NEWM: Music Video Festival

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Ryan Jones

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

Entity (Incorporated)

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

7

[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)

Festivals have long been a great marketing tool and participation opportunity that captures the love and attention of audiences. We propose making Music Video Fest 2025 an annual recurring event.

[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 toolings used by us for this project will be fully open-source, but the Submissions by the artists are their intellectual property and will only be visible under permissible circumstances.

[METADATA] Horizons

Events

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

We are hosting annual Music Video Festivals in partnership with Nucast, using NMKR for NFT ticketing. Currently, the festival is financed at a loss by Nucast and NEWM, as the initial events were designed to test the waters and gauge community interest. Despite minimal marketing budget, we’ve already received a strong response from both crypto and non-crypto users. Establishing this festival as an annual event will build reliability, credibility, and sustained interest.

To expand its reach, we seek support from the Cardano Community and CF13 to promote the festival to a wider audience. Our vision is to leverage Cardano’s blockchain to deliver a unique, collaborative Music Video Festival that combines music, video, and smart-contract utility through NFT ticketing and voting. This creates a powerful synergy, introducing a dynamic, interactive experience that will transform the way artists and audiences connect and engage with one another

The Annual Music Video Fest consists of the following:

• Dedicated landing page
• Teasing and announcement schedule 
• NFT collectible tickets – retrospective utility can be added
• Promotional marketing materials
• Social media accounts and maintenance 
• Paid campaigning 

After announcing the start of the festival, submissions are open and NFT tickets are available for sale. These tickets allow users to enter the streaming page on Nucast and view the finalist videos (QA process filters out any submissions that do not comply with entry requirements). NFT-ticket holders are then able to vote for their favorites, with each NFT having 1:1 voting power. Once the voting period closes, winners are announced and prizes distributed.

During the entire process, finalists will be invited to participate in social media events and promotion.

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

Our project will broaden the Cardano NFT ecosystem by creating engaging touchpoints for users through entertaining events that extend beyond blockchain or DeFi. By focusing on accessibility, we bring new audiences into the Cardano ecosystem without overwhelming or intimidating them with technical complexities. Leveraging NMKR and NMKR Pay’s fiat on-ramp for NFT ticketing, we provide a seamless, frictionless experience, allowing participants to enjoy the event without needing prior blockchain knowledge. This approach fosters organic growth and strengthens Cardano’s appeal to a wider, more diverse audience.

[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?

The NEWM team has a proven track record of successfully delivering on catalyst proposals/projects and demonstrating our capability to execute with high levels of trust and accountability to the Cardano Community. 

Our commitment to transparency has strengthened our standing as an accountable team. We maintain and nurture open lines of communication through all of our community channels, and support a culture of mindful listening where community members feel heard. We also consistently share our code and development progress with the wider ecosystem, underscoring our dedication to open-source principles and community engagement. This level of openness encourages community feedback and critique, enabling continuous improvement and bolstering the reliability of our software.

We have also organized the team responsible for the delivery of this initiative and prioritized the work on our product roadmap such that required resourcing and all necessary skill sets would be available to implement immediately upon receiving project approval.

Past funded and delivered projects include, but are not limited to:

• The RecordStore 2.0 – newm.io/recordstore  
• NEWM Studio Music Distribution Platform – newm.studio  
• NEWM Marketplace 
• NEWM Music App
• Music Video Festival (annual event in collaboration with Nucast) – newm.io/musicvideofest 
• Kogmios Library 

Our past successful Catalyst fund proposals, our continued achievement with adapting and bridging industry gaps and our commitment to transparent communication and code delivery provide a robust basis that ensures our ability to deliver this with trust and reliability.

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

Music Video Festival Concept & Report (2 Months)

A: Milestone Outputs

Concept report which will show overall objectives, complete festival structure planning, marketing strategies, marketing asset needs, timeline planning, prizes, partnerships, best practices (learnings)

social media channels, comprehensive festival details, and establishing guidelines and criteria for artist submissions and participation.

B: Acceptance Criteria

The intended outcome is a report that shows the concept of a music video festival concept and how we might be able to achieve it on an annual basis.

C: Evidence of Milestone Completion

Report submitted documentation detailing: 

• Overall objectives,
• Complete festival structure planning
• Marketing strategies
• Marketing asset needs
• Timeline planning
• Prizes
• Partnerships
• Best practices (learnings)
• Social media channels
• Comprehensive festival details
• Competition guidelines
• Ticketing workflow

Creative assets and marketing material creation (2 Months)

A: Milestone Outputs

Landing Figma page the Music Video Festival 2025, marketing assets which might include copywriting claims, logo, messaging, branding, videos, banners, posters, and all other necessary text and visual content depending on the strategies developed in an earlier phase, starting the marketing campaign designed to maximize reach and engagement which will utilize various channels such as social media, influencer, and targeted ads to promote the festival and attract diverse participants, updates and behind-the-scenes content.

B: Acceptance Criteria

The reviewers will have access to all the marketing content used for populating the websites, the marketing campaign, and the design Figma.

C: Evidence of Milestone Completion

• Figma
• Link to the Marketing material (Present the assets that will be used for the marketing campaign in this and the next Milestone)

1. Copywriting claims
2. Messaging
3. Branding
4. Videos
5. Banners
6. Posters and all other necessary text and visual content depending on the strategy

Festival Launch (2 Months)

A: Milestone Outputs

Organization of the event and Official launching of the Yearly music video festival where the artist's submission goes live on the website, the public can purchase the Tickets and later cast the votes and the winners are decided, featuring:

• Full utilization of the NFT tickets for access and voting within the festival.
• Real-time support and engagement during the launch, including:
• Live updates and support are available for any technical issues.
• Engagement activities to keep the audience involved throughout the event.
• Setting up the NFT ticketing system using NMKR and NMKR Pay for secure and straightforward access.

B: Acceptance Criteria

Success starts with participation from artists and audience members.

An NFT-based ticketing mechanism ready for public interaction, ensuring a smooth user experience.

Prizes paid out - blockchain proof of payment or reserves made.

C: Evidence of Milestone Completion

• Link to the live website (filmfreeway + MVF)
• Announcement links
• Marketing links
• Voting proof
• Sales proof
• Participation proof of the artists
• Prize payout or reserve

Closeout (1 Month)

A: Milestone Outputs:

Final close-out report.

Final closeout video.

B: Acceptance Criteria:

Final close-out report.

Final closeout video.

C: Evidence of Milestone Completion:

Final close-out report.

Final closeout video.

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

Role(s): Product Management, Project Delivery Management, Solution Development

Link: NEWM

Responsibilities: Oversee overall project execution from design to delivery. Create all project milestone evidence documentation and deliver proposed solutions.

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

Project Lead: USD 1500 x 7 Month

Project Management: USD 1000 x 7 Month

Designer: USD 2000 x 3 Month

Developer (Frontend & Backend): 4000 x 3 Months

Contingencies: USD 500

= 36,000 USD or 100,000 ADA approx at 36 Cent per ADA

By quoting the Scope and milestones in advance we are taking an obligation to fulfill our promise even if the costs are higher than the current prices and saving the community risk of unforeseen price action or higher partnership costs.

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

Given the nature of our target audience, each participant will have a multiplier effect, leading to increased user acquisition within the Cardano ecosystem. This event engages both current and future Cardano participants by providing a platform to connect, interact, and utilize Cardano's native asset standards.

We follow a lean development approach, prioritizing features and improvements based on community, partner, and user feedback, ensuring a cost-effective use of funds. By leveraging a geographically diverse team across the US, Singapore, and India, we optimize development costs while maintaining high-quality output and efficiency.

Our commitment to transparency and strategic budgeting ensures that the Music Video Festival delivers exceptional value to the Cardano ecosystem. By attracting a broad range of artists and fans, the festival will drive significant on-chain activity through voting and engagement with Cardano-native assets, boosting transaction volume and showcasing the blockchain’s utility in the creative sector.