tl;dr: Assist in making Nouns the mascots of Web3 through the development of a Nouns animated feature film or television series - including the production of a writer’s bible, pitch deck, and creative opportunity menu.
Vision
BlockbusterDAO (BBDAO) Studios propose to partner with Nouns to create thought-provoking, fun, and entertaining content for the Nouns universe. With industry leaders and a breadth of experience, BBDAO Studios is excited to build out a Nouns narrative that creates a long-lasting legacy and reputation that reaches all corners of the planet.
Program Scope
In so many ways, Nouns embody the purest expression of what makes Web3 extraordinary: decentralized, smart-contract-empowered CC0 NFT avatars that live fully on-chain, forever. Imbued with attitude and purpose, Nouns have bootstrapped an engaged community committed to growth of Web3 through creativity, collaboration, and play. For many, Nouns represent the blue-sky future of crypto, and are a beacon of what’s possible in this space.
However, not enough people know about what Nouns are up to. Not yet.
That’s where BBDAO Studios comes in. As believers and advocates of the Nouns vision, we intend to amplify the Nouns message, ultimately making them the de facto mascots of Web3. As a creative collective of experienced content creators and entrepreneurs, BBDAO Studios sees the potential for Nouns literally everywhere - from legacy media TV, to IRL breakfast cereals, to AR adventure games - the possibilities are endless. By raising the profile of Nouns, we will raise the bar of what is possible for a DAO, and provide a safe, inviting gateway for newcomers to enter the crypto space.
To achieve all this, the first step is to develop a Nouns narrative universe that will ultimately strive to serve as the basis for an animated feature film or episodic series for legacy networks, streamers and/or broadcasters. This world building will take the form of pitch materials for a television show (which will be presented to major studios with the leverage of BBDAO’s experience and industry connections), and will later serve as the foundation for interactive experiences, comic books, or other forms of media.
By focusing on the narrative aspect in the context of developing an animated film or series for legacy platforms, the BBDAO production team will strive to build a bridge between Web2 and Web3, and make Nouns the most visible ambassadors of Web3 the world has yet to see. Through outlining their characters, world, and storylines, Nouns will be optimized for cross-platform integration into other mediums such as apps, games, toys, educational content, etc. Thus, BBDAO Studios will help pave the way for a cross-platform, medium-agnostic pop culture phenomenon whereby Nouns touch every part of our culture.
To further this goal, BBDAO Studios will identify and flush out an exhaustive list of opportunities for Nouns characters. Rather than being “adapted” into generic games, toys, and videos, BlockbusterDAO Studios will polish the Nouns characters into media-agnostic, Web3 metaversal beings, thereby ensuring that NOUNS will thrive in other mediums using the unique strengths of each platform.
To proliferate Nouns, we must first start small and build on a solid foundation that will take the Nouns narrative to the next level. Leveraging our industry success and experience, BBDAO Studios will create three distinct and unique deliverables to solidify and ground the Nouns universe:
- A full writer’s bible. ~ 15-20 pages
- A complete pitch deck. ~ 20 full-color pages
- A fleshed-out creative opportunity menu.
Execution of the Program Scope
BBDAO Studios wants to make Nouns the mascots of Web 3 by developing and creating a fun and engaging narrative around the world of where Nouns eat, sleep, play, work, and dream.
THE NOUNS WORLD: ‘THE BLOCK’ & THE METAVERSE
Nouns are all about “The Block.” They’re born on The Block (a new Noun everyday). They work, play and party on The Block, and their greatest honor is to defend The Block against any and all threats. The Block - perhaps digitally styled after a city-block in the diverse Lower East Side of Manhattan - is made up of wallet-shaped ‘tenement-esque’ buildings that house all The Nouns and their Noun business.
Similar to The Smurfs, Care Bears, and My Little Pony, each Nouns character is unique with their own special ability and personality fashioned from the specific shape of their Nouns head. Generally, the Nouns share an up-beat, positive ethos that celebrates the collective ‘awesomeness’ of their loving, supportive community. They enjoy creating art, cooking food, partying, and exploring the many magical corners of the metaverse that they can “bridge” to via a portal at one end of The Block (details subject to change based on the development process).
“NOUNS VERB TOGETHER”
Together, The Nouns are a force for good in their Web-3 metaverse, committed to spreading the values of autonomy and decentralization wherever they go. Their slogan is “Nouns Verb Together” because no matter what activity you replace the word “verb” with, chances are the Nouns love doing that activity with their fellow Nouns. For example, ‘Nouns dance together, they eat together, they rock together, and they kick-ass together.”
Nouns Rap Chorus
Nouns “verb” together, that’s what we do.
Cause I am me. And you is you.
Together we’s we, decentralized and free
Livin’ our lives autonomously.
Speaking of kicking-ass, the Nouns are more than just fun-loving, party animals. They are also fearless guardians of The Block, for which they frequently must mobilize together to protect against the actions of their nemesis, an evil corporate mastermind who wants nothing more than to centralize power for himself and his crooked fiat cronies. If the evildoers have their way, they will take control of the metaverse and enslave the Nouns in a joyless life of wage-labor servitude.
Fortunately, despite their evil antagonist’s most dastardly efforts, the Nouns are perpetually one step ahead, crowdsourcing their creative ingenuity to ensure the metaverse remains open and free for all to enjoy.
ARTISTIC DESIGN
Animated Nouns will build on the clean, pixelated style established by the NOUNS DAO developers to create an immersive world that draws from an Adult Swim-like aesthetic (think Aqua Teen Hunger Force for the metaverse). They will incorporate 2D and 3D elements that position the film or series to share visual consistency with both Nouns NFTs and future Nouns deliverables such as games, toys, and educational content described below.
MUSICAL ELEMENTS
Music will be an intrinsic part of a Nouns animated project. As vibrant, creative creatures, Nouns use music of all genres and influences—from hip-hop to country to classical—to express themselves and communicate with one another. By building music into the DNA of the narrative structure, episodes will be optimized to thrive on multiple platforms and “chunked” into music videos and clips for YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok to enable “duets” and remixes by Nouns lovers.
PARTNERSHIP/CROSSOVER POTENTIAL
By establishing a Nouns narrative universe in the form of a feature film or television series for legacy media, Nouns will be in an advantageous position to “host” other NFT projects (World of Women, Punks, Bored Apes) with cameos and crossover episodes.
EXECUTION
Execution of the Project Scope will consist of several discrete elements:
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DEVELOPMENT: BBDAO Studios will develop a full suite of creative assets, including a writer’s pitch bible and pitch deck in support of the creation of a Nouns animated feature film and/or episodic series for legacy media.
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PITCH: BBDAO Studios will leverage its personal connections to decision-makers at major networks, broadcasters, and streamers, pitching them with the objective of establishing a deal whereby a Nouns animation project is brought into a legacy media development pipeline:
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a) An initial pass will be created by the BBDAO Studios team with visuals created in partnership with CUDO.
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b) Advisors and Consultants (established writers from Nickelodeon and/or Cartoon Network, former execs, animation industry veterans, etc.) will be engaged in the process early to provide feedback on story elements, world-building, packaging the pitch, and to generally guide the project toward market-fit. Ultimately, they will leverage their own personal networks within legacy institutions to help get the project seen in a favorable light by decision-makers.
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c) BBDAO Studios will seek to acquire letters of intent from one or more key provisional partners, such as highly regarded animation studios, to strengthen the pitch by attaching such partners to the film or series.
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d) If additive, advisors will guide the packaging of key talent (attached writers, story editors, and/or a director) ahead of specific, targeted buyers (such as Nickelodeon, Apple, Cartoon Network, etc.) to ensure an experienced, diverse, industry-vetted core team is behind the project prior to presentation.
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e) Armed with a pitch deck, letters of intent from key partners, and the foresight of crafting a project to meet the appetite of specific and targeted buyers, BBDAO will pitch the project to studios, broadcasters, networks, and streaming companies.
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RESEARCH: With an eye on making Nouns the mascots of Web 3, BBDAO Studios will identify key opportunities to leverage Noun characters in the physical and digital landscape. To this end, we will consult with industry experts in various fields to explore the viability and value of developing Nouns products for a wide variety of platforms. Research findings will be distilled in a “Creative Opportunities Menu” as part of the project deliverables (details below).
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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: BBDAO Studios will engage with the Nouners (through brand sprints, working groups, etc.) to identify which consultation ideas from the Creative Opportunities Menu they would like to execute. Once identified, BBDAO Studios will generate a proposal to help bring these projects to fruition.
DELIVERABLES
To provide a proof of concept and options for creative executions, BBDAO Studios will produce and deliver the following creative and conceptual elements to NounsDAO:
- NOUNS WRITER’S BIBLE: Written towards the creation of a Nouns animated feature film or series for legacy media, the Nouns writer’s bible will be a ~15-20 page document that fully fleshes out the Nouns characters, their backstory, and universe. The writer’s bible will include;
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Format and comparables
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Story World (an exploration of Nouns backstory and mythos)
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Primary characters (personalities, traits, characteristics, backstory)
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Secondary characters (relationships, where they fit in the world)
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For television series, episode springboards (outlines for episodes)
- PITCH DECK: Artistically crafted towards the sale of a Nouns animated project to legacy media, the Nouns pitch deck will be a ~20 page full color document that presents a vision for show through thoughtfully designed images and text. The pitch deck will include;
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Key artwork that establishes a visual aesthetic for the Nouns and their world; a style that is exciting while remaining consistent with NFT artwork
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Story, characters, and world
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NounsDAO information and community backstory
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Attached talent and advisors*
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Strategic partnerships*
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Potential for 2-3 other media tie-ins*
*If applicable.
- NOUNS CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES MENU: To establish Nouns as a brand in the media space and give value back to Nouners, it’s important to have content that validates the brand, and brings it to life. One of the core goals for BBDAO Studios is to articulate Nouns to folks who are not in the space. We want to be able to create access and as many touchpoints as possible through optimizing the cultural impact of the Nouns legacy with a series of projects in physical and digital spaces. Possible examples include but are not limited to;
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Emergent Gameplay: AR, Mobile/Online/Console Based, RPGs, Freeplay i.e. Sandbox, Cryptovoxels, etc.
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Celebrity partnerships.
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Nouns toys, merch and memorabilia (CUDO will help with this)
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Creating Web3 PSAs to educate the public on how to navigate the Web3 landscape.
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Digital engagement: A Nouns app or Tiktok filter that empowers users to create their own Animated Nouns raps.
The menu will be organized by subject, budget and operational strategy. Blockbuster DAO Studios will package key projects to leverage Noun characters by itemizing each opportunity based on development and commercial value. The BBDAO production team will look for the most organic and aligned projects to explore. This menu will be heavily collaborative as we develop the pitch deck and writer’s bible.
Timeline
The timeline for the deliverables and their execution will be approximately 16 weeks from when the proposal is accepted.
Compensation
A total of 52.0 ETH to be distributed to 0x4594FE75b7f13dEeAe952E47B7Bf1e0774e58651
- 17 ETH for Noun’s Writers Bible
- 18 ETH for Noun’s Pitch Deck
- 17 Eth for Nouns Creative Opportunities Menu
About BlockbusterDAO
BlockbusterDAO is a decentralized streaming ecosystem that enables an unprecedented, direct relationship between creators, curators, and consumers. We give creators the freedom to distribute and monetize their content, and fans the ability to curate content and earn as a result, all on a community-owned and governed platform.
About The BlockbusterDAO Production Team
Van Robichaux - Writer, Producer
Brooklyn 99 - Sitcom - NBCUniversal | Writer & Producer | Wrote and co-produced seasons 6-8 of the NBC sitcom Brooklyn 99 starring Andy Samberg, Andre Braugher, and Terry Crews.
Fist Fight - Feature Film - Warner Brothers | Screenwriter & Co-creator | Co-created the original story for and wrote the screenplay for the Ice Cube and Charlie Day film Fist Fight about two public school teachers who get into a fist fight (hence the title).
Minion Scouts - Animated Short - Illumination | Universal Screenwriter | Wrote and concepted this animated short film starring the Minions from the Despicable Me movie franchise. The short aired on NBC and was made available to watch on DVD and Digital along with The Secret Life of Pets 2. The characters were also incorporated into the Minions iOS endless runner game.
In-progress
Untitled Minions Sequel - Illumination/Universal Screenwriter | Currently writing a 3rd sequel in the animated Minions franchise.
Wedding Crashers 2 - Warner Brothers/New Line screenwriter | Sequel to the original set to also star Owen Wilson and Vince Vaugn. Almost went into production last year but has been rescheduled so Owen Wilson can do Haunted Mansion first.
Garfield L. Miller – Writer, Producer
Garfield Lindsay Miller, president of Storyfield Productions, is an award-winning filmmaker who’s worked as a fiction and non-fiction producer, director and writer for over fifteen years.
Most recently, he is a producer and writer of the feature film, Percy vs. Goliath (Saban Films), a true-story scripted drama starring Academy Award winner, Christopher Walken, Christina Ricci, and Zach Braff. Upon its release, the film reached #2 on iTunes (#1 in Canada) and received “Certified Fresh” rating on RottenTomatoes.
Previously, Garfield co-wrote and produced the documentary, The Fires That Burn, nominated for a Gemini and recipient of the Silver Chris and the Wilber awards. His directorial debut, The Last New Year, was selected as the Canadian Gala film for the Victoria Film Festival, and aired nationally in Canada.
Garfield was a staff writer on the werewolf drama, Bitten (Netflix). He has since worked as a producer and story editor on a number of non-fiction series including Cyberwar (Vice) and The Devil Next Door seasons 1 & 2 (Hulu). He is currently the Senior Story Producer on Fight or Flight (Discovery+), a six-part docuseries premiering in the spring of 2022, featuring the work of a South Florida social worker who saves victims of human trafficking and domestic violence.
Will Bryan - Writer, Director, Producer, Animator
Will Bryan is a filmmaker, animator, and entrepreneur. As Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of CUDO, he leads a team of artists, storytellers, and engineers in reimagining cross-platform family media for the 21st century—designing interconnected toys, apps, Roblox experiences, and a television series produced by animation industry veterans.
He is Co-Creator of Duncan’s Flying Tugboat, a 52x11 preschool adventure comedy currently in pre-development for networks/streamers, which serves as the basis of a multi-platform franchise with attached toy partners such as Toniebox and a multiplayer sandbox game, Flying Tugboat Simulator.
His feature film—Historical Film, a live-action comedy about history reenactors co-starring Gregg Turkington of Adult Swim—will be released in early 2023. His award-winning short films have been honored at major festivals, his music videos have premiered on MTV, VH1, and Vimeo Staff Picks, and his commercials have won national awards. He is the recipient of the 2016 Virginia Filmmaker Award and his first feature (director/co-writer) was selected by the Governor’s Motion Picture Fund in 2021.
Maxwell Britten - Creative Business Development
Maxwell Britten is a New York City based multi-media creator and business development professional. Growing up with parents both in the hospitality industry and film industry, an understanding of artistry, production and operations was seeded from a young age. With a career starting in 2005 working on feature films as a 24 frame playback studio manager to a long career as an award-winning hospitality executive spanning roles from operating globally renowned bars and hotels, brand consulting to hundreds of spirits, lifestyle and media properties. Maxwell has fluently guided his way between both worlds of media and hospitality, gaining valuable insights on the parallels of the demanding level of creativity and dedication required to develop globally recognized properties.
With a deep passion for innovation and community as a means to flourish, Maxwell has served both as a creative developer and growth hacker in recent years taking roles as Managing Partner at The Roxy Hotel, to start-up and culinary media property The Liquor Cabinet as Chief Brand Officer. Presently Maxwell is a Board Advisor to WineView and Chairman of THIRST Group, a National Hospitality Political Action Committee advocating for the preservation of independent small businesses. Maxwell’s work as a writer has led to the release of his seminal book Can I Mix You a Drink? Co-authored with celebrity recording artist, T-Pain, distributed by Penguin Random House which released in November 2021.
Currently, Maxwell’s forthcoming NFT collection as a creator and Project Director in partnership with Crypto[dot]com is set to release in March 2022. He serves an active role as Associate Producer and pod-member of The Production Team to the newly distinguished Blockbuster DAO and is looking forward to playing a role in transforming legacy media from the web3 landscape.
Scott Albert - Advisor/Consultant
Scott Albert is an award-winning writer and producer, most well known for his work in children’s animation and teaching around the globe. With a background in sketch comedy, Scott first found success in “squash and stretch” cartoons. His work on the first 5 seasons of Paw Patrol, and the Emmy award winning Odd Bods, brought him to international attention. He has created and written series in most markets and territories worldwide, including two series in China. He has taught writing for Children’s Entertainment in Canada (at Centennial College’s well regarded Children’s Entertainment Program) as well as internationally – including most recent workshops in Rome and Mexico’s PIXELATL Festival. He is a leading pioneer in Canada’s digital short form series community, having helped found the Independent Webseries Creators of Canada and T.O. Webfest. Scott currently lives in Toronto, Canada.