withhold earned pay. Approved Stage work is paid within seven calendar days of approval, subject to any earlier legally required deadline. The additional $200 is payable within seven calendar days of accepted trial delivery; the same review and correction process applies. Completing both briefs earns $300 total. Payment never depends on selection, later hiring or another studio payment. The site records completed transfers; it does not itself transfer money.
Withdrawal, cancellation or non-delivery is resolved under the signed agreements, documenting work completed, earned pay, creator notice, authorized costs and unused funds. Give creators a reasonable opportunity to correct disputed requirements. Resolve Stage pay or a documented settlement before confirming the four trial opportunities. There is no creative-preference veto over a valid Community Door.
6. Iris and the four doors
Each community account receives three free Iris for the entire campaign support period. Allocate them to one, two or three creators, and change or remove them until support closes. Iris cannot be purchased, transferred between campaigns or refilled daily. No self-support, duplicate accounts, automated support, paid support or rewards for votes. Sponsoring-studio personnel and the organizer may not support their own campaign. Individual allocations and live rankings stay private.
There is no separate Final Ten round. Once work and eligibility are reviewed, the two highest validated Iris totals among eligible Stage creators receive Community Doors. The studio chooses two different creators from the remaining eligible Stage. Both routes lead to the additional paid trial. Ties use distinct valid supporters, then a recorded random tie-break. Discovery order varies, but equal exposure and equal chances are not guaranteed; existing audiences can influence community support.
Selections stay private while agreements, eligibility and any corrections are checked. Allow a three-business-day response and correction window, with documented extensions where appropriate. A Community Door replacement follows the remaining validated support order; a Studio Door replacement comes from the remaining eligible Stage. Resolve existing obligations before replacement. A separately funded Fifth Door may add another eligible Stage creator without reducing the four standard places.
7. Rights and what comes next
Creators retain copyright in their original contributions; studios retain their source assets. Stage content is made for creator-led posting on the channels and dates authorized in the brief, including before payout where expressly permitted. Studio re-uploading or repurposing Stage edits is excluded by default; any added use needs written permission and agreed compensation terms.
For trial edits expressly covered by the brief, accepted delivery, full applicable creator payment, studio funding and a written release start a 90-day window for new organic posts on named studio accounts. Approved posts may remain unchanged afterward with agreed credit if the underlying asset rights allow it. That window is a usage license, not an internship. Ads, boosts, re-edits, extra formats or wider licensing require separately agreed permission and pay. Trial creator-channel posting is separately defined in the brief.
The paid trial provides direct collaboration and feedback. Further commissions, internships or employment are optional, agreed directly with the studio and governed by their own terms and applicable obligations. DebutYou does not guarantee hiring. Your Core and community participation remain available regardless of selection.
8. Questions, integrity and earlier terms
Report manipulation, rights concerns or a disputed decision to hello@debutyouhq.com. DebutYou records and reviews decisions. Private practice creates no paid work or real payment; all milestones are fictional. Earlier accepted campaigns keep their recorded scope and terms: September 16 version 2, September 16 version 1 and September 12 rules. Current signed creator and studio agreements must match each campaign’s published scope before work starts.