SXSW: FOX and Blockchain Creative Labs celebrate 'Welcome to Flatch,' the fest — and the future

Austin, TX - It’s been three years since the worlds of tech and entertainment descended on downtown Austin, TX for South by Southwest, the massive festival and conference that "celebrates the convergence of tech, film, and music industries." But in 2022, it’s business as usual — or whatever "usual" means for a festival devoted to exploring what’s next in a rapidly changing world.

And FOX’s Blockchain Creative Labs is right at the epicenter of the excitement, for those in Austin and for anyone interested in the future of entertainment and collaboration. 

The first-ever blockchain sponsor of South by Southwest (also called SXSW), Blockchain Creative Labs is welcoming festivalgoers to BCL House March 11-13 from 9 p.m.-5 p.m. and 8 p.m.-11 p.m. (Daytime events are open to the general public with an RSVP, badge or no badge; evening events are reserved for badge-holders only.) BCL House is located at 5th and Trinity.

A party is a party, and in that respect, the events at BCL House should have a comfortingly familiar vibe — but it’s also a party on the cutting-edge. Here’s some of what visitors can expect. 

The SXSW x BCL NFT Ledger: This is "an infinite, immersive room scale, real-time visualization of blockchain data at SXSW. The events and moments captured by the ledger will be live at Blockchain Creative Labs and then minted into the World’s Largest Co-created NFT." It marks the first time a blockchain time capsule will have been created at a festival. 

BCL_RECORDBLOCKS: "Discover your new favorite musician via the blockchain and get rewarded with free NFT drops from SXSW artists. This audio-visual installation is an experiment with those-formerly known-as-the audience, as your listening will actively unlock unique digital artwork. Forging a new model of fan-artist mutual support, BCL_RecordBlocks is the future of music in Web3." 

BCL_NFT_GALLERY: "The BCL_NFT_Gallery celebrates a series of diverse new NFT art and entertainment collections by day and experimental DJ parties by night. From WWE to global superstars, up-and-coming musicians to world premiere films, surprise creators and artists, this is the larger-than-life future of Web3 you’ve been waiting for." 

BCL_WEB3_EXCHANGE: "The heart of the Lab is an immersive, decentralized exchange of ideas between the best and brightest of Web3. With daily fireside chats, discussions, debates, decentralized disruptions, and celebrity drop-ins, you won’t find a clearer window into the future than at the BCL_Web3_Exchange. Come, learn, listen and participate in the conversion about the future impact and opportunities of Web3 on the creative community and media business." Find a detailed programming schedule here.

Read on for more about what BCL has planned, and stay tuned for further coverage from FOX film and TV critics Allison Shoemaker and Caroline Siede, who are on the ground in Austin. 

This post will be updated throughout the festival.

BCL House — event highlights

Saturday, Mar. 12

Decentralized Storytelling: How Hollywood is Embracing Web3 (1:00-1:45 p.m.)

"Web3 has the potential to radicalize the relationship between storytellers and their fans. Is Hollywood ready for this shift from the multiverse to the metaverse? What if the future of fandom meant remixing studio IP in Web3? And getting equity along the way?" Featuring:

• Leo Matchett, Co-Founder & CEO, Decentralized Pictures
• Diana Williams, CEO and Co-founder, Kinetic Energy Entertainment
• J. Clara Chan, Digital Media Writer, The Hollywood Reporter

Decentralizing Reality: The Promise, Potential, and Challenges of Web3 (2:00-2:45 p.m.)

"Web3 is all about decentralizing centralized systems. But can Web3 tools decentralize reality itself? We'll hold a rapidfire series of lightning talks about VR, AR, XR, and Metaverse to speculate on how we'll exist in the future; in entertainment, and beyond." Featuring:

• Gabo Arora, CEO, Lightshread.io
• Sly Lee, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Emerge
• Yasmin Elayat, Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Scatter
• Sutu, Artist & Co-Founder, EyeJack

BCL Launch Party featuring DJ Dave and 3LAU (8:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m., badge-holders only)

"Kick off SXSW in true party fashion with us from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. with special performances by 3LAU, American DJ and electronic dance music producer known as the first musician to sell an album as an NFT, and DJ Dave. Come for the knowledge sharing and stay for the music."

Sunday, Mar. 13

Web3 Entertainment: Animating the Blockchain (11:00-11:45 a.m.)

"FOX Entertainment was the first major TV studio to debut its own blockchain division. They're even premiering their new show Krapopolis on the blockchain. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. What if you could collaboratively tell a story with your favorite characters on the blockchain?" Featuring:

• Scott Greenberg, CEO, Blockchain Creative Labs & Bento Box Entertainment
• Tommy Pallotta, Producer, "A Scanner Darkly," "Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood"
• Ben Jones, Creative Director, Bento Box Entertainment
• Erick Calderon, Founder and CEO, Art Blocks
• Michael Thorn, President, Entertainment, FOX Entertainment
• Richard Whittaker, Culture Editor, The Austin Chronicle

Welcome to Flatch panel (12:00-12:45 p.m.)

"Get a behind-the-scenes look at FOX Entertainment’s upcoming comedy "Welcome To Flatch," written and executive-produced by Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Jenny Bicks and directed and executive-produced by DGA Award winner and Emmy Award nominee Paul Feig. When a documentary crew sets out to explore the lives of residents in small-town America, they stumble upon the midwestern town of Flatch, which is made up of many eccentric personalities. In this panel, the stars and producers discuss how the show connects with fans in the age of social media and streaming."

• Paul Feig, Executive Producer/Director
• Jenny Bicks, Executive Producer/Writer
• Holmes, Series Star
• Sam Straley, Series Star
• Michael Thorn, President of Entertainment, FOX Entertainment
• Peter White, TV Editor, Deadline

NFTs and Physical Art: The Future of Collecting (1:00-1:45 p.m.)

"What will it take to bridge the gap between physical and digital art? How can owners of physical art benefit from the boom of NFTs? Beginning with the belief that physical art should not be left behind, we will explore the possible enhancements of physical art through blockchain technology. With perspectives from both the traditional art world and the crypto art market, this discussion will collide new and old, leading to surprising insights." Featuring:

• Brian Trunzo, Metaverse Lead, Polygon Studios
• John Swarbrooke, Art Specialist, 0xArt
• Marjorie Hernandez, Founder, LUKSO; Co-founder, THE DEMATERIALISED

WWE Meets Web3: Stars, Brands and Fans (2:00-2:45 p.m.)

"Web3 signals a new era for entertainment companies. We’ll look at the developing relationship between stars, brands, and fans through NFTs and social media. How will this dynamic evolve? We’ll examine the WWE through the lens of its star and brand officer, generating insight into the future of Web3 entertainment." Featuring:

• Michael Casey, CCO, CoinDesk
• Special Guest TBA, WWE
• Charlotte Flair, WWE Superstar
• Robert Gottlieb, Executive Vice President, Marketing, FOX Sports

ABOUT BLOCKCHAIN CREATIVE LABS

Blockchain Creative Labs (BCL), a new business and creative unit formed in 2021 by FOX Entertainment and its Emmy Award-winning animation studio, Bento Box Entertainment, provides content creators, IP owners and advertising partners end-to-end blockchain computer ecosystem solutions to build, launch, manage and sell Non-Fungible Token (NFT) content and experiences, and fungible tokens, as well as digital goods and assets. BCL also manages a $100 million creator fund, established by FOX Entertainment and Bento Box, which identifies growth opportunities in the NFT space. In August of 2021, Fox Corporation made a strategic investment in Eluvio, a global pioneer for managing, distributing and monetizing premium content via blockchain, that will provide the underlying technology platform for BCL.

ABOUT SXSW 

SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of tech, film, music, education and culture. An essential destination for global professionals, the annual March event features sessions, music and comedy showcases, film screenings, exhibitions, professional development and a variety of networking opportunities. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together.

This station is owned by the FOX Corporation.

Stream free on Tubi: "9 to 5"

Next week, Dolly Parton and Blockchain Creative Labs will launch "Dollyverse," an "audience-centric Web3 experience." Look for more info on this exciting partnership in the days to come — but for now, tumble out of bed, stumble to the kitchen and enjoy this comedy classic. Rated PG. 109 minutes. Dir: Colin Higgins. Also featuring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dabney Coleman.

About Tubi: Tubi has more than 35,000 movies and television series from over 250 content partners, including every major studio, in addition to the largest offering of free live local and national news channels in streaming. The platform gives fans of entertainment, news and sports an easy way to discover new content that is available completely free.

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Tubi and this television station are both owned by the FOX Corporation.

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