Forge 3 Handbook.
For builders of nmg.labs Forge 3 · Creator · AI Edition, powered by PixVerse · Sprint Day Saturday 11 July 2026 · NMG Gurugram · 09:00 to 20:00 IST.
Who it's for
Forge 3 is the first Forge for creators, not just coders, designers, filmmakers, motion artists, social creators and ad-makers. You run a full creative studio out of your laptop with AI as your crew and ship a portfolio-grade piece in six hours. Forge 3 is a solo hackathon, every builder competes and is judged as an individual (there are no teams or Pods). The exact creative brief drops on Sprint morning; you arrive having mastered the tools.
The stack & setup
We picked a stack that mirrors a real 2026 creative studio: a few required anchors every builder must demonstrate, plus a wide encouraged shelf you mix in by craft. Most of it has a free tier, command of the tool matters more than the price of your plan.
Required anchors
- PixVerse, the powering sponsor of Forge 3 and one of the world's leading AI video engines (V6: text- and image-to-video up to 1080p, 20+ cinematic camera controls, native audio, multi-modal lip-sync, Effects, Motion Control and 4K upscale). Every builder gets hands-on access on the day, and the entire $6,600 prize pool is paid in PixVerse credits.
- Google Flow (Veo 3.1 + Nano Banana), filmmaking workspace: top-tier AI video plus the best free AI image/edit model. Strongest free-for-students story.
- Figma (+ Make / Agent / Dev Mode), UI/UX backbone: prompt-to-UI, prototyping, handoff. Full Pro features free on the Education plan (verify your student status before the day).
Encouraged shelf (pick per craft)
Adobe Firefly / Premiere Generative Extend / After Effects · Meta Edits · Runway Gen-4 · Kling 3.0 · Luma · Pika · Hailuo · Midjourney · Ideogram · Recraft · ElevenLabs · Suno · CapCut · Topaz Video AI · Canva Magic Studio.
Tracks (pick one)
| Track | What you make | Anchor tools |
|---|---|---|
| A · AI Brand Film | 30-60s cinematic brand film | PixVerse V6 · Veo · Suno · ElevenLabs |
| B · Concept to Prototype | Clickable, on-brand UI/UX prototype | Figma Make / Agent · Nano Banana |
| C · Social Campaign + Motion | Reel + carousel + story | PixVerse · Meta Edits · CapCut · Flow |
| D · AI Ad Creative | 3 on-brand, conversion-minded ad variants | PixVerse · Flow + Nano Banana · Firefly · Midjourney |
| E · The VFX Shot | One jaw-dropping shot | PixVerse Effects · Topaz |
| F · Talking Brand Avatar | 20-30s AI spokesperson | PixVerse lip-sync · Soul ID |
| G · Remix the Real Brand | Mini integrated campaign across 3+ domains | Your full kit |
Sprint day · 11 July 2026
| 09:00 | Check-in · stack verification · asset kit issued |
| 09:30 | Ignition briefing · judging walkthrough |
| 09:50 | Brief drops · real brand brief + asset pack |
| 10:00 | Build window opens · 6-hour countdown |
| 13:00 | Catered lunch |
| 14:00 | Mid-sprint review · rough cuts |
| 17:00 | Submission lock |
| 17:30 | Finalist showcase · 4-min screening + 3-min Q&A |
| 20:00 | Champions announced |
Judging (100 points)
- Creativity & Originality, 25
- Craft & Technical Polish, 20
- Storytelling & Communication, 15
- Effective Use of AI Tools, 15
- Brand Fit / Brief Relevance, 15
- Presentation & Process, 10
Bonus (judge discretion, +5): cultural / viral potential. Tie-break: Creativity decides, then craft, then the work the panel would put in front of a real client.
Submission checklist
- Final deliverable file(s) for your track (video / prototype link / image set).
- One-page rationale: concept, brief interpretation, tools used, Pod roles.
- A short making-of note or screen-recording showing your process.
- An AI-disclosure list (which tool made what).
- Submit by the 17:00 lock; prepare a 4-minute pitch.
Rules & integrity
- Your submission must use PixVerse as the anchor tool for your track.
- All work produced during the sprint window; pre-built assets, templates and stock must be declared.
- AI-generated content must be disclosed.
- Your work, your IP. NMG retains a non-exclusive licence to publish a case study with credit to you.
- Zero tolerance for plagiarism, harassment or passing off others' work as your own. Violations = disqualification.
Questions? Forge Captain Ayush Gupta · labs@nmgdigital.com.