Cardano Film Studios

We are filmmakers desiring to help the world see blockchain and Cardano in a way that breaks down stereotypical barriers to entry including but not limited to lack of awareness, fear, asset speculation, and crime. 

Our goal is to show real life Cardano use cases through movie storytelling and develop blueprints needed for blockchain utilization for the film production process as a whole, not just raising capital. 

We are in the midst of our first attempt to achieve this goal. 

Barracuda is our feature film in development showcasing a young Native American Marine struggling with PTSD and his journey to discover the land he's been fighting for. Dean drives cross-country with his Digital Currency Machine entrepreneur best friend Jai in a 1974 Barracuda. The bonds of brotherhood are tested while Dean slowly realizes a new mission worth living for and rediscovers his inner warrior along the way.  

Barracuda is set in real time and weaves relevant issues and characters throughout the story. Not only will Jay, show how a person can live out of their digital wallet after his traditional bank account is closed for conducting digital currency business, but ADA staking pools, stablecoins, DAOs, along with other tools may be showcased as solutions for veterans and Native American sovereign nations. 

(Producer currently stakes ADA to a small staking pool out of NYC solely dedicated to supporting veterans and their families)

Funding will go towards the Barracuda budget to cover a CNFT marketing project and experimenting with Cardano protocols for handling production costs including, but not limited to, shooting multiple locations and securing professional SAG (Screen Actors Guild) actors utilizing digital assets. SAG has a low budget agreement that allows even low-budget productions to secure A-list talent. We will build on achievements and learn from failures in this learning process. Tracking the journey and discovering new problems for Cardano to solve along every step of the film production process is what we aim to do.

Budget Breakdown:

$15,500 - CNFT projects: hire NFT developer, commission Native American artist, and hire digital artist to create and digitize CNFT art for Barracuda marketing and Native American/Veteran non-profit support

$17,000 - Pre Production costs for 1st iteration (1st film) 

$5,000 - Research and Development groundwork for long term ambition goals including, but not limited to creating a decentralized music supervision catalog 

Long term ambitions: 

1. Help the production process to be as decentralized and low cost as possible for the independent filmmaker, much like how blockchain is helping independent musicians / recording artists take their power back from large centralized music labels and streaming services. 
2. Create a Movie, Music, and NFT Creator Community/Incubator known for its good-will collaboration
3. Create a decentralized Music Supervision Catalog for movie soundtracks
4. *Create a Cardano Film Studio seal of approval for films with scenes showing digital asset use. Parameters will be based on how realistic the digital asset portrayal is, how easy it is to understand, and if the asset is used for good vs. bad.
5. Connect the Cardano ecosystem to different environments like stake pools to non-profits that movies and actors have brought awareness to
6. Be able to partner with blockchain streaming and film distribution solutions

What does it mean for Catalyst:

The overall budget we are fundraising right now for the film is $2.5M minimum. We know the miscellaneous challenge budget is only $200,000 and do not want to request it all or even a majority %.  We also do not want to try and recreate the wheel by submitting proposals for a Cardano crowdfunding or film funding platform. There are already good projects started 3 steps ahead of us that haven't officially launched yet like Flickto. 

What we want to do is use the funds not only to produce the film, but use Cardano Catalyst funding as a PR angle for marketing. It will not only bring visibility to the film, but the CATALYST platform and Cardano community effort to grow the Cardano ecosystem. We have individuals interested in funding a portion of the budget with Bitcoin, so why not feature Cardano as the only altcoin to promote the utility capabilities of blockchain as well? 

We desire to deploy legacy marketing efforts as well as new strategies like a CNFT project to educate the public about and honor Native American War heros while supporting veteran and/or sovereign nation causes important to them. There is a Native painter and tattoo artist from the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi who does phenomenal portraits that we would like to commission for the project if funded. His art is pictured in this proposal.

In addition, funding from catalyst gives us an excuse to start meaningful conversations around real-world solutions being considered for the script with our Native American and veteran organization partners who have shared some of the issues they face. This is a unique opportunity, especially with our tribal partners who embrace mixing contemporary technology with traditional culture to thrive. There are slightly different perspectives and teachings among the different sovereign nations advising us, but one powerful quote sticks out as a favorite of one millennial native leader in particular who is helping us: 

"I will follow the white man's trail. I will make him my friend, but I will not bend my back to his burdens. I will be cunning as a coyote. I will ask him to help me understand his ways, then I will prepare the way for my children. Maybe they will outrun the white man in his own shoes."

Many Horses - Oglala Sioux

The following stages of production will begin upon capitalization of the film.

• Development

Barracuda, LLC to begin "packaging" the film (i.e. attach talent and crew and scout locations).

• Pre-Production

During this period, a production office will open to hire crew, cast actors, secure locations, permits, and key creative personnel. Producers will secure filming locations, camera rentals and lighting packages and assist the director in preparing a shooting schedules.

• Production

Also known as principal photography, this period is roughly estimate to last 45-60 shooting days. However, due to the nature of this production taking place in multiple states they will not be consecutive days. We will have to take into consideration actor availability, travel, prep and sanitizing time for each location.

• Post-Production

During this period (approximately six to nine months), the director and editor will select the best "takes" of the various scenes and create an assembly of the entire film. After "picture lock", music will be acquired or composed, special effects will be added, and finally, sound mixing and color grading will bring the production cycle to a close.

Filming to start by summer of 2022

Estimated to be ready for film festival circuit by summer 2023

In the current media landscape, saturated by sequels and mediocre genre films, there is currently a huge market demand and viability for overlooked voices and unique stories from underrepresented communities. 

The foreign and SVOD (Subscription Video-On-Demand) markets have created streaming wars between Netflix (200M subscribers), HBOMax (67.5M), Amazon Prime (112M), and others.

With new opportunities popping up in blockchain to distribute and stream feature films, we will be on the lookout for any platforms built on Cardano to take advantage of as well.

In the interim, Amazon Prime is ideal for Barracuda because they still release films theatrically (unlike Netflix). Amazon is known to show an incredible willingness to take chances on new and independent filmmakers and can distribute their films on a global scale. For example, one of their biggest successes to date was the drama Manchester By The Sea. A film that opened in Sundance where it was purchased by Amazon. It went on to gross $79 million worldwide against a production budget of $9 million and landed Casey Affleck, a Best Actor Oscar Nomination.

NOTE: Investment in the film industry is highly speculative and inherently risky. There can be no assurance of the economic success of any motion picture since the revenues derived from the production and distribution of a motion picture depend primarily upon its acceptance by the public, which cannot be predicted. The commercial success of a motion picture also depends upon the quality and acceptance of other competing films released into the marketplace at or near the same time, general economic factors and other tangible and intangible factors, all of which can change and cannot be predicted with certainty.

Success would look like:

1. Creating a blueprint of how to utilize the ecosystem in its current state to produce films while helping to create a roadmap of needs for the future.

2. Reaching a wide/global audience by attaining distribution on any major streaming platform and theatrical release, increasing awareness and empathy for others. This includes translation for international release.

**3.**Being able to give back to the communities that have poured into and trusted us as stewards of this story: Native and Veteran non-profits - and being able to utilize Cardano to do so

**4.**Protocols and projects created with Cardano being utilized by Native American tribes and Veteran organizations, including but not limited to DAO's and a tool that bridges the disconnect between the Department of Defense and Veteran Affairs for veteran proof of identity so they can easily be approved for their much needed/deserved benefits.

5. Last, but not least: Mainstream population understanding the utility for crypto past a store of value, speculation, or crime. Furthering the road to mass adoption by destroying fear of the unknown. Increase in digital wallet holders and atm (digital currency machine) use.