For almost a century, aspiring filmmakers would have to trek to a major studio and pitch their idea to get a movie made. At the end of the twentieth century, enterprising auteurs used their own money on super low-budget shoots designed to spark interest from the big boys. At the beginning of the new millennium, creatives were afforded the opportunity to bypass the studio system thanks to sites like Kickstarter.
Now, indie filmmakers are turning to cryptocurrency to launch big budget projects without the aid of a high profile financier. The first project to take the crypto route is HardFork, a sci-fi series from writer and star Christopher James Baker (Ozark, True Detective) and director Doug Karr (Art Machine).
Perhaps appropriately, HardFork is based in a world dominated by cryptocurrency and augmented reality. The dystopian thriller follows a group of freedom fighters who use blockchain tech to break down the oppressive centralized government.
Yes, it sounds hokey, but popular series have been launched on flimsier premises. HardFork has all the potential to be a phenomenal series if it’s handled properly. Karr’s team has already put an initial offering to use on a proof of concept trailer, the end result of which is, at the very least, an intriguing glance at an unusual future.
Thanks to the team’s efforts soliciting funds from crypto sites like dash.org, HardFork is working from an extremely generous budget. That’s almost unheard of for a series that — to date — has no plans for widespread distribution.
Principal photography on HardFork is set to begin later this year. In the meantime, you can bet that crypto-curious directors and writers will be keeping a close eye on the production of this fascinating sci-fi series.