The crypto documentary "Vitalik: The Story of Ethereum" is about to release its trailer

Source: EthereumFilm

Adapted by: Web3 Sniffer, CoinWorld

The concept of Ethereum was proposed in 2013 by the young and visionary programmer Vitalik Buterin. At that time, he was inspired by Bitcoin's blockchain technology and envisioned a platform that supported more than just digital currency. With the help of a professional team, he developed Ethereum and released it to the public in 2015. Vitalik Buterin is thus known as the father of Ethereum and is also referred to as "V God."

Ethereum, created by Vitalik, is a decentralized, open-source public blockchain platform with smart contract functionality. Its native token, ETH, is the second-highest cryptocurrency by market capitalization globally, and Ethereum is currently one of the most widely used blockchains.

After three years of filming and production, the Ethereum documentary "Vitalik: The Story of Ethereum" is finally set to be released this year. The documentary was initially titled "Ethereum: The Infinite Garden," a name that originated from the Ethereum Foundation. However, since this is an independent film (not produced by the Ethereum Foundation), the team ultimately decided to abandon this name to avoid community confusion.

This Ethereum-themed documentary is independently produced by the film company Optimist, with Carrie Weprin as the producer and Zach Ingrasci and Chris Temple as co-directors. Linda Xie, founder of Scalar Capital and former product manager at Coinbase, also participated as an advisor. The filming budget was raised from the community through Mirror in 2021, totaling 1035.96 ETH.

The release schedule for the documentary "Vitalik: The Story of Ethereum" has been announced:

• Phase 1: Trailer release on July 23
• Phase 2: On-chain ticket presale on July 26
• Phase 3: Global release on September 18
• Phase 4: Extended theatrical run in Fall 2024
• Phase 5: Mainstream streaming premiere in Winter 2024/2025

This thematic documentary focuses on the humanity and core behind the technology, aimed at community members, cryptocurrency enthusiasts, and skeptics alike. It will take viewers on a deep dive into the founder of Ethereum and the story behind it, showcasing the development and impact of this revolutionary platform. Here is an introduction to the background of the film's creation:

The Future of Film Distribution: The Power of Decentralization

For a long time, film distribution has been controlled by a few powerful intermediaries, leaving creators with almost no control over the dissemination and monetization of their work. However, the emergence of blockchain technology and the rise of the Ethereum community provide a unique opportunity to disrupt this broken system. By adopting on-chain financing and self-distribution, we can fundamentally change the way films are financed, distributed, and experienced.

In the past five years, we have witnessed mergers among major media companies, significantly limiting distribution opportunities and narrowing the types of content produced and distributed. Creators and audiences are at the mercy of media giants, whose business models favor certain types and algorithms, leading to the formation of information echo chambers. We have missed out on stories that could expose us to new ideas and different perspectives.

Inspired by the spirit of Ethereum, we propose a new way of distribution for the multifaceted documentary series "The Story of Ethereum" and our flagship film "Vitalik: The Story of Ethereum." This is not just a documentary project; it is a bold experiment driven by the community.

By harnessing the power of cryptocurrency, we incorporate the film's trailer, supplementary content, and ticketing into a distribution model that allows the community direct access to the film while funding the decentralized release of "Vitalik: The Story of Ethereum" in theaters and traditional streaming platforms worldwide. This is your chance to become more than just a viewer. Every click, every share, and every ticket helps build a new world of decentralized film distribution.

A Letter to the Ethereum Community

In 2021, on a sunny day in Marin County, Morgan Beller first introduced us to Vitalik Buterin. Vitalik, with a 40L backpack, joked with "dad jokes" while typing his latest blog post on Verkle trees. Despite his significant role in the crypto revolution, we were impressed by Vitalik's down-to-earth demeanor. He broke the stereotypes of "crypto bros" and "arrogant founders" commonly found in mainstream media.

As we delved deeper into the Ethereum ecosystem, more surprises awaited us. In the weeks following our meeting with Vitalik, we met the amazing Xie Xin, who became our reliable guide in exploring this unique and wonderful ecosystem. Soon, we quickly immersed ourselves in the field and initiated a pplpleasr NFT crowdfunding campaign with Denis and his Mirror.xyz team. In just 51 hours, we raised 1035.96 ETH, with Leorad.eth, PleasrDAO, and Mariano Conti among our top contributors.

The film industry quickly took notice of this unconventional approach, allowing us to bring Steve Jang, Time Studios, and Big Beach into our fold. This incredible support enabled us to create a fully independent film, free from the pressures of major media companies to exaggerate the story. We simply began filming and asking questions, with the Ethereum community and our crowdfunding supporters helping us learn along the way.

After three years of filming, our cameras witnessed the unfolding of history: the NFT craze, a war that disrupted the world order, scandals that toppled villains, and the most ambitious software upgrade ever. During the rollercoaster years of 2021-2023, the Ethereum community faced severe growing pains. But no matter the chaos and challenges, Vitalik remained a steadfast anchor, holding onto the vision of an open internet accessible to all.

We initially planned to make a documentary about Ethereum, but our journey led us to a larger goal.

"Vitalik: The Story of Ethereum" is our feature-length documentary about the humanity and spirit behind technology. This film is suitable for community members, those curious about cryptocurrency, and skeptics. We acknowledge that this film cannot capture the entire story of Ethereum—this ecosystem is too diverse and vast to be covered in a single film—but viewing the community through Vitalik's perspective makes the story more approachable and humanized.

This film is the core of our "Story of Ethereum" series. Other stories will be shorter and more digestible, guiding viewers into the heart of the community. You will learn about the history of generative art, experience the democratic power of ConstitutionDAO, revisit the launch of GitcoinDAO, witness the innovation of Uniswap, and more.

Through our Mirror crowdfunding, we experienced the immense power of decentralization firsthand. As the film industry undergoes its own transformation, we hope to leverage this community-driven technology to distribute our work. Collaborating with the teams at Zora, Bonfire, and Base, we decided to empower the people rather than major distributors by providing this film and the complete series on-chain.

Minting the trailer, tickets, and supplementary content not only unlocks viewing access but also helps fund the self-distribution of this feature-length documentary in theaters and streaming platforms worldwide, making it accessible not only to those within the crypto space but also to the outside world. Join us in witnessing this story that has been brewing for three years. This story chronicles the journey of Ethereum through the eyes of those most dedicated to keeping it vibrant and endlessly evolving.