In honor of spooky season, the home security company Ring is holding a supernatural-themed contest called the “Great Ghost Search.” The goal? Find proof of the existence of ghosts.
The contest invites participants to submit their most chilling or comedic supernatural encounters captured on a Ring device. Whether it’s inexplicable instances of objects moving on their own or a family member under a white sheet, Ring wants to see any ghostly sightings that people can capture.
While they will not provide the winner with an exorcism, Ring will offer a cash prize of $100,000.
According to Ring, the contest judges include “Stranger Things” actor Finn Wolfhard and paranormal investigator Katrina Weidman.
The submissions so far
According to Fox News, Ring has already received more than 2,000 submissions, and that number is likely growing. With only 5,000 spots available, interested entrants should submit soon.
Some entries were shared with Fox News. In one video, a spectral figure walks up to a house, drinks from a cup left on a table, then throws it to the ground before vanishing.
“I am not aware of any haunted history in particular, but I do hear creaking going up and down the stairs at night sometimes,” the homeowner described in their entry. “I figured it was paranoia making me think normal house creaks sounded like steps.”
Another entry shows a white specter floating around an empty room.
“I’m going about my day, then boom — on the Ring camera, a ghostly figure floats out of the room and glides right into the bathroom,” the entrant said. “And yes, it looks just like Casper making himself at home! It’s not a shadow or a trick of the light — this is a clear, unmistakable figure moving with purpose.”
In another video, someone dressed in a white sheet dances in the rain in front of the camera.
“This is the story of the silly ghost of 13-year-old Bronson,” this entrant described in their submission. “The 25th of each month he comes to our Ring doorbell and the music you hear, played by big brother Barratt on piano, follows him while he dances.”
What are the rules?
The contest rules are straightforward: Anyone can submit a paranormal experience, as long as it was captured on a Ring device. The sightings do not have to be authentic supernatural events; they can be submitters’ best or funniest imitations.
“Funny, frightening, fashionable, all of it,” Ring’s website states. “If you find a ghost, we want to see it.”
According to the official rules, videos must be 30 seconds or shorter, submitted through a Ring account and accompanied by a story of up to 100 words. Submissions must be original works and not entered in any previous competition. Upon submission, the video becomes Ring’s property.
The deadline for entries is Nov. 1 at 11:59 p.m. PDT, or until 5,000 submissions are received, whichever comes first.
Content that includes copyrighted material, promotes illegal or dangerous activity, displays personal identifiers such as license plates, or is deemed as inappropriate will not be accepted.
The judging period goes until Nov. 11 and judges will score entries based on four categories for up to 100 points total:
- Visibility/clarity of the “ghost”: Is the ghostly presence clear in the video?
- Uniqueness of entry: How much did the footage and story surprise the judges?
- Entertainment value: How engaging and amusing was the footage and story?
- Engagement with the Ring device: Was the ghost’s interaction with the device unique?