Honorable Mention at the Chroma Awards: Behind the Scenes of A Beautiful Trap
Among 6,649 submissions worldwide, Behind the Scenes of A Beautiful Trap was placed in the top ~10% of the competition and received an Honorable Mention at the Chroma Awards (Season 1).
The Chroma Awards is an international competition focused on AI filmmaking, creative innovation, and storytelling, bringing together creators from all over the world and supported by key players of the creative and AI ecosystem. Being recognized in its very first season feels both grounding and meaningful.
Why This Project Matters to Me
This was the first time I presented a complete project and myself outside an educational context.
Many people know me as an instructor. This time, I showed up purely as a creator.
The project is directly connected to A Beautiful Trap, the micro-film that was awarded at WSXA International, and later evolved into a multilingual awareness campaign for the Marketing / Advertising category of the Chroma Awards. The approach wasn’t product-driven. It was concept-driven. Focused on message, emotion, and responsibility rather than promotion.
The Behind the Scenes piece came after the campaign was completed.
And honestly, I hesitated a lot before sharing it.
It was uploaded almost at the deadline.
What “Behind the Scenes” Really Is
This wasn’t meant to be a step-by-step tutorial.
It’s a structured creative journey that follows what happens between the first idea and the final film. The decisions. The iterations. The technical problem-solving. The moments of doubt. The creative risk of staying honest with an emotional message while working with AI.
Each chapter highlights a key production step, but the focus isn’t the tools.
It’s the mindset behind the choices.
While A Beautiful Trap looks outward, delivering an awareness message, Behind the Scenes turns the lens inward. It examines the act of building meaning through AI-driven creation and the responsibility that comes with it.
The Core Message
There’s a line in the video that captures exactly why this project exists:
“If I can leave you with one message, it’s this: protect your mental health and your creativity.
Don’t let anyone or anything shake either of them.”
In a world that constantly pushes comparison, speed, and external validation, this felt important to say. Especially when we create.
Recognition
Receiving an Honorable Mention for Behind the Scenes of A Beautiful Trap confirmed something I deeply believe in:
that process, intention, and honesty matter just as much as the final image.
This recognition doesn’t just belong to a finished video.
It belongs to the invisible space between idea and outcome.