Bald & Bullish Newsletter
Bald & Bullish Newsletter
MoviePass 🤝 Web3, Nat Geo NFTs, Future of Web3, etc...
Gm, and welcome to Bald & Bullish, the hub for Web3 and entertainment.
Here’s what’s in store for you today:
MoviePass makes a Web3-fueled comeback
National Geographic drops NFTs 🤯
Monday motivation
Why I’m not worried about NFTs
Tweet of the week
1. MoviePass Makes a Web3-Fueled Comeback
MoviePass (yes, that MoviePass) is gearing up for a comeback story rivaling every Rocky movie.
🌟 And Web3 will play a starring role!
MoviePass used to be the ultimate deal for movie-lovers - all you could watch for just ten bucks a month.
🤯 I remember being crazy jealous of all my friends who had it.
It was a revolutionary concept when it first appeared on the scene back in 2011.
🎫 For the price of a single cinema ticket, you could experience unlimited movies in theaters for one month – an enticing offer for movie buffs.
The concept proved popular, and MoviePass blew up. 📈
But then it all came crashing down. 📉
👉 The company's financial strategy was unsustainable.
Abruptly changing their prices and blocking access to blockbuster films like “Avengers: Infinity War” soundtracked an otherwise successful enterprise's demise.
MoviePass co-founder, Stacy Spikes, refused to give up on the brand.
👉 In 2021, he bought MoviePass's assets out of bankruptcy!
And now MoviePass is back - bigger & better than ever before – ushering in a revolutionary era for movie-goers worldwide!
The company is seeing a surge in funding, and they plan to put it towards something special:
👉 Their Web3 strategy.
The new and improved MoviePass plans to make Web3 technology the backbone of its comeback story.
Their strategy includes:
Virtual reality cinema experiences using the latest blockchain tech.
Virtual credits that let users trade with digital currency.
Watch-to-earn approach to advertising.
Commemorative NFTs.
Get ready for a whole new level of entertainment possibilities!
🎬 MoviePass hopes to define the future of cinema.
And I wouldn't count them out.
They have the brand recognition needed for a bull market moonshot.
If MoviePass creates:
an excellent product
with flawless UX (User Experience)
catered to the Web3 illiterate
They’ll have a chance.
This is bullish news, people.
2. National Geographic Drops NFTs
National Geographic ("Nat Geo") dropped its first NFT Collection last week, and the internet lost its shit. 🤯
(but not in a good way)
The Collection is titled,
"GM: Daybreak Around the World."
👉 Saying "GM" is a Web3 thing, so Nat Geo is totally pandering here. 🤷♂️
The Collection lives on the environmentally friendly blockchain, Polygon.
It's jam-packed with 1888 limited edition photographs - a clever supply considering the magazine's first issue dropped in 1888. 👏
The public response to this NFT drop was absolutely electric! People everywhere went wild with excitement...
Just kidding. 😂
People were outraged!
👉 They took to their keyboards and trolled the magazine all over social media - calling the Collection a "scam" and a "rug pull."
The drop itself was riddled with technical issues. Nat Geo used the NFT platform Snowcrash, which I've never even heard of. I didn't mint any myself, but the word on the street is that the UX was laughable.
So was this NFT drop a complete fail?
🙅♂️ Nope.
Instead, it’s a reminder of how early we are.
Despite the potential to revolutionize digital art, many people STILL have a strong negative association with NFTs. This stigma runs deep.
It's mind-boggling that, even after so many well-respected brands have entered Web3, many people still believe NFTs are nothing but scams.
It shows how much misunderstanding exists about blockchain technology and its many applications.
Nat Geo plunging into Web3 makes sense.
The magazine is renowned for bringing us:
captivating stories,
iconic photographs, and
groundbreaking scientific discoveries.
All of which are sure to flourish in Web3.
Nat Geo is an iconic source of inspiration and knowledge, connecting us to the world around us.
👉 From travel-filled cover stories to educational classes and films, they offer unforgettable learning experiences for young people and adults alike.
If Web3 is the massively transformative technology that many think it is, embracing it is a no-brainer for the magazine.
Nat Geo wants to cement their cultural impact onto the blockchain.
Don't just take it from me, though; hear it from the horse's mouth...
The Collection signifies that in the next 135 years Nat Geo will push the boundaries of innovative storytelling further, promote access and inclusivity, uplift our creators and photography as a powerful medium to tell impactful stories.
Despite the backlash, Nat Geo dropping an NFT collection is bullish news.
As the years go by, more and more established brands will enter Web3.
The hate will dissipate - slowly but surely.
(PS. the photographs in this Collection are 🔥)
3. Monday Motivation | Helpful Skills For Changing Careers
I was on my way to becoming a lifelong attorney until I realized how much unhappiness the job brought me. 😕
So after taking the LSATs, spending three years in law school, passing the bar exam, and working for years, I decided to leave it all behind and do something else.
(Dayum 👀)
💡 But it proved to be one of the best decisions of my life.
The following skills were invaluable in my career switch:
Self-Awareness:
Being self-aware is the best investment you can make in yourself.
We tend to wear a figurative mask, pretending to be someone else and setting goals based on outside influences instead of what's best for us.
Shedding our cloaks and being honest about who we truly are leads to living an authentic life where happiness comes from within!
Prioritize Your Opinions Over All Else:
We all care what those around us think – it's human nature!
Yet, when making important decisions, we need to remember that our own opinion is the one that matters most.
After years of working as a lawyer, I was terrified about leaving my career behind and pursuing creative endeavors instead.
But because I prioritized my decision-making abilities over external opinions, I ultimately made the best decision of my life.
Trust Your Gut:
I firmly believe in trusting your gut - it's like an internal compass guiding you toward the right path.
I knew something was off with my decision to be an attorney.
And after struggling with it for years, I finally took action and switched careers.
It's one of the most rewarding decisions I've made!
4. Why I’m not worried about NFTs
Despite the horrific bear market, I remain bullish as ever on Web3 and NFTs.
Here’s why…
Digital Ownership Will Normalize:
NFTs let you own a piece of the internet.
Most people understand Web1 (the OG internet).
Some people understand Web2 (creating content on social media)
Few understand Web3 (owning pieces of the internet).
And TBH, not even I fully grasped Web3 at first.
It's no wonder there are so many NFT doubters out there. It's tough. Let me tell ya, understanding these new concepts takes quite an "aha" moment.
💡 But after I made my first transaction, my perception changed. It felt like a light bulb had switched on in my head.
For the first time ever, I owned a digital asset. 🤯
👉 It wasn't just about owning something either - being part of the community the NFT represented really sealed the deal.
That's when I knew there'd be plenty more people out there experiencing that same 'aha' moment I had.
It's only a matter of time.
Artist Royalties Make An Unrebuttable Argument for NFTs:
NFTs are revolutionary for artists, allowing them to sell their work directly and collect royalties indefinitely.
It's a win-win situation. Artists make money off their art while fostering communities across the web!
How can anyone argue against that? 🤔
Web3 is the Backbone of Next Generation Storytelling:
NFTs are transforming storytelling.
Web3 is taking crowdsourced creativity to the next level, enabling NFT projects and their communities to collaborate like never before!
With token-gated writers' rooms, teams can brainstorm in an environment of open dialogue.
This creates a next-level entertainment experience.
5. Tweet of the Week
Calladita, the first European film funded by NFTs, scored a massive W.
They just won the Completion Funds award at Sundance given by Decentralized Pictures and Steven Soderbergh.
Calladita is currently in post-production, and the awarded funds will help propel the film through the finish line.
The Film3 revolution can’t be stopped!
That’s a wrap for today. See y’all next week! If that’s too long to wait (it probably is), be sure to follow me on Twitter (@BrendanBald)
DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly for educational and entertainment purposes. It's not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets. ALWAYS do your own research.