BY ALEX WEPRIN | HollywoodReporter.Com
Troy Warren for CNT #Digital #NFT
The studio division of Time is developing animated kids’ shows based on NFT projects Waheed’s Smilesssvrs and Doug’s Toy Boogers, following a similar deal for Pablo Stanley’s Robotos.
Time Studios, the film and TV production division of the media company Time (best known for its namesake magazine), is betting that the next great kids’ TV show will start with a non-fungible token.
The studio’s kids and family unit is now in development on two new animated franchises based on NFT projects, one based on Waheed’s Smilesssvrs NFT collection and another based on Doug’s Toy Boogers NFT collection. The deals follow a similar project formed late last year with artist Pablo Stanley’s Robotos NFT collection.
Animated kids’ fare is among the most in-demand programming on TV and streaming, with every major subscription service (as well as free, ad-supported ones) seeking original kids’ content to beef up their offerings. While some of the most in-demand IP from classic children’s books and toys is already accounted for, Time Studios is betting that family-friendly NFT projects could prove ripe fodder for new characters and IP.
“We see an opportunity to build an extensive library of IP coming from the incredible creativity we are witnessing within the NFT space. In essence, our goal is to become the de facto studio for the web3 era,” Time president Keith Grossman says. “Both Waheed and Doug have amassed large, passionate communities within Smilesssvrs and Toy Boogers, and we are excited to welcome them to our growing roster of NFT creators within Time and Time Studios.”
Time editor-in-chief and CEO Edward Felsenthal announced earlier this week that Grossman is shifting to a new role “continuing our organization’s growth within the web3 ecosystem.” Felsenthal told Time staff in his memo that Time Studios now accounts for 25 percent of the company’s revenue.
Smilesssvrs, by the artist Waheed Zai, is made up of 8,888 unique 3D characters “inspired by the people, places, and emotions Waheed has encountered along his artistic journey.” Doug’s Toy Boogers, meanwhile, is made of 3,333 cartoon-like characters from the artist Doug.
“As Time Studios continues to form alliances with NFT creators, we have discovered that NFT artists who have grown up consuming content on multiple platforms still embrace the fundamental idea that good content starts with characters that live in rich worlds,” says Maria Perez-Brown, head of kids & family for Time Studios. “Waheed’s characters are focused on culture, fashion, hip-hop and Smilesss, whereas Doug’s Toy Booger characters are combined with all their avatars and now live in the metaverse. They couldn’t be more different, but both artists share a passion for their characters and the community that supports them.”
