New AIP: Bored Apes Storm Hollywood (BASH) by American Ape

AIP Ideas
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GM, Apecoin Fam,
American Ape, at your service!

For months, an idea has been simmering, an exciting vision for how we can revolutionize our content and narrative. I see this proposal not merely as a grant request but as a chance to ignite Apecoin in a spectacular way, fusing value creation with engaging storytelling.

With over a decade of experience in IP development, I’ve been diligently crafting around the Bored Ape Yacht Club brand ever since I proudly acquired American Ape for .45 ETH on May 8th, 2021. My passion is to continue to enrich our ecosystem and weave our stories organically, creating indelible memories and setting a precedent for how a seemingly simple digital collection of randomized cartoon animals can spawn a successful animated series. Many of you bought my first comic book starring BAYC #5636 in June 2021, and I have not stopped telling that story since…

This is our opportunity to demonstrate to traditional Hollywood the boundless possibilities that lie at the intersection of creativity, community, and blockchain technology. Together, we can redefine the digital era of entertainment. Hope you’ll join me. #ApesTogetherStrong

-Ramon Govea, AKA American Ape BAYC #5636

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Bored Apes Storm Hollywood (BASH-AIP):
Expanding the Ecosystem with Battle-Tested IP Veteran and the Batman Producers

Abstract: This proposal seeks to leverage the Bored Ape Yacht Club narrative through the creation of an animated series pilot and three spin-off comic books, featuring characters owned by Apecoin DAO holders. Through an gritty, action-packed and comedic, anime-inspired adaptation of the American Ape comic book series, we can showcase the many pfp collections that make up the DAO in a storyline that prominently features Apecoin as the primary currency of the Metaverse. This proposal aims to expand the scope and reach of the project, and drive additional value for ApeCoin holders through pop culture relevance and by reinforcing high quality storytelling and it’s potential for all NFT holders. This can be the tip of the spear for NFT-native content in traditional Hollywood.

Author Description: Ramón Govea is a dedicated Bored Ape “OG” and the guiding force behind Myth Division, an entertainment company that pre-dates the NFT boom. Ramón is passionate about world-building, storytelling, and creating multi-platform experiences across film, comics, games, animation, and Web 3.

Here’s the proof of concept anime-inspired BAYC NFT that Ramón produced, which we’d like to expand into an animated series: https://opensea.io/assets/ethereum/0x25ad43defbd8ae997f011556823b415f08936ce5/0

Team Description: The team consists of Myth Division, led by Ramón Govea, and IP3, a group of seasoned Hollywood professionals with expertise in production, financing, distribution, and licensing. Key members include David Uslan, who brings decades of Hollywood experience to the team and the team behind the development of the Moonbirds feature film and several upcoming Amazon shows.

Motivation: This proposal offers a new use case for ApeCoin, integrating it into comics, animation, and other content forms to engage the community. It also aims to increase the token’s utility, provide innovative opportunities for licensing, and enhance the ApeCoin ecosystem.

Rationale: The APE Community’s mission aligns with the proposal’s aim of merging blockchain technology with traditional storytelling. This creates unique, engaging content that appeals to a broad audience, which can strengthen the position of ApeCoin both within the metaverse and IRL. With the Producers of legendary brand integrated IP adaptations like The Lego Movie, Batman Franchise, and Carmen San Diego TV Show and experienced producer and OG Bored Ape, Ramon Govea, we feel this is a no brainer to move the needle in both cultural relevance and adherence to high quality storytelling.

Key Terms:

  • Pilot: The first episode of any television series, usually screened by executives and focus groups before being “greenlit” or approved as a full series.
  • Myth Division: The multi-platform entertainment company led by Ramón Govea.
  • IP3: A team of Hollywood professionals partnered with Myth Division for this project and led by David Uslan, Christine Lu, Sarah Weinstock, and Josh Zubler.

Specifications: The project involves the creation of an animated series and three spin-off comic books using blockchain technology and traditional storytelling methods. The content will be developed and produced through the collaboration of Myth Division and IP3.

Steps to Implement:

  1. Secure funding of 50,000 APE for Developing & Packaging the Series
  2. Finalize Script and Production Partnerships on paper that will appeal to both our Eastern and Western holders
  3. Manage Voting Process for Apecoin DAO Cameos and Guest Stars
  4. Include Product Integration of ApeCoin into the narrative as the Metaverse’s primary form of currency and a plot point in the story
  5. Produce one (1) Pilot episode for the anime-inspired series
  6. Produce and distribute two (2) thirty-two page spin-off comic books, each starring an Apecoin Community Member’s NFT Character (Bored Ape, Gutter Species, 0n1, CryptoPunk, WoW, etc)
  7. Develop and launch a 10-story comic book anthology featuring characters voted on by the Apecoin DAO community
  8. Add the finished books to our slate of content being shared with traditional print publishers like MacMillan, Penguin, Diamond and others.
  9. Make the Comic Book Content on our Myth Division token gated platform available for reading by anyone with at least 1 Apecoin in their wallet
  10. Screen the Pilot exclusively on our token gated website for Apecoin Holders at the appropriate time, but before mainstream release
  11. Include a Free Claim of an animated American Ape NFT (similar to our proof of concept, BASYC #1.5 on Secondary Marketplaces) to mark the milestone of completion for anyone with 1 Apecoin in their wallet

Timeline: The project aims to produce a 22-minute animated pilot episode over the course of 14-18 months that can compete with the calibure of anime currently distributed by streamers like Crunchyroll, Netflix, HBO Max, and others. Following the successful production, attachment of an A-list team of voiceover actors and a showrunner, the goal is to leverage the quality of the pilot (at any point during production) to secure further funding and distribution for a full eight-episode season of the animated series.

In order to include members of the Apecoin DAO community and various PFP Collections, we would facilitate DAO voting and other selection methods based on participation to select cameos, recurring roles and guest appearances from the community for our stories.

Overall Cost: The team is requesting 50,000 APE in funding to produce the animated series and spin-off comics to expand the Apecoin DAO ecosystem’s lore with stories that integrate members of the Apecoin community, but not exclusive to Bored Ape Yacht Club pfps. The funding will also be used to expand awareness of the ApeCoin ecosystem and engage a broader audience through mainstream distribution outlets.

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Love this. The vision is clear and this pitch was easy to follow.
Extremely bullish and ready to support this with my votes :fire:

I think the question everyone is wondering-- “How do I get my pfp involved?” and how many characters approx. will be featured/highlighted/included in this?

Would love more info on the character submission/voting process :eyes:

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Love this so much @AmericanApe!! Thank you for sharing your proposal, we definitely need more stunning artists and creatives like you in the DAO.

Love that the proposal will be anime-inspired and feature multiple collections’ NFTs as well- I’d like to echo Sera’s questions & also request that you put some samples of your previous work into this AIP so everyone can see the caliber of work!

Finally, linking things like your Twitter or Myth Division might help people gain an idea of your background who aren’t already familiar.

-Halina.eth :cherry_blossom:

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Thank you Sera! Really great question and obviously we’d want to make this happen very early on in the process, so I’m thinking for fairness it could be a combination of these three ways to qualify for a total of 24 spots across the one shot comics, anthology, and/or animated pilot. I’m open to other suggestions, but this is the initial thinking process.

Open Nomination and Voting: All DAO members would have a window to nominate an individual’s pfp they think should be featured, including their own. After that period of nominations, all DAO members vote on their top choices. The top 8 pfps with the most votes would get featured.

Lottery System: Interested members could submit their pfps for consideration, then 8 pfps are randomly selected through a lottery system. This method is purely luck-based and ensures equal opportunity for all entrants.

Merit-Based Selection: This could involve a system where members earn points or tokens for contributions to the DAO perhaps in conjunction with Thank Ape participation in events, or engagement in community activities. The top 8 members with the most points or tokens could get their pfps featured.

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Thank you Halina! I’ve made some minor updates in the thread and answered in more detail under Sera’s question. Looking forward to hearing the community’s feedback on this process in particular.

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I like it.

Would love to see pilots like this and other shorts screened at film festivals as well. I’m curious what the process for something like this to get picked up for regular programming on say, Netflix @AmericanApe is, and if additional funding could be provided to push that needle a little further and give it the best possible chance to succeed.

Nice concept…

AC

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Thanks AllCity. Yes, that’s what this is gearing up for. Sometimes it will sell to a distributor based on a short proof of concept with some story element and strong package (Talent/Producers/Showrunner), but these days it’s harder and harder unless you come to the table with some of the financing and a finished pilot that is just impossible to turn down. We feel pretty strongly about the “Anime” space and based on our relationships, we know there is strong interest in multiple countries for content in this vein.

But you’re spot on with taking something like this to Netflix. That’s the ongoing behind the scenes intention between step 4 and step 9, which is where our explicit (on paper) alliance with WME, one of the top agencies in Hollywood comes into play. The supporting comics would ideally be released by our print publishing partner in conjunction with the marketing campaign for any final distribution for the pilot/series. That would give maximum exposure to the holders featured in those lore expanding stories as the debut of the series nears.

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Interesting stuff… And appreciate you pulling the curtain back on it a little.

Excited to see where this goes, best of luck.

AC

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American Ape #4 Hi Resv2
American Ape #4 Hi Resv23333×5059 1.79 MB

Myth Division is a leader in NFT IP development in our space. The team, led by @AmericanApe, took the backstory I created for my Ape and wrote him into the American Ape saga perfectly, bringing the character to life in a way I never thought possible.

With the addition of IP3 to the partnership I can only imagine what this team can accomplish.

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Appreciate you, ser! Thanks for being a Believer.

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Got my vote want too hear more of this!

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Hi @AmericanApe, Your proposal sounds fascinating and ambitious. Revolutionizing content and storytelling through the Bored Ape Yacht Club brand and creating an animated series and spin-off comics is an exciting venture. I’m curious about a few aspects of the project:

  1. Can you elaborate on how $APE coin will be featured as the primary currency of the Metaverse within the narrative? How will its usage and value be portrayed?

  2. What strategies do you have in mind to ensure high-quality storytelling and engage a broad audience beyond the existing ApeCoin holders?

  3. How do you plan to facilitate DAO voting and selection methods for cameos, recurring roles, and guest appearances from the community? Will it be open to all Apecoin holders or specific PFP collections?

I’m looking forward to hearing more about your plans and how this proposal can contribute to the growth and relevance of ApeCoin.

-Mr. Hype :fire:

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Hey, sure, MisterHype! Great questions.

  1. There are a few facets to this question, so let me give some context. First, we have built settings for some of our storylines on 13 Sandbox Plots in Euphoria, a few plots from BAYC Official and we have been builting assets and environments in Unreal Engine 5.1 in anticipation of the Otherside Developers’ Kits, because we have 6 Otherdeeds, including 1 on the main island, #131. So as the story unfolds in the animated series and comic books, all business dealings, heists, small transactions, sales signs, and bounties will be in Apecoin. Much like traditional product integration works, we seamlessly weave Apecoin, it’s marketing materials and organic storytelling points into the presentation. As an anime inspired series in the action-comedy genre, we don’t see that integration as a problem. It would be presented as a Mcguffin in some cases as it will in the comic series.

Without giving too much away-- simultaneously, we’d highlight Apecoin as the primary currency in our metaverse builds, mirroring the experiences of the Metaverse on-screen and in the comics with gamified experiences that utilize the coin, along with the main storylines.

  1. I think it’s simply a matter of talent. For the short we produced I asked a friend from RIOT games to direct and help me produce, so it’s about having an eye for quality, which I feel our track record with Myth Division titles proves thus far. In terms of engaging a broad audience, it’s no secret that BAYC is a global brand stretching from the Pacific to the Atlantic and everywhere in between. That’s why our focus on anime-inspired series makes sense not just for the internal BAYC/NFT community, with countless Anime pfp collections and the rise of Manga and Anime in the West. We only work with the best in the business, or I won’t put my name on it, so I’m confident we have found the right niche and collaborators to fill in any talent gaps, as I serve as the anchor between the OG NFT community and wherever the series may evolve.

  2. I think it will have to be done on the blockchain, so some of the budget would go toward A. paying an existing service to help manage it and prevent botting/cheating B. My devs or perhaps even devs from the ApeDAO, would get paid to build a token-gated one pager to handle the voting structures based on having a token. If we’re going to move in the direction of decentralization, I’d want to give every holder of even a single Apecoin an opportunity to vote. I know this opens to manipulation, but this is the first time I’m even contemplating the pros and cons of excluding votes based on pfp collection held. I would probably open it up to discussion, to be honest since I hadn’t considered that option.

Thanks again for your questions, happy to answer more in a few Spaces this week. I know Grateful Ape has agreed to host me when the AIP is live and I’m sure I’ll do one or more of the weekly ApeComms Spaces, as usual. I pop in from time to time to stay up to date.

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You might want to consider using snapshot for voting. The have the infrastructure built out already and are really low cost.

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Wow this is soo cool cant wait to hear more of this !!!

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Thanks for the recommendation. I had a feeling we might be able to use it or something comparable for transparency and ease of functionality.

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Thanks, we think so too and many members of our current and previous team have already worked on animated shows for the streamers, so it’s well within reach. We would love to show Hollywood that the community is willing to support a show.

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Thanks! I will make myself available for several Twitter Spaces over the next 2 weeks while we prepare for and during the voting period.

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Hi @AmericanApe,

Thank you for the detailed response! It’s fascinating to hear about the various facets of your project. Looking forward to seeing how the integration of Apecoin unfolds in the animated series and comic books, as well as its implementation in the metaverse builds. Talent and quality seem to be key factors in your production process, and it’s great to hear about your collaborations with industry professionals. The idea of utilizing the blockchain for voting structures can be fit with snapshot as @dar suggested.

I appreciate your willingness to engage in further discussions and I look forward to participating in upcoming Spaces and ApeComms events.

-Mr. Hype :fire:

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Happy to ear that, i make sure attend every space soo cant wait to hear you

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