What is the blockchain? How does it work? Here are all the answers of the speakers of the panel “Everything you wanted to know about Distribution but never dared to ask: Blockchain and its use in Cinema Distribution“.
Presented by some experts as the technology that will soon radically change practices in all business sectors, the blockchain has also made its appearance in the current debates of the film industry, and within the discussions organized in the framework of major markets and film festivals.
On October 20, 2018, at the Cinema Quattro Fontane on the applications of this technology to the world of cinema speakers included Sam Klebanov (CEO of Cinezen Blockchained Entertainment), Alan Milligan (CEO and founder of White Rabbit), Nguyet Nguyenová (Operations & CEE Account Manager of GRUVI), Claire Roman (Legal and Business Affairs Manager at Curzon Artificial Eye). The debate was moderated by Sampomedia founder Michael Gubbins.
A growing number of startups are developing applications that are being promoted as solutions to some of the industry’s inherent inefficiencies and difficulties that emerged with the advent of digital at all levels of the film supply chain. Michael Gubbins of Sampomedia, in fact, said “Today we are going to discuss how blockchain might be applied to distribution of films, how can spot independent producer of European film”. Nguyet Nguyenová, who followed a period of academic research on blockchain applied to the world of cinema, echoed him: “We are entering a new era of trading, we can increase value creation. Blockchain technology means evolution of trust”.
The panel on new technology applied to the film world was also attended by experts in the field. Sam Klebanov, with a distributor career behind him, added, “I was frustated even as a consumer. So what is the solution we can offer at CINEZEN? Our soliton to the problems of distribution is blockchain, introducing transparency and verifiability”. Alan Milligan, CEO of White Rabbit, also draws on his experience as a consumer: “I see that some successful films don’t have reward for streaming. The solution at White Rabbit is to install a browser plug in that allows to give money distributed to all the stakeholders of film industry, through blockhain”. But which are the legal aspects surrounding the blockchain? According to Claire Roman, Legal and Business Affairs Manager at Curzon Artificial Eye, “I’m not going to tell you what to legally do. I will just tell you what questions you should ask to yourself and where they are going to lead you. What is your legal framework? What are going to be your challenges?”.
