A feature documentary following a subculture of defiant NFT artists and unlikely friends as they navigate a market crash, make and lose millions and create valuable communities along the way. As NFTs become increasingly mainstream, we explore what it takes to maintain a career in Web3 (the new internet).

The story

It all started when we randomly happened upon an NFT event.

Like many others, we’d seen headlines in the news about digital artwork selling for millions of dollars using cryptocurrecies, but we quickly found there was much more to it than first meets the eye. It really was (and still is) a wild-west.

NFTs were offering artists the opportunity to make a real living. By selling art digitally, as NFTs, artists could be anyone, create work and sell it from anywhere, almost immediately. Artists didn't need to go through traditional protocols and art galleries to get their work seen and sold. But perhaps more significantly, artists could keep a cut of the royalties. No more were the days of selling a piece for peanuts only for it to be sold on for 10x the original price without future profits going to the artist. This felt like a really big deal.

This new, digital art scene was changing rapidly day by day, so we picked up our camera and started documenting. Soon, we were welcomed into communities and built incredible relationships with early artists, founders, developers and others who carved out a new career for themselves and paved the way for future successors. Everyday-people were taking risks, making huge fortunes and sharing their wealth amongst their communities… and we were filming it happen from their bedrooms/living rooms/studios.

However, the crypto market crashed in 2022 and consequently, many independent artists have struggled to maintain their success in the NFT world, due to the tie between the value of cryptocurrencies and their artwork. We continue to document the stories of real people who found success as they make and lose millions, are targeted by scammers and fight to maintain their place and legacy in Web3.

Why this project?

There’s something happening at the moment that feels like the beginning of the next phase of the internet. Many estimate that one day, this technology will be in the background of everything we’re doing. Starbucks has already announced it’ll be using this tech for their loyalty program and Reddit has introduced three million people to NFTs through a new project. We're recording the stories of those who made the first leaps with this technology.

Outside of the headline news lies a tight-knit community who have been working in NFTs since ‘the beginning’ (2020-2021), when the crypto marketplace saw a surge in demand for NFTs and artists had new and incredible opportunities. We’ve often heard this referred to as ‘the summer of love’.

Throughout this journey, we have witnessed our contributors fates unfolding in real-time as they adapt to this new world and the changing market. This is not just another crypto related documentary series; it is an intimate look at how people in the first wave of a movement are managing in spite of the odds and influencing a whole new era of technology. 

More about NFTs: 

What is an NFT?

What is Web3? 

NFT news headlines:

The Verge: JPEG sold for $69 million  

BBC: What are NFTs and why are some worth millions?

The cast

We have been shooting with fantastically funny, inspiring and talented people with crazy stories, some of which include:

Fat Baby is a bright and hilarious queer artist who has made over a million dollars through their lesbian-velociraptor NFT collection, ‘Clever Girls’. Fat Baby hired a team, launched comic books, a game and a twitch show. She has since donated large sums of money to their family, a trans charity and other artists in the community. However, since the cryptocurrency crash in 2022, things haven't been easy. Fat Baby unfortunately lost their team, and the heavy workload has been difficult to manage by themselves. We continue to follow Fat Baby through the highs and lows of an NFT art career.

Waxbones quit his 'normal job' towards the end of 2021, and since then we have been following the dad and newly-wed through the making and launch of his most anticipated NFT art collection, Prometheus Lab. Early in the process, the crypto market crashed, causing highs and lows for the project. We have filmed with Waxbones in his home and at big events. We continue to follow his story as he navigates the wild web and supports his family. 

Badfroot From the ‘armpit of the Hamptons’, Badfroot grew up smoking weed, getting into fights and graffitiing penises all around his school. The renowned ex ‘Penis bandit’ and former real estate broker now draws and sells NFTs under the name ‘Badfroot’. The self declared ‘scrappy’ artist uses humour in his drawings to break down emotional barriers and connect with people on a more meaningful level.

More people we're filming with include: Gimme Gargoyles, Arthur Breitman (founder of the Tezos blockchain), Dadara, EBOY, the Kongz NFT team, Laya Mathikshara (who found her NFT success at 14 years old), Numan, BKK Bros, KidEight, Amber Vittoria and many, many more! 

Since the end of 2021, (pre-crash), we have been capturing the space as it rapidly evolves and have already filmed multiple events including ones in Bristol, London and Amsterdam... but... we need help to be able to finish filming and reach people in America!

About us

We're Lucy (27) and Cameron (30); filmmakers, partners (business) and partners (romantic) and the directing duo behind Wild Wild Web3.

We’re based in Bristol, UK and passionately love stories that are told in a nuanced and empathetic way. We believe that film is a really powerful tool that can connect human experiences to generate a wider understanding of each other and even shape new perceptions.

Lucy has a history of working on feature film and television documentaries and Cameron has worked on various commercial productions over the years. Together, we started a film production business and have been working as a team ever since.

This will be our directional feature film debut!

About this project

We are aiming to create a feature length documentary film. So far, we have filmed as a crew of two to keep costs as low as possible, and have carried out over 15 shoots as well as many more virtual recordings online. We have amazing stories we want to tell over in the USA, and PHASE 1 of funding will get us there!

How you can get involved!

It's no secret that filmmaking is expensive. So far, this project has been totally self funded since the autumn of 2021, but to make the best film possible and to honour and tell the stories well, we need your help!

Our target for PHASE 1 of funding is £5000. This will enable us to travel to and capture some super important events and ensure a ‘ground-level’ of filming can be completed. 

The project is largely based in the UK, but as the Web3 and NFT community is global, it is essential that we can travel more overseas to tell the complete story!

The team

We have had lots of conversations with incredible potential team members going forwards including: producers, production coordinators, extra shooting crew, editors, sound designers and artists, but to get the next stages of production, we need your help! 

Risks and challenges

One of the greatest challenges and risks we face is our ability to capture the stories we are telling in a full and thorough capacity. The NFT and Web3 space shows no sign of slowing down just yet, and to capture crucial moments with our cast, we need the funding and resources to get out there and keep filming.

Isn't it a bit... complicated? At times, yes, but the characters in the film are so vibrant, kind, entertaining and funny that we don't think this will be an issue and we have no doubt they will capture the hearts of the audience as they have captured our own! The stories we are capturing are heart-warming, heart-breaking and fascinating and we have many ideas of ways to introduce the subject to an audience without overwhelming them with complex language. This isn't a tech-film, it's a film about people and a promise of a new beginning. 

What if there are other films? Well, there most certainly will be. However, we believe what sets us apart is our authentic approach, the relationships with our cast and the fact we started filming early (2021). We have captured people’s stories in real time and that kind of storytelling cannot be replicated in the same way later down the line. We have opted to tell stories which people can relate to and empathise with to pass the test of time.

Our future goals

PHASE 1: (CURRENT FUNDING STAGE)

We aim to raise an initial sum of £5000 for the project. This will fund us to finish production, including: 

• Book and carry out an essential shoot abroad
• Carry out 5 more (small) shoots with existing contributors (UK based)

PHASE 2: MORE INFO COMING SOON...

To get in touch directly, email: info@elasticpie.com