tl;dr
Cutter Hodierne, an independent filmmaker, overcame traditional funding hurdles in Hollywood by turning to decentralized film financing, known as Film3. Leveraging blockchain technology and cryptocurrency, Film3 allows filmmakers to engage directly with audiences and financing, bypassing industry hi...
Cutter Hodierne leverages decentralized film industry, Film3, to fund and produce 'Cold Wallet,' a crypto thriller, bypassing traditional Hollywood hurdles. Decentralized film financing, led by Decentralized Pictures and Gala Films, empowers filmmakers with distinctive voices and meaningful stories. Web3 revolutionizes film funding, with smart contracts enabling direct proceeds to filmmakers and community-driven support.
Cutter Hodierne, an independent filmmaker, overcame traditional funding hurdles in Hollywood by turning to decentralized film financing, known as Film3. Leveraging blockchain technology and cryptocurrency, Film3 allows filmmakers to engage directly with audiences and financing, bypassing industry hierarchies. This approach attracted notable filmmakers like Steven Soderbergh and is gaining traction with projects like "Cold Wallet" and "RZR." By eliminating distributors and sales agents, the model ensures proceeds go directly to filmmakers and studios, fostering reinvestment in independent artists and future projects. This decentralized funding model represents a significant shift in film financing, with potential to support distinctive voices and meaningful stories.
Hodierne put 10 minutes of his film up on the Decentralized Pictures website for review, where a community of producers, writers, investors, and film buffs got a look at his sizzle reel. In exchange for reviewing the clip, they earned $FILM, Decentralized Pictures' token, which the studio says is “fuel for the platform. Users can stake them on their favorite projects, use them to pay others to review their own submissions (as a rewards pool), or simply purchase entry vouchers to pay for application fees for various creative financing rewards.” One reviewer in particular was especially struck by the clip: “Steven Soderbergh, the king of the heist genre, gave us his blessing,” said Hodierne. Soderbergh invested in the film, and Decentralized Pictures followed on with a grant, giving "Cold Wallet" enough money to make Hodierne’s movie.
“We're building the studio of the future,” said Decentralized Pictures co-founder Roman Coppola, a member of the Coppola filmmaking family. “At our company, American Zoetrope, and in my dad's work, we value community and a cafe culture where people come together, share ideas, and compare notes.” The idea is already gaining traction. In 2024, Film3 made history when actress Mena Suvari earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for her role in "RZR ," a sci-fi series created by David Bianchi’s Exertion3 Films in collaboration with the blockchain-powered streaming platform Gala Film.
Hodierne also noted that by eliminating distributors and sales agents, all proceeds go directly to the filmmakers and Decentralized Pictures, allowing them to reinvest in independent artists and future projects. “As a filmmaker, I’ve seen how centralized and fickle the industry is. This shift is a big deal, especially as streaming platforms pay artists less while struggling themselves,” he said. “It’s an exciting convergence for films, and for 'Cold Wallet,' a crypto thriller, this feels like the perfect first step in opening that door.”