Yaad Labs + Work Courses: Educational Degen-tertainment

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

6

[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 make 12 “edutaining” pieces of short form animated content around Cardano’s unique value propositions with a view to onboard the average cross chain user.

[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. 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

Education

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

Our proposed solution is to make 12 "edutaining" pieces of short form animated content, around Cardano's unique value propositions. The goal being to onboard the average cross chain user who may prefer quick bites of palatable narratives & anecdotes delivered with humor, that's fairly easy to register. As an example, one episode could feature Vitalik Buterin in Jail being eaten by a giant "steak/stake" and Charles Hoskinson in a Jacuzzi with another giant "steak/stake" (but passive/relaxed) just outside his cell. The closing card could read "Liquid stake > Locked stake.... clearly". This could then be supported by a thread speaking to the differences between the two, followed by instructions on how to delegate ADA.

With the help of Work Courses and Coinbound, we'll have all the content & the distribution support needed to make this short series a success. Work Courses is an online educational platform with over 9,000 users and a community of over 35,000 followers. Their wealth of knowledge on cardano as well as their reach/platform will be key in developing and distributing the content. Coinbound - which is perhaps one of the most recognized Web 3 marketing agencies in the space. They will be assisting with crosschain distribution via influencer marketing.

Making content that is both educational and entertaining in a way where narratives are clear/bite sized is key to onboarding the average cross chain user. While there is certainly a place for it, long form content that is jargon heavy and "scientific" may not resonate with the "average degen" buying the latest token off Jupiter or Pump.Fun. Marketing that matches the consumer may just be the unlock for what we believe is the most common user profile using blockchain technology as at today.

[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 cardano native IP
• It will provide entertainment and educational value to viewers
• It will expose cardano as a whole to cross chain users
• It will give those watching the show a reason to support cardano, as well as a route to get started
• It will foster a sense of community

We will measure the impact of the animated shorts by tracking:

• Reach
• Engagement
• Sentiment
• Link Clicks

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

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:

Script Writing

Milestone outputs

A script for 12, 30 second long animated shorts, used to inform the rest of the pre production and production process.

Acceptance criteria

A script for 12, 30 second long animated shorts, used to inform the processes of the story board artist, the background artist, the voice actor and the animators.

Evidence of milestone completion

A script for 12, 30 second long animated shorts, used to inform the processes of the story board artist, the background artist, the voice actor and the animators, shared via a google drive link with public permissions.

Milestone 2:

Visual Story Boarding, Character Designing & Voice Acting

Milestone outputs

Pre production content for 12, 30 second animations made based on the script/script needs for the animated shorts.

Acceptance criteria

Pre production content for 12, 30 second animations that give an idea of what the show will look and sound like.

Evidence of milestone completion

Pre production content for 12, 30 second animations - 12 visual story boards, 1 character turnaround and 12 audio clips, shared via a google drive link with public permissions.

Milestone 3:

Background Designing & Animating

Milestone outputs

Backgrounds and a full 12 episode, 30 second long animated short series made based on the script.

Acceptance criteria

Backgrounds and a full 12 episode, 30 second long animated short series made based on the script, that is complete and ready for distribution, shared via a google drive link with public permissions.

Evidence of milestone completion

Backgrounds and a full 12 episode, 30 second long animated short series made based on the script, with a few early releases on Twitter/X with a demonstrable amount of traction.

Final Milestone:

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 all the content.

Acceptance criteria

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

Evidence of milestone completion

A close out report that includes the links to the script, the animatics, the character designs, the audio, the background designs and the completed animated short series, with at least 25% 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

Work Courses - Content & Distribution Partner - https://x.com/work_courses

Coinbound - Marketing Agency/Distribution Partner - https://coinbound.io/case-studies/

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

NB

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

[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 producer fees, no director fees, no legal fees and no budget for contingencies, which is about $12,000 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.

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