Yaad Labs + Snekkies + Vault 3: Cardano the Animated Series

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Jaymeon Jones

[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)

Entity (Incorporated)

[GENERAL] Requested funds in ada

95000

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

9

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language

No

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

We will build cultural bridges and onboard new users by making a 53 episode animated short series, where Cardano native IP - like snekkies, interacts lightheartedly with IP from other blockchains.

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.”

No Dependencies.

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

Yes

[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

The content produced will be made public through Yaad Labs or one of its affiliate's channels. Beyond the token gated early access window, the series will be free to watch and the audience can share and/or use the media for non commercial purposes however they see fit.

[METADATA] Horizons

Community Outreach

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

Our proposed solution is an animated short series where Cardano native intellectual property (IP) lightheartedly interacts with IP from other ecosystems. As an example, what would happen if Snek met Doge at a party "Wif" hosted? It probably would be silly but it likely would get a lot of views. We believe that through cartoons we can build cultural bridges with other ecosystems to facilitate the kind of cross pollination needed to help drive growth on Cardano.

With the help of Snekkies and Vault 3, we'll have the content, the cultural pull & the funnel to prompt cross chain users to interact with Cardano. For example, we could tease the cartoon and make it so that you must hold a Cardano based NFT to get early access to the show. Cross chain users would have to download a wallet, load it up with ADA, use an NFT marketplace and then interact with our Vault 3 token gate. So not only would there be social opportunities to interact on X/Twitter but there would be an actual funnel/route to engaging on chain.

Building bridges with other ecosystems is extremely important as their communities represent a target group who are interested in and provenly willing to deal with the friction of engaging with blockchain technology. Amidst a decline in on chain activity and relative stagnation in user based growth metrics, it would be prudent to go after the low hanging fruit that is cross chain users.

We believe the approach we're taking will be entertaining and engaging for the average blockchain user and will therefore be a good "trojan horse" to get them involved with our ecosystem. This will be demonstrated by the show's reach, sentiment, engagement & sales after each episode.

In closing, this approach is very unique, as we've not seen it done before. More importantly, it will benefit the ecosystem as it prompts cross chain interaction which is important for Cardano's growth.

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

Broadly speaking, our solution will positively impact the cardano community in the following ways:

• It will make use of and bring exposure to over 30 cardano native projects
• It will provide entertainment value to viewers
• It will expose cardano as a whole to cross chain users
• It will prompt those interested in watching the content "early" to onboard to cardano
• It will foster a sense of community

We will measure the impact of the show by tracking:

• Reach
• Engagement
• Sentiment
• Sales

A part from the usual channels that Project Catalyst provides like the open milestone modules, public closeout report and impact surveys - outputs can be observed in our community channels on twitter/x and discord.

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

Our team has been animating for over a decade and our founders are revered as pioneers in the Caribbean Animation industry. We have also demonstrated that we're capable, as we've been animating for Cardano since we joined the community. Some of our work can be viewed here:

https://twitter.com/tipsy__turtles/status/1770579606464049161

The traction we've gotten so far demonstrates that the idea is feasible - and from the feedback we've gotten, we believe we'll be even more successful with next round of content.

It would be keen to note too that a part from the first tranche, catalyst doesn't release funds unless specific milestones are met, which in addition to the fact that we've been funded before, should help to alleviate concerns over any mismanagement of ADA.

[PROJECT MILESTONES] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Milestone 1:

Visual Story Boarding

Milestone outputs

53 Rough Animatics made based on the script/script needs for the animated short series.

Acceptance criteria

53 Rough Animatics that give a visual idea of what the show will look like.

Evidence of milestone completion

53 Rough Animatics shared via a google drive link with public permissions.

Milestone 2:

Voice Acting

Milestone outputs

Audio for 53 episodes made based on the script/script needs for the animated short series.

Acceptance criteria

Audio for 53 episodes that give an idea of what the show will sound like.

Evidence of milestone completion

Audio for 53 episodes shared via a google drive link with public permissions.

Milestone 3:

Animating & Compositing

Milestone outputs

A full 53 episode animated short series made based on the script.

Acceptance criteria

A full 53 episode animated short series made based on the script, that is complete and ready for distribution that is shared via a google drive link with public permissions.

Evidence of milestone completion

A full 53 episode animated short series made based on the script, with a few early releases on Vault 3 and Twitter/X with a demonstrable amount of traction.

Project Completion/Project Closeout report

Milestone outputs

A close out report and video done as per Project Catalyst guidelines. The closeout report will include the links to the animatics, audio and animations.

Acceptance criteria

A close out report that includes the links to the animatics, audio, and completed animated short series.

Evidence of milestone completion

A close out report that includes the links to the animatics, audio and completed animated short series with at least 50% of the show released.

[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Core Team

Jaymeon Jones - Producer - https://jm.linkedin.com/in/jaymeon-jones-8a55968b

Gashwayne Hudson - Head of Art - https://www.instagram.com/gashhuds/

Alwayne White - Head Animator -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZXOxdT27Bk

Extended Team

Sylvester Wheeler - Story Board Artist & Animator

Lisa Davis - Background Designer

Kevin Swaby - Voice Actor

Cory Mills - Animator & Compositor

Allistere Gilzeane - Animator

Dwayne Pottinger - Animator

Project Partners

Vault 3 - Token Gate/Technology Partner - https://x.com/vault3_io

Snekkies - Marketing Partner - https://x.com/SnekkiesNFT

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

NB

The rate used is 1 ADA = $0.34 (USD).

The balance will be paid for out of pocket by the team from alternate sources of funding.

[VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The project represents value for money as there are no writer fees, no producer fees, no director fees, no character designing fees, no background designing fees, no studio/audio engineering fees, no legal fees and no budget for contingencies, which is about $12,500-$41,000 USD in savings. Beyond that, all the rates are done just at or below market rates for Caribbean creatives with roughly 200% saved on animator expenses.

The community will also benefit from bonus creative - as there will be roughly 3 pieces of supporting content.

Though a little outdated, this link below can be used as a guide for industry rates: https://animationjamaica.com/rates