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Just as soon as we\u2019re \u201cout with the old\u201d as in our previous post about the no-budget and barely-seen Illinois<\/strong> horror movie DEAD BODIES EVERYWHERE<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, C-U Blogfidential<\/span><\/strong> switches gears to herald the new with the recent debut of short-short thriller TRICK NOT TREAT<\/strong> from Lawford County Productions<\/strong> of Sumner<\/strong>. I thought it might be worth approaching this topic briefly and separately from our upcoming interview with writer\/director Jed Brian<\/strong> so we can delve a bit into how his latest can be seen, purchased, and traded in a way that very few films can at this time. Counter to the established rent-or-buy model used widely by the streaming sites including Amazon Prime<\/strong>, where one can watch the retooled cut of Brian\u2019s UNLISTED OWNER<\/strong> as we\u2019ve recently announced<\/a><\/span>, TRICK NOT TREAT<\/strong> owners will instead have personal access to a NFT (non-fungible token) that is a digital and unique product.<\/p>\n At the risk of sounding like a lost-in-the-crops rube, I\u2019ll start by pointing out an IBM<\/strong> article<\/a><\/span> highlighting the main attributes of blockchain technology. It provides the encryption that allows NFTs to be authenticated and commodified. Unlike physical items that are imperfectly tracked via barcode or serial number from the manufacturing plant to the original point of sale and can then be bought, worn down, damaged, lost, given away, traded, and sold for a few bucks to a friend or stranger when no one else is looking, NFTs are computer-generated assets that retain an entire exchange history and levels of \u201cworth\u201d from one transaction to the next. In this realm, Brian teamed with Previn Wong<\/strong> of the Terror Cards<\/strong> app to offer TRICK NOT TREAT<\/strong> and related \u201cmerchandise.\u201d A graphic on the latter\u2019s Web page<\/a><\/span> alludes to the \u201ccollect-them-all\u201d and social interaction aspects of what they offer \u2013 facsimiles of trading cards branded with horror movie photos and graphics they have licensed from independent U.S. distributors.<\/p>\n TRICK NOT TREAT<\/strong> is distinguished in that it was specifically made to be offered as an NFT, which are viewable in high definition on smart phone apps and computer browsers. The TRICK NOT TREAT<\/strong> products include the complete 5-minute short, cards of the actors in character, movie poster art, and exclusive behind-the-scenes images; scroll down to the bottom of this page for thumbnails of the set<\/a><\/span>. Click on a product and you\u2019ll be shown its one-of-a-kind details and whether it is available to obtain. Here is an example, \u201ccopy\u201d number 40 of 47 issued so far<\/a><\/span> for TRICK NOT TREAT<\/strong> the film, offered by \u201cz15b2.wam\u201d which is Terror Cards. One can look through their entire catalog<\/a><\/span> on the marketplace AtomicHub<\/strong> and add money \u2013 cryptocurrency converted from real-world dollars and cents \u2013 to a \u201cwallet\u201d using the blockchain service WAX<\/strong><\/a><\/span> (Worldwide Asset eXchange) in order to buy, sell, and trade.<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Producing TRICK NOT TREAT<\/strong> for Terror Cards was otherwise horror business as usual for Brian and his team, including actors Gil T. Wilson, Christine Jones<\/strong>, and Adam Gard<\/strong>. \u201cI had this script already written and was planning on shooting it eventually,\u201d he tells CUBlog<\/span><\/strong>, the tale involving a couple who receive an unwanted visitor in Halloween<\/strong> garb on the first day of a cabin getaway. \u201cTerror Cards reached out and I said, \u2018Well, I have a script for a short if you want to read it.\u2019 They gave it the okay and the rest is history!\u201d Filmed recently near Lancaster<\/strong> and Mesa Lake<\/strong><\/a><\/span> in the southeast Illinois county of Wabash<\/strong>, TRICK NOT TREAT<\/strong> was originally written as a possible script for California<\/strong>-based producer Alex Maga\u00f1a<\/strong> and his genre channel ACMofficial<\/strong><\/a><\/span>. \u201cHe wasn\u2019t able to [take it on, so] we used it for the NFT,\u201d explains Brian. \u201cIt fit perfect since YouTube<\/strong> has so many restrictions [with graphic content].\u201d Silly scares in the TALES FROM THE CRYPT<\/strong> vein ensue, and creatives are enamored about the possibilities.<\/p>\n Apparently, the use of NFTs to distribute, fundraise, promote, and build fan bases for films is a Next Big Thing as the headlines are everywhere<\/em>. Deadline<\/span><\/strong> and Yahoo! Finance<\/strong> go into the methods<\/a><\/span> used by the makers of ZERO CONTACT<\/strong>, a science-fiction drama starring Anthony Hopkins<\/strong> and filmed virtually in 2020<\/a><\/span>, to hit all the talking points above as well as the auctioning (e.g., allowing prices to climb a la eBay) of NFT prints of the finished film. The Hollywood Reporter<\/span><\/strong> sifts through the potential benefits and pitfalls of NFT use in the industry<\/a><\/span>, from studio marketing pushes to indie filmmaker dabbling from the likes of Kevin Smith<\/strong> (CLERKS III<\/strong>) and Jennifer Esposito<\/strong> (THE BOYS<\/strong>). Also, CNBC<\/strong> reports on Quentin Tarantino<\/strong>\u2019s plans<\/span><\/a> to release never-before-seen, \u201cunedited\u201d scenes from PULP FICTION<\/strong> as NFTs on the startup blockchain platform The Secret Network<\/strong>, named so because it will keep user identities private.<\/p>\n Yikes<\/em>. I need to lie down for a bit. NFTs have already become a fashionable commodity in other areas like gaming and music, so is this simply the next evolution of film accessibility in the open market? We\u2019ll all understand it better someday. If only the creepy pie hole of TRICK NOT TREAT<\/strong>\u2019s \u201cTreater\u201d could talk\u2026<\/p>\n ~ Jason Pankoke<\/p>\n p.s.<\/em> C\u2019mon, kiddies! TALES FROM THE ENCRYPT<\/strong>! Crack that code, Previn and Jed! Heeheehee!!!<\/p>\n p.s.2<\/em> Data generation to accommodate and secure NFT use is not without drawbacks that need to be addressed, as reported earlier this year by The Verge<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/span>, including environmental waste concerns. To their own defense<\/a><\/span>, WAX bills itself as \u201cthe world’s most proven and eco-friendly blockchain for NFTs, video games and collectibles.\u201d May that be the case, and hopefully clean and durable energy can fuel this nascent industry in the future. We thank Confidential agent AME<\/strong> for taking aim and pointing this out.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n