Proposal Name: Bored Apes Storm Hollywood (BASH-AIP): Expanding the Ecosystem with Battle-tested IP Veteran and the Batman Producers
Proposal Category: Core: Ecosystem Fund Allocation
Abstract:
This proposal aims to expand the ApeCoin DAO ecosystem through the creation of an animated series pilot and three spin-off comic books, featuring characters owned by ApeCoin DAO holders. We envision a gritty, action-packed, and comedic, anime-inspired adaptation of the American Ape comic book series that prominently features ApeCoin as the primary currency of the Metaverse, reaching beyond the echo chamber of “Crypto Twitter” that is primed to be pitched directly to international streamers via our producing team’s existing development, production and distribution pipelines.
Author Description:
Ramón Govea, an “OG” member of the Bored Ape community, is the guiding force at the helm of Myth Division, an innovative entertainment company established before the advent of the NFT boom. With an innate passion for storytelling, world-building, and the creation of multi-platform experiences, Ramón has been building a content infrastructure that interweaves elements of comics, games, animation, and blockchain. His wide-ranging expertise as a writer, producer, and world-builder has seen him develop well-received narratives and produce compelling content for various distribution channels. Among his achievements, Ramón has successfully self-published and secured international distribution for four of his original comic book titles, namely “Incidentals” for Lion Forge Comics, “Starseed Memoirs” for the webcomics giant Tapas Media, and both “Menagerie” and “ACD” through Diamond Comics Distributors, the largest distributor of English-language comics, toys, and games. Furthermore, Ramón’s expertise extends to managing the development and production of merchandise-based IP at the highest levels, demonstrated during his tenure as Chief Content Officer for NBA-All Star Baron Davis’ Black Santa brand.
Team Description:
Myth Division, Ramón’s innovative franchise development company has been building in the Web 3 space for over 2 years, investing time and money into incorporating its community’s NFT assets into ongoing, high-quality storytelling since June of 2021. The comic book imprint has successfully launched the longest running Bored Ape Yacht Club themed comic book series to date.
Myth Division has teamed up with David Uslan, a key member of IP3, a private ecosystem of creators, strategic partners and investors at the intersection of Web3 and the entertainment sector. Along with his producing partner and father, Michael Uslan, they have over 50 years of combined experience in Hollywood. Instrumental in the development of franchises such as Batman, The Lego Movie, and National Treasure, as well as the Emmy award-winning Where In The World Is Carmen San Diego, the Uslans bring a wealth of knowledge and relationships to ensure the success of entertainment franchises. They believe in this project and have agreed to help us take this directly to the streamers via strong, long term relationships. They Uslans are currently repped by WME.
In addition to the Uslans, the IP3 team includes a group of seasoned professionals with expertise in various aspects of the entertainment industry. The IP3 team’s international and legal expertise is also a valuable driver of the Moonbirds in Hollywood project and the team functions as advisors to the official 0n1Force brand. With extensive experience working with international production and distribution partners and navigating complex legal issues in the entertainment industry, this expertise will be leveraged to ensure that the project is successful both domestically and internationally.
We are joined by Consulting Producer/Animator, Kushagra Kushwaha. Based in Japan, in 2018, he began working as animator and concept designer for Animation Studio Seven and has gone on to do a lot more. His animation credits include JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Try Knights, Yugioh Sevens, Battle Athletes: Restart, Hensuki, Kyoto Tera Machi and many more.
Motivation:
The proposal presents a novel way to expose ApeCoin outside of Crypto Twitter, integrating it into mainstream comics, animation, and web3 gaming while directly involving Apecoin DAO community members. It seeks to increase the token’s utility, provide innovative licensing opportunities, and enhance the ApeCoin ecosystem by taking it to a mainstream fandom that already enjoys anime, comics and gaming culture, namely those who appreciate collectibles more than any other demographic.
Rationale:
The proposal aligns with Apecoin Community’s overwhelming desire to integrate blockchain technology with traditional Hollywood storytelling, fostering engaging content that resonates with a diverse audience and strengthening ApeCoin’s position within both the metaverse and its exposure to the real world.
So why us? We’ve finished a proof of concept that we are using as a bar for the level of quality we are aiming for with our production. Here is the link, produced by Myth Division: https://opensea.io/assets/ethereum/0x25ad43defbd8ae997f011556823b415f08936ce5/0
Key Terms:
Pilot - The first episode created as a sample of the proposed series. It’s used to gauge viewer interest and secure approval for further episodes from network executives or streaming platforms.
Streamer - Streaming Platforms like Amazon Prime, Netflix, Max, Crunchyroll, Verv, and others
Showrunner - The top executive in charge of a television show, overseeing all aspects of its production. Think of them as the CEO of a TV series, managing everything from script-writing to editing, casting, and budgeting.
WME - Formed in 1898, WME is the longest-running talent agency. In 2009, William Morris Agency (WMA) merged with Endeavor to become one of the leading entertainment and media companies in the world. In 2014, WME acquired IMG, the global leader in sports, events, media and fashion, forming Endeavor.
IP3 - a curated ecosystem of seasoned, accredited creators, strategic partners and traditional finance investors at the intersection of Web3 and the entertainment sector
Myth Division - A multi-platform entertainment and franchise development company actively working between the evolving web3 space and traditional mainstream entertainment
Specifications:
The project involves the creation of a traditional 2D anime series pilot and three spin-off comic books using blockchain technology and traditional storytelling methods.
The Ethereum Blockchain will be used to mint a short animated loop representing the feat of accomplishing the pilot and will be available to claim by any wallet with at least 1 Apecoin.
The comics will also be available to mint exclusively using Apecoin, and holders of a TBD amount of Apecoin will be able to access our existing token-gated website to read the three (3) comic books when they are complete. There are elements of the project regarding the comics and availability of the animated loop NFTs that are best decided on by vote of the DAO and through gamification.
Gamification will be supported by the work of the ThankApe team and discussions are tentatively set to begin if/when the AIP is passed.
The content will be developed, produced and released through traditional teams of artists, while granting exclusive access for Apecoin holders to claim free digital collectibles.
Steps to Implement:
Ultimately this is a project led by a small team of seasoned producers until writing, then production begins. At that point, our team begins utilizing the budget to cover the associated costs, with:
- Development (writing & voiceover talent attachment) at 6%
- Production (animation and comic book production) being a majority of the allocation at 80%,
- Post-production/Sound of the animated pilot at roughly 10%
- Legal fees for licensing and production agreements at roughly 4% or less
Here are the general steps, as carefully planned by our experienced team:
- Secure funding of $300,000 USD in $APE for Developing, Packaging & Producing the Animated Series Pilot
- Schedule follow up meetings with highly respect Animation companies that have produced major animated series and international streamers that have expressed potential interest in a NFT-native series like this
- Finalize Script and Production Partnerships that will appeal to both our Eastern and Western holders
- Begin the gamification and voting process to select the Apecoin community holders whose NFT-native characters will be featured in animation and/or comics with Thank Ape’s help.
- Include Product Integration of ApeCoin into the narrative as the Metaverse’s primary form of currency and a plot point in the story
- Secure licensing agreements for NFT-native characters to be featured in the animated pilot and/or comics
- Produce one (1) 20-22 Minute Pilot Episode for the anime series. Initial production will be led by a team based in Japan.
- Produce two (2) thirty-two page spin-off comic books, each starring an Apecoin Community Member’s NFT Character (Bored Ape, 0n1, CryptoPunk, WoW, Moonbird, The Plague, Azuki, Gutter Gang, etc)
- Develop and produce a comic book anthology featuring 10 stories, featuring characters voted on by the Apecoin DAO community and developed with the NFT holders.
- Add the finished books to our slate of content which will be shared with traditional print publishers like Image Comics, MacMillan, Penguin and others.
- Make the completed Comic Book Content available on our Myth Division token gated platform for reading, by anyone with a to-be-voted-on amount of Apecoin in their wallet
- Screen the Pilot exclusively on our token gated website for Apecoin Holders at the appropriate time, in conjunction with the mainstream release
- Include a Free Claim of an animated American Ape Loop NFT (similar to our proof of concept, BASYC #1.5 on Secondary Marketplaces) to mark the milestone of completion for anyone with a to-be-voted-on amount of Apecoin in their wallet
Timeline:
The goal is to produce a 20 to 22-minute animated pilot episode over the course of 16-19 months or less, capable of competing with the best animated content in the world, because we’re working with seasoned, accredited talent that has worked on some of the best animated content in the world. The sooner we can finish the better, but we will not sacrifice quality and are using our short proof-of-concept as a bar for quality.
After successful production and the right showrunner attachment, the goal is to leverage the pilot’s production quality and accredited team of Producers and Animators to secure distribution for a full eight to ten episode animated season on a major streaming platform. Should the need arise for more funds to complete the pilot, Myth Division will cover the cost to complete up to $75,000 of additional post production work.
Overall Cost:
The team is requesting $300,000 USD in $APE to produce the animated series pilot and three (3) spin-off comics, expanding the ApeCoin DAO ecosystem’s lore and raising awareness of the ApeCoin ecosystem through an ongoing mainstream animated television show and secure an international distribution deal for the comic books.