Could NFTs Transform the Film Industry?

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In 1893, the Edison Company gave the first public demonstration of the Kinetoscope, a device that allowed one person at a time to view moving pictures. Ever since, technology and films have been connected at the hip.

Now a multi-billion-dollar industry spanning the breadth of the globe, the film industry has evolved by incorporating all sorts of nascent technologies over the years — from new cameras to news ways of marketing and distributing films. Considering this history, it should come as no surprise that non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are starting to work their way into the industry.

From top studios like Warner Bros, Paramount, and Sony making major investments in Web3, to independent movie producers and artists using NFTs to crowdfund new projects that otherwise might never be made — Web3 is making inroads into film at a steady pace.

This article will look at how NFTs are being used in film today, and whether they could transform an industry that despite continued success, is always looking for new ways to innovate. Let’s dive in.

What are NFTs?

Quick review:

NFTs are unique, digital assets that are minted and stored on public ledgers called blockchains. Unlike a fungible asset like the U.S. dollar or Bitcoin, they cannot be exchanged 1:1. The three most important characteristics of NFTs are:

  1. Immutability. They can’t be altered.
  2. Traceability. Transactions can be traced in real-time.
  3. Authentication. It is easy to prove if an NFT is real.

NFTs can also be bought, sold, and traded on NFT marketplaces and creators can earn secondary royalties from the sales.

So, what does this have to do with the film industry?

With NFT technology, creators, producers, actors, scriptwriters, and more can sell digital assets to their fans or supporters to open a direct line of communication with their community. These NFTs can come in various forms and have a myriad of use-cases.

For example, an official Spider Man NFT released from Marvel Comics might grant you access to an online Spiderman community, provide discounts on future movie tickets from Marvel, or even serve as a movie ticket itself.

In other words, an NFT is like a key to whatever door (or doors) its smart contract is designed to open. That’s why so many people in the film industry are starting to take notice.

What’s being done with NFTs in Film today?

One of the best ways to wrap your head around what’s possible with NFT technology in film is to look at what’s already being done.

Here’s a look at some of our favorite NFT movie and TV projects:

  • Zero Contact. On September 24th, 2021, ‘Zero Contact’ starring Anthony Hopkins became the first feature film to make its debut exclusively as an NFT. The launch gave 11 initial buyers early access to film, then 2,500, before finally debuting in cinemas and streaming platforms. The project was released by Vuele, an NFT platform. Winners of the initial NFT auctions were also given a chance to part of the film’s theatrical release. $85,000 worth of NFT copies of the film were sold, according to the system’s supplier, CurrencyWorks.
  • Killroy Was Here. On July 12th, 2022, the iconic director Kevin Smith released an American comedy horror anthology film called ‘KillRoy Was Here.’ The film was launched as 5,555 NFTs on Secret Network’s NFT minting platform Legendao.
  • Aliens vs. Dinosaurs. In June 2023, the Web3 gaming company Orange Comet announced a partnership to develop Barry Sonnefeld’s ‘Dinosaurs vs. Aliens’ into an immersive, cinematic Web3 game. Creatures from the comic book are brought to life via NFTs and will be able to battle it out in the new game.
  • Stranger Things. On July 14th, 2023, Netflix partnered with the digital collectible company Candy Digital for a ‘Stranger Things‘ NFT collection. It will go live July 14th, 2023, and feature limited-edition posters of the series’ popular characters. The posters are mystery boxes, so the characters aren’t revealed until someone purchases them and decides to open it.

Listed below are some more headlines about NFTs being used in film and TV:

The versatility of NFTs enables them to be used in the film industry for all sorts of use-cases. Let’s dive deeper into some of the ways NFTs could potentially help the industry.

The Most Important Use-Cases of NFTs in Film

NFTs usefulness in film is almost unlimited, and as time goes on, we’ll likely see them being used in more creative and complicated ways. But there are a few key areas where NFTs could really make a big difference, and they’re already starting to be explored.

Funding

Making a movie is expensive. And while major Hollywood studios have no problem creating million-dollar blockbusters, independent producers and indie films often struggle to secure the funding they need. But selling NFTs can be a great way to raise funds for folks who don’t have big-pocket producers in their back pocket.

And selling NFTs has some major advantages over crowdfunding, which is often the go-to for independent movie producers.

NFTs allow anyone to become an investor in a creative project they believe in. They can be used to facilitate fractional ownership of films, so investors can own a stake in a particular project. This opens new roads for financing and democratizes the investment process. If a film funded from NFTs becomes successful, NFTs can be resold on the secondary marketplace, potentially for a profit.

Projects

  • Julie Pacino, Al Pacino’s daughter, generated around $100K selling prints of photographs from her upcoming film, ‘I Live Here Now,’ still in pre-production.
  • Niels Juul, the executive director of ‘The Irishman,’ is behind the platform NFT Studios, where NFTs are sold to raise money for films, and many include collector/investor-style incentives. The goal is to make the audience a shareholder in the film through NFT financing.
  • The Forest Road Company launched a $20 million NFT fund to help indie filmmakers.

Selling Products

Merchandise has always been a big part of the film industry, from posters to figurines and everything in between — physical products are a must, especially for certain types of films. NFTs allow for a different sort of merchandise to be sold: digital merch.

Imagine a digital NFT poster that evolves with each movie release, or that could also be used as an avatar in a popular metaverse. And it doesn’t just have to be just digital. NFTs can be tied to physical objects, so fans of the movie could purchase the NFT and receive a physical poster as well. This phenomenon is called “phygital,” and it’s being used by all sorts of industries.

Also, when people purchase an NFT, they become directly connected to the project. They could receive free airdrops in the future, discounts, or exclusive access to live events. They are now part of a Web3 club based around the movie.

Projects

  • Quentin Tarantino sold off some of his original handwritten screenplays from Pulp Fiction, accompanied by a commentary track and packaged as an NFT. It sold for $1.1 million.
  • Mattel teamed up with ‘The Fast and the Furious‘ movie franchise to release a series of Hot Wheels digital collectibles. The collectibles feature some of the classic cars from the films, like a 1969 Camaro and a 1970 Dodge Charger. Fans who collect all 19 cars before a certain date receive a physical die-cast Suki’s S2000 from ‘2 Fast 2 Furious.‘

Tickets

A final way NFTs can be used in film is as actual tickets. The pandemic shuttered cinemas around the world and ever since, it’s been tough to get people back to theaters. But some people think using NFTs as tickets could enable many exciting opportunities for cinemas, and maybe even entice people to go to theaters again.

The reason is because NFT tickets are more dynamic than a traditional ticket that only serves to give you access to a movie. NFTs can give super fans access to exclusive events or merch, provide discounts, rewards, and ultimately foster engagement between fans and creators.

Projects

  • In October 2021, MGM and EON Productions partnered with Cinemark Theatres to launch the first-ever NFT movie ticket stub on VeVe — a mobile-first digital collectibles platform. The project celebrated the launch of the 25th 007 film and gave seven super fans the chance to own a limited-edition digital movie ticket stub available through VeVe. The NFT ticket memorabilia also granted the holder seven admission tickets valid at any Cinemark location to see ‘No Time to Die‘ during its U.S. release.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to NFTs in film. NFTs can also be used to:

  • Connect film producers and creators with fans directly
  • Form DAOs and create digital communities
  • Use smart contracts for payment and contracts
  • Put funding power in the hands of the audience and foster co-creation and collaborative projects
  • Enable gaming
  • Link to exclusive content and products like director cuts or rare movie memorabilia from the set
  • Create digital products based off character intellectual property (IP)

Final Thoughts

Just like with the internet, there’s a myriad of ways that NFTs could affect the film industry, and as time goes by, we’re likely see Web3 in film evolve as people start to discover exactly how and where it fits into the big picture. But that’s going to take years play out.

In the meantime, it’s clear that NFTs give fans a new way to own and engage with their favorite media, and creators a more efficient way to fund, market, distribute, and monetize their work. And that’s a big deal.

At Rarity Sniper, we think the future of NFTs in the film industry is exciting and something to keep our eye.

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