Award-winning filmmaker Jordan Bayne believes that blockchain technology can succeed where Hollywood lacks, giving creators a better alternative to the dynamics of today’s cinema scene.
“I think Web3 offers something that traditional Hollywood doesn’t offer, which is the power of the creator,” Bayne said. Decrypt in the inaugural MetaCannes Festival in France.
Bayne is leading the movement at Film3, which founded the Film Squad media collective after he became interested in crypto in 2015. Film Squad shows the many ways indie filmmakers can use blockchain tech to their advantage.
The organization has hosted more than 350 movies since it was created in February 2021, Bayne said, drawing on the experience of other women involved in the film industry and exploring the potential of Web3 in areas such as financing, distribution, and ownership.
“You can own your IP on the whole thing,” Bayne said, highlighting the advantages Web3 brings to filmmaking. “Your community can be involved every step of the way, and you don’t need studios.”
Another central tenet of Squad is its potential to lift up other artists, he explained, using the internet to bring like-minded people together.
“I built the Squad to raise others [and] shows others,” Blayne said, adding that the Web3 space offers artists a unique sense of acceptance and inclusion.
The Film Squad was founded in part in response to the pain points Bayne encountered as a woman and member of the LGBTQIA community working in film, she said. So the squad is committed to serving members of other marginalized communities, such as Black filmmakers and people of color.
Bayne’s ambitions with Squad mirror elements of his work as a filmmaker, he says, which aims to capture the stories of the often untold.
“As a filmmaker, I always tell stories about people in the shadows – people whose voices are not heard,” explains Blayne, referring to some of his previous work, such as the short film ” Red flags.”
Blayne described the film as a “heavy hitter” in terms of its focus on social impact, and said that Web3 technology enables people to rally to create other content they want. visible—helping marginalized groups take control of their own media representation.
“It’s just a whole new way, where we can create a different way for the voices to be there,” he said. “Every community wants to see their voices on screen.”
