You’ve seen it a thousand times. A toddler tries to blow out a candle and face-plants into the cake. A golden retriever accidentally takes out a groom during a wedding toast. The audience roars, the host makes a pun, and someone walks away with a giant check. Honestly, if you’re sitting on a clip of your uncle falling off a hammock, you’ve probably thought about it. You’ve thought about the America's Funniest Videos submit video process and whether your 15 seconds of chaos is worth $10,000—or even the $100,000 grand prize.
It’s not just luck. Sure, the moment itself is accidental, but getting it on air is a calculated move.
Since 1989, AFV has been the ultimate repository for human error. It’s the original "user-generated content" platform, long before YouTube or TikTok were even concepts. Vin Di Bona, the creator, basically built an empire on the fact that people love watching other people fail in harmless, relatable ways. But the submission landscape has changed. You aren't mailing in VHS tapes anymore. Today, it's a digital race, and if you want to stand out among the thousands of clips uploaded every single week, you need to know how the producers actually pick the winners.
What AFV Producers Are Really Looking For
The biggest mistake people make? Sending in something "cute" that has no payoff.
Producers at AFV, like Michele Nasraway, have seen it all. They’ve seen ten million babies eating lemons. They’ve seen every possible variation of a cat jumping at a printer. To get past the initial screening, your video needs a narrative arc. It sounds fancy, but it's simple: Setup, Conflict, Resolution. If a kid is just sitting there, it’s boring. If a kid is trying to explain why they drew on the wall with Sharpie while covered in blue ink, that’s a story.
Variation is key here. Short clips work. Long setups don't.
The Three Pillars of a Winning Clip
First off, it has to be relatable. We’ve all been the person who accidentally walked into a glass door. We haven't all been the person who fell off a yacht in the South of France. AFV thrives on "everyman" humor.
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Secondly, the reaction matters more than the action. If someone falls, that’s a 3 out of 10. If someone falls and their friend makes a noise like a dying seagull while laughing, that’s an 8. The audio is often what makes the clip. Think about the iconic "vuvuzela" kid or the "bruh" moments. If you mute the video and it's still funny, you're in good shape. If the audio makes it twice as funny, you’re a finalist.
Lastly, quality—sort of. While they accept phone footage, it needs to be clear. If it’s grainy, shaky, and vertical (though they accept vertical now), it has to be spectacular to overcome the bad tech. They want to see the expression on the face. That's the money shot.
America's Funniest Videos Submit Video: The Digital Path
Gone are the days of the yellow padded envelope. Nowadays, the America's Funniest Videos submit video portal is the primary gateway. You go to the website, you upload, and you sign your life away—well, the rights to that specific video, anyway.
The legal side is where people get tripped up. When you submit, you are granting AFV (and its parent companies) an exclusive, perpetual license. This means if your video goes viral on TikTok first, you might have a problem. AFV generally wants "first-run" rights. They want to be the ones to debut the clip to a national audience. If Jukin Media or another licensing giant already owns your clip, your chances of winning that $10,000 on the show drop to basically zero.
Check your phone. If you have a video that’s already been featured on "The Today Show" or "Ridiculousness," don't bother. They want fresh fails.
Why Some Videos Never Make the Cut
It’s a family show. Keep that in mind.
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Anything that looks like someone actually got seriously hurt is an automatic "no." The producers are looking for the "Ooh!" followed by the "Haha!" not the "Call 911!" If there is blood, if a bone is clearly broken, or if the situation looks genuinely perilous rather than just embarrassing, it’s going in the trash.
Also, avoid staged videos. People try to fake AFV clips all the time. They set up "pranks" that feel wooden and rehearsed. The "screener" team at AFV has been doing this for decades; they can smell a fake from a mile away. The genuine surprise is what triggers the lizard brain to laugh.
- No nudity (obviously).
- No excessive profanity (unless it can be easily bleeped for comedic effect).
- No cruelty to animals.
- No illegal acts.
The Financial Reality of Winning
Let's talk about the money. It's the reason most people search for the America's Funniest Videos submit video link in the first place. The show typically awards three prizes per episode: $2,000 for third place, $5,000 for second, and $10,000 for first.
Then come the big ones.
The $10,000 winners from throughout the season are brought back to compete for the $100,000 prize. In the season finale, they sometimes even give away vacations or cars. But here’s the kicker: taxes. If you win $100,000, you aren't actually putting $100,000 in your savings account. Uncle Sam takes his cut, and depending on your state, you might be looking at closer to $60,000 or $70,000. Still, for a video of your cat falling off a fridge, that’s a pretty decent hourly rate.
The voting process is also something to note. It's usually the studio audience that decides. This means your video needs to play well to a room full of people in real-time. Subtle humor often loses to "guy gets hit in the crotch with a whiffle ball bat." It’s the lowest common denominator, but it’s effective.
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Maximize Your Chances: A Checklist for Success
If you're ready to hit that upload button, do these things first.
Don't trim the video too tight. Give the producers a few seconds of footage before the incident and a few seconds after. They need that "pad" to edit the clip into a montage or to let the host, Alfonso Ribeiro, make a joke over it.
Keep the original file. Don't submit a version you downloaded from your own Instagram with filters and music on it. They want the raw, high-resolution original. If they like it, they will contact you for the full-quality version.
Be patient. AFV receives thousands of entries. It can take months, sometimes over a year, for a clip to actually make it to air. They categorize clips by "bins"—birthday bins, wedding bins, sports bins—and they might not be working on a "wedding" episode for another six months.
Actionable Steps for Your Submission
- Audit your camera roll. Look for clips where the "victim" is laughing at the end. That is the gold standard for "harmless fun."
- Check your licensing status. If you’ve already signed a deal with a viral video clearinghouse, read the fine print. You likely cannot submit to AFV.
- Upload via the official app or website. Using the AFV app is often the fastest way to get your metadata attached correctly.
- Write a catchy but honest description. Don't over-sell it. "Dog thinks balloon is a ghost" is better than "FUNNIEST DOG VIDEO EVER YOU WILL CRY."
- Monitor your email. If you get a "Release Form," sign it immediately. They move fast once they decide they want a clip, and if you don't respond, they'll just move on to the next one in the "bin."
Ultimately, the America's Funniest Videos submit video process is a lottery, but you can't win if you don't play. Even if you don't snag the $100k, seeing your family on national television is a story you'll tell for twenty years. Grab that footage of the birthday cake disaster and get it in front of the producers. You might be the next person holding a giant foam check.