NounsA open-source intellectual property (IP) based on a series of Ethereum NFTs, is growing in television with “The names“, an animated series for adults. And the series, which comes from independent creators and was originally funded through a grant from the Nouns CAD community, stays true to its roots by selling the pilot episode through a NFT access pass.
“The Nouners” draws on the colorful pixel characters of the Nouns project, which are based on a wide range of objects and creatures, all with square glasses (or “Noggles”) to deliver a cartoon aimed at an adult audience. . The absurd vibe is reminiscent of offbeat hits like “South Park,” “Robot Chicken” and “Aqua Teen Hunger Force.”
With a lo-fi look to match the pixel avatars, the 11-minute pilot episode takes a decidedly meta approach, showing creators different projects to try and spread the Nouns brand. Only here they cater to an almighty being with a “Wizard of Oz” type twist in the mix, along with plenty of profanity, sex, drugs, and other adult content on the way. road.
In reality, “The Nouners” was launched on the names CAD– the collective (or decentralized autonomous organization) of Nouns NFT owners who control a treasury of nearly $43 million worth of ETH at the time of writing. This cash helps fund projects, including toys, comics, a parade floatAnd brand partnershipsamong many other initiatives.
“The Nouners” hails from executive producer Mike Rekola and his collaborators, who created a one-minute animatic and proposed the project to the DAO last August. The names were created using a Creative Commons 0 (CC0) license, so anyone can access the IP and create a project like this without DAO approval. It’s fully open source.
However, in this case, the DAO approved the $15,000 USDC request through his Small Grants Committee to fund the pilot episode. Co-showrunner Sean Flanagan said Decrypt that the experience of navigating the DAO proposal process and interacting with pseudonymous netizens helped inform the storyline for the pilot episode.
“It was complicated to navigate the waters of an organization of faceless people around the world,” he said, contrasting that with the world of mainstream cinema. “That process was very mysterious and new – that’s what led to the creation of the name magician in our pilot. We were making guesses based on the voice of a man behind a curtain. That became the inspiration .
Rekola said his team made a relatively modest request for pilot episode funding after seeing other creators asking for hundreds of thousands of dollars for things like bibles and name-based animatics — “everything except a finished product,” he said.
The pilot episode of “The Nouners” has indeed ended, but you will need an NFT access pass to enter the token portal and stream the video. THE the pass costs 0.003 ETH– less than $5 right now – and Rekola said they will need to sell 3,200 of the NFTs to fund the completion of the second episode, which is already halfway through.
The pilot, with a name-based, name-funded episode in regards to The names and funding process, feel ready for a entrenched audience of Web3 enthusiasts. However, Rekola said future episodes will explore a wider range of topics and won’t be as meta.
Like so many Nouns DAO-funded projects to date, “The Nouners” is an experiment – and its creators are eager to see how it lands with viewers and if there’s enough demand for the next episode, let alone a a full season.
It is also another test in the growing Film3 world to see how Web3 technology can help fund and bring creative projects to life in different ways. In this case, it’s also built around decentralized ownership that many people collectively develop through their own creations. For Rekola, Nouns is an open playground full of creative possibilities.
“Nouns is an ideal partner for the show because its IP is undefined, CC0, and fully ripe for exploration,” Rekola said. Decrypt. “Names are not limited to children, nor to crypto siblings. All are welcome in the names community. That’s why the Web3 space is amazing. No legacy media company would ever let random filmmakers have fun with their brand.
“Do you think Disney would ever give us the chance to experiment and make a Mickey Mouse-themed cartoon for an adult audience? I don’t think so,” he added. “But names would.”