*** Decentralized Crowdfunding Platform ***
This is a platform for decentralized crowdfunding that enables anime studios and individual creators to collect funds. Anime studios and individual creators can have
the rights to issue digital items by depositing TWC (Twilight Coin) on this platform. They issue digital items (DIT: Digital Item Token) pertaining to their own future and past works recorded on the blockchain and collect funds through the crowdfunding for the items. The issuable digital items are autographs, original drawings, audio data, admission tickets, etc. Also, the secondary usage license (SUT: Secondary Usage Token) of own works can be issued by depositing TWC. This secondary usage license can also raise funds by selling it to secondary users.
*** Problems ***
* Problems in the Current Production Committee SystemA large amount of funds is necessary to produce an anime work. It takes about JPY 10 to 15 million to produce a 30-minute animated TV show, and approximately
JPY 100 to 200 million ($0.9-1.8Mn) are required to produce these 30-minute shows for one season (a 13-week run). The common mechanism to secure this production fund in Japan is the “production committee system.” This is a system to create works where several companies such as publishers, advertising agencies, video makers, distributors gather together and contribute funds to organize a production committee, and the funds are distributed to anime studios, marketing companies, music production companies, voice actors, etc. In this mechanism, anime studios are in the position of delivering products to production committees as subcontractors. This system enables investing companies to reduce the amount of contribution to one production committee and diversify the risks by funding multiple committees.
* Anime Production Where Voices of Anime fans Do Not ReachIn the production committee system, a production committee, who is an investor, has the initiative in anime production, and anime studios and individual creators are in the position of delivering the ordered works to the production committee. In this system, the production committee, the investor, tends to instruct the creation of anime to be welcomed by some fanatic Influencers with high purchasing power or know-it-all attitude, making it more difficult for creators to produce works that can be accepted by as many people as possible which is what creators truly desire. As a result, planning and production are prioritized to meet the desires of these fanatics at the expense of the general anime fans’ needs.
* Deterioration of the Creators’ Work Environment and Lack of IncentivesIt is very difficult to predict what kind of anime will be a blockbuster even for investing companies and production committees. For that reason, investing companies avoid a large contribution to a single production committee, and invest in many different production committees instead in order to reduce their risk. Consequently, the production budget per work decreases, long working hours to meet a short lead time become a norm, and the creators’ work environment has deteriorated. In addition, small production companies without much financial resources are unable to hold any rights or privileges over their own anime works since they act as subcontractors for production committees. Therefore, even though the product is a success, studios and individual creators do not receive sufficient rewards they deserve from licensing fees, etc., which keeps them in a
vicious cycle of this deteriorated work environment.
*** Solutions ***
* The “C2C Anime Production System” Realized by TWC ProjectThe “C2C Anime Production System” which is a new way of anime production will be realized in this project. This is based on a decentralized crowdfunding platform
in which anime studios and individual creators raise funds directly from general anime fans by issuing and granting digital items and licenses for secondary usage that are recorded on the blockchain. This platform enables creators and anime studios to issue and sell digital items such as autographs, original drawings, audio data, and admission tickets directly to their supporters to raise funds. The raised funds can be used for anime production. In addition, licenses to secondary usage can be issued and managed on the blockchain by utilizing this platform.
* Creating Products Desired by General Anime Fans (Supporters)On this platform, anime studios and individual creators release a plan for an anime work to anime fans for fundraising before production starts. The minimum funds required for the production will be set, and the collected funds will be returned if this minimum amount is not reached in this fundraising. Therefore, only works and creators supported by a large number of anime fans will succeed in the fundraising without being swayed by particular fanatics, which will lead to the production of high-quality works desired by general supporters. Furthermore, creators can produce works based on the voices of supporters since the production progress will be periodically shared with supporters. As a result, the environment where supporters and creators are directly connected (C2C: Creator to Customer) can be established.
* Improving Creators’ Work Environment and Securing IncentivesBy utilizing this platform, anime studios and individual creators can spend funds collected directly from supporters and secondary users, which will lead to the improved work environment. In addition, since the license of a work belongs to a studio or an individual creator, license fees can be collected from the theatrical release, the platform distribution, sale of the official goods, and such once the work is released. The direct rewards the studios or the creators receive are strong incentives for them to produce successful works.
