Quick take:
- Creators of the 2018 film ‘Prospect’ are launching a cinematic universe that will be financed using NFTs.
- Zeek Earl and Chris Caldwell are creating a sci-fi property, ‘The Fringe’ that will not rely on financiers and distributors.
- They have put together a group of artisans called the TAKA Artist Collective for an NFT collection set to debut in March.
The creators of the 2018 indie film “Prospect” are launching a cinematic universe that won’t rely on financiers and distributors. Zeek Earl and Chris Caldwell are creating a sci-fi property, ‘The Fringe’ that will be backed by non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
The filmmakers have put together a group of artisans called the TAKA Artist Collective for an NFT collection that will go live in March. The collection will be composed of inworld characters known as Drifters, who are basically the representation of the regular working-class Joes and Janes.
Earl and Caldwell are trying to introduce a new model of film financing that relies on NFTs. The aim is to take control away from traditional film financiers and distributors and hand it to the film’s artistic team.
The money raised from the collection will be allocated to the development and production of a variety of projects including films, TV series, graphic novels or podcasts.
Earl and Caldwell hope to create a new type of fandom that would be invested in the development of the project, giving filmmakers a significant amount of independence. Traditional financiers and distributors would be allowed to have a say in the story or ask for a piece of the action.
In an exclusive interview, Earl told The Hollywood Reporter that the intention is to work towards community-owned intellectual property.
“It’s a futuristic dream, but think Star Wars, if you could cut out the corporate machine and unite artists and fans,” said Earl, adding that the team is actively figuring out the legal implications of the project, working from the ground up amind the exciting opportunities created by Web3.
The NFT project is based on an immersive metaverse and will introduce fans to ‘The Fringe’ universe. Some of the highlighted rewards include giving Drifter owners an opportunity to have their own characters included in the first film, be part of the several in-universe stories or win super rare NFTs of the film’s lead characters.
The project will onboard the TAKA NFT owners into a formal incubator after the sale, allowing them to vote on various projects, creating a DAO-like community.
“They will participate in making creative and logistical decisions around the future of the universe,” said Earl.
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