NFT-ainment

Trends

The emergence of animated NFT characters is generating profit for owners through entertainment productions that bring their investments to life

Drivers: what’s happening

Once purchased, most non-fungible tokens (NFTs) sit in a ledger or wallet with little further use. As the technology evolves, however, NFTs are breaking free from the limitations of the art market and digital collectibles to further transform our understanding of ownership, rarity and return on investment (ROI).

This follows the NFT market generating over £17bn ($23bn, €21bn) in 2021, up from just £76m ($100m, €91m) in 2020, showing that both interest and ROI are increasing (source: DappRadar). Pointing to further potential, the lifespan and purpose of NFTs is diversifying – they're becoming multi-faceted and animated. Innovative NFT creators are now teaming up with production companies to bring NFT characters to life through animation, film and production services.

The result is NFT-ainment, where digital character assets become stars of animated movies, tv shows and other media formats, transforming their nature and value proposition, and giving owners the right to rent, share and reproduce their image for entertainment purposes.

Published by:

29 March 2022

Author: Isabelle Jones

Image: World of Women

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Robotos and Time

Case studies: what’s new

Robotos

Time Studios, the production arm of Time magazine, is teaming up with artist Pablo Stanley to produce a children’s tv show featuring his Robotos NFT droid characters. The show’s family-friendly narratives demonstrate the potential for NFTs to be targeted towards families and younger children as both collectibles and entertainment. The recently launched Kids & Family division of Time Studios, which will oversee Robotos’ production, has also expressed eagerness to produce more content deriving from NFT-native talent or characters.

Hello Sunshine and World of Women

Reese Witherspoon’s production company Hello Sunshine is partnering with World of Women to adapt its slate of NFT characters to feature in movies and tv shows. Designed to make the crypto community more diverse, equitable and inclusive, World of Women’s NFTs are a natural partner for Hello Sunshine, which seeks to improve the way women’s stories are told through entertainment. Individual NFT owners will contribute to production decisions and garner profit from the project’s success.

Guardians of Fashion

Singapore’s Guardians of Fashion is the world’s first metaverse modelling agency. Its collection of 6,888 unique NFT avatars will function like celebrities with their own careers, generating revenue for their owners through real commercial projects such as performing in virtual music videos, walking on digital runways, and appearing in a reality TV show via partnerships with Warner Music Malaysia and the local, multi-channel Yeah1 Network. In doing so, the NFTs’ value will hinge not just on rarity but on popularity and career success.

‘We see an untapped opportunity to work alongside NFT creators like Pablo who are bringing rich and intricate collections of characters into the world’

Maria Perez-Brown, head of Kids & Family, Time Studios

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