Hollywood to Fortify Relationships Via Blockchain Technology

4 mins read

“Why does the relationship between the creators and the fans have to end when the movie is distributed?”

– Ian LeWinter, co-founder of Film.io

Building communities and relationships are integral to the evolution of blockchain technology.  Social media platforms like Discord, Telegram, and Redditt have facilitated ways for those passionate about a particular blockchain project, cryptocurrency, or NFT to join together and build a community around common interests. 

If you join any one of these communities, you have the opportunity to help influence the direction of a project or learn about other projects.  It allows the project creators to acquire and engage users.  And, because all communications are on an open, recorded platform, it demands accountability.  Building trust is paramount.

Long-Lasting Fan Relationships

With respect to the film and television industry, wouldn’t it be nice to connect passionate fans of a particular director, genre, actor, or storyline with their creators?  To extend the relationship, interaction, and influence beyond one’s individual experience with the film or television show?

LeWinter explains:

“Historically, when you watch a film in the theater and it really impacts you, you might talk about it with those you went with.  You might think about the film for a while, and you might even want to see it again."

He believes that relationships are not only with the projects but with the creators and the fans.  

“There is a subsection of every fan base who would love to know more, to delve deep into the ideas of the movie, the location, the happenings, the characters, and really any aspect of the IP to continue the relationship indefinitely.”

LeWinter adds:

“There is this thing that happens in Hollywood.  The moment you have a successful first movie (even if you have no intention of doing a second), a second movie is all of a sudden on the horizon.  It’s really a monetary decision."

He believes that the fans would love to see more of their characters in new situations while controlling where things go in a non-collaborative way.

"I think, one of the interesting things for the future is where creators and filmmakers will be able to create lasting relationships with fans, and fans then can influence the direction of the film’s storyline or relationships.”

As a reader, I’m sure you are already thinking about the potential complications or drawbacks to this angle; yet, from a fan’s perspective, it opens up the opportunity to be a part of Hollywood, and for the creators, it spurs new ways to grow a fan base and increase funding for subsequent projects.

LeWinter talks openly, putting the considerations into context:

“Let’s face it, the more successful you are as a creator of film or television, the more people you will need to manage those aspects of your relationship with your fans. But, at the end of the day, the question is, how can you build and monetize those future collaborative relationships?  The answer is delivering something fans want to interact with and be a part of.  That’s the first step. From there, infinite possibilities exist to engage fans in an ongoing way.”

Closing Remarks

LeWinter discloses a well-known truth of Hollywood:

“Among other things, blockchain brings transparency.  Transparency, I think, is a buzzword that has been undervalued, and it really needs to emerge into this world.  

Hollywood has been a perfect example of an industry that has fought tooth and nail to hide its true financial machination.  Investors don’t appreciate it.  Fans don’t appreciate it.  And I think its time has come.  I think the world needs to be able to see everything, and I know the billionaire class isn’t a real fan of transparency."

He concludes:

"We need a world of fairness. It’s a bit tongue and cheek given the world we live in today. There’s a war going on in Ukraine, and civil action going on in this country. The world needs change. It needs to evolve. I want the world to be a better place, fair and open for all.”

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To see the full story, check out Part 1 where we discuss what’s broken in Hollywood and what blockchain technology can offer to inspire a new and improved way of funding projects, expand the range of entertainment content, remove barriers to entry for creators, and involve fans in the creative process.  

In Part 2 we dive into the benefits of a DAO and the opportunities and considerations of NFTs for both fans and creators.