Interview: Filmio CTO Discusses Blockchain-Based Filmmaking

While we tend to think of payment solutions when it comes to the blockchain, other industries can benefit just as well. One such space is the film and entertainment industry.

Currently, filmmakers and distributors are disconnected. Filmmakers are looking to tell new stories and capture how they view the world. Distributors are bent on making money and marketing the most profitable films. However, filmmakers cannot make a living without distributors, so they tend to work on safer, more mainstream projects to pay the bills.

This reliance has lead to staleness within the film industry. Films coming out nowadays are often sequels and reboots which are void of originality. One blockchain-based project, Filmio, is looking to change that.

By working with the fans, the Filmio project is creating a space where filmmakers and their audiences can connect with one another. The platform serves as a creative incubator where creatives can pitch their ideas for funding. Then, fans rate the projects they believe in most. The top-rated projects are selected for funding via the Filmio team and other production companies partnered with the platform.

Essentially, filmmakers can generate interest and secure funding while distributors are guaranteed an audience. This enables production companies to take on more risky projects, as they can be sure it will profit them.

Unhashed was provided the opportunity to interview Chris J Davis, the CTO of Filmio. Here, we discussed the technology behind Filmio, its overall vision, and how it plans to stand out in an industry full of competition:

Unhashed: How has partnering with EOS.io streamlined the project development process?

Chris J Davis: Selecting EOSIO gave us a real jumpstart when it came to building a usable and modern application. Their focus on scaling, ease of use and user experience comes built in, which allows us to devote our time and energy to the aspects of Filmio that we are uniquely positioned to craft, like our validation engine, greenlight process and audience building.

UH: How does Filmio compare to its competitors such as LiveTree and MovieCoin?

C: Projects like LiveTree and MovieCoin focus on financing projects, taking the established process that you see in Hollywood and bringing it to the blockchain. They are essentially film funds that use tokens in place of equity. In our minds that is the least interesting, and least impactful, change that the blockchain can bring to the process of filmmaking. Filmio is a gamified ecosystem that functions as a creative incubator, market validator and distribution launchpad. We are focusing on connecting fans and creators in new and exciting ways that will create more opportunity for filmmakers, and more great content for fans.

UH: What blockchain-based benefits does Filmio have that can win over partners skeptical of the technology?

C: Transparency, fairness and immutability. One of the most frustrating parts of the filmmaking process for many creators is the lack of clear information. With our novel uses of blockchain technology we are creating an ecosystem that thrives on the sharing of data, clarity and fairness.

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UH: Does Filmio have plans to partner with hardware manufacturers such as Vizio or other streaming services?

C: Absolutely, if and when the right partnerships arise. The mission of Filmio is to give creators the tools they need to succeed. While we are obviously focusing on our own software and processes to deliver those tools, a very important part of delivering the future we have dreamt up are strategic partnerships with other like minded people and companies.

UH: Traditional movie crowdfunding platforms like Seed and Spark focus on the indie scene. Filmio seems to be targeting bigger-budget projects and Hollywood. Is this true and if so, how does Filmio benefit from this?

C: Not at all. Our goal at Filmio our aims to democratize the filmmaking, TV, and VR industries by support filmmakers [sic] at all budget levels and across all genres. We are not targeting Hollywood as much as a way to work with Hollywood to help them discover great projects.  Content creators often struggle to achieve success due to lack of access or resources. In the Filmio ecosystem, creators can build a supportive audience, acquire meaningful statistics and qualifying projects can access funding and licensing opportunities with our Strategic partners as well as other Production Companies, Financiers and Film Funds — including the Filmio Studios.

UH: Will all projects move through the fan-approval process, or will Filmio accept and fund ideas pitched separately?

C: While all projects will exist on the platform, and to some extent will be a part of our fan validation, it isn’t the only way to succeed. We also see ourselves as a matchmaking service, creating opportunities for creators with stories to tell to meet people with the resources needed to tell those stories. It could very well be that those resources come from moving through our fan validation system, or they could come from a great project coming to the attention of an exec at a large studio. Either outcome is a win for Filmio.

UH: How does Filmio Now plan to compete with already established platforms such as Netflix and Hulu?

C: We don’t look at it as competing, as much as complimenting platforms like Netflix and Hulu. We are in the middle of a time of content consumption the likes  of which we’ve never seen before.on Filmio is poised to be an invaluable tool for companies like Netflix, Hulu and beyond to leverage to find outstanding content, validated by millions of fans. For the amazing projects that don’t fit the categories that these various services are looking for, there is Filmio Now, a first of its kind Social Streaming experience that is tightly integrated with the rest of our platform. This integration allows for new ways to experience your content, as well as another powerful tool for the creator.