I
t’s a new era—in so many ways and for everyone on our planet. I’m a realist and I’ve embraced this new era. In this first of many to come “Letter from the Editor” as the editor-in-chief of OnChain Magazine, I’m going to try and frame why and how I founded OnChain Media+Entertainment. I’m also happy to have a conversation with you about it any time. Just reach out. I’m sure we can learn from each other. Conversations can do that.
The short answer to “why” is: provenance, authentication, royalties, and the tools and protocols now available to benefit both creators and audiences simultaneously.
This new ability being dubbed Web3 (we’ll see how long that moniker sticks) is a nirvana moment for me. I make IP—premium original content—that is created for specific platforms and distributed across multimedia channels. I’ve been in the Media & Entertainment and Tech industries since the late 80s so that means I’ve experienced the pre- and post-days of jpg, mp3, mp4, streaming technologies, and so on. You get the drift: these compression technologies changed the world. I have had the great fortune to work at and with major networks, streamers, studios, publishing companies, directors, and producers mostly in NYC and LA for 30+ years. I’ve experienced a lot and I’m still excited to produce and tell more stories, important ones—because now more than ever, it matters.
“Content drives engagement. Content drives decision-making. Content drives revenue.”
What is the common thread that all of these compression and platform technologies rely upon? Content. We’ve all heard the saying “Content is King” credited to Bill Gates; however, in this era of the 2020s I believe it’s really a three-legged stool of creators, content, and context and those things are not mutually exclusive. I’ve been remarking for years at speaking engagements: “Content drives engagement. Content drives decision-making. Content drives revenue,” and I stand by that statement. What’s so incredibly exciting now is that with blockchain technologies including smart contracts and tokens that digitally represent some type of IP (ie: a physical good, a ticket to an experience, trade for a service, a digital file, a book, a receipt, a deed, etc.), it’s a game-changer in the right direction for everyone (I could go down a deep rabbit hole on this subject) and that’s why I founded OnChain Media+Entertainment.
The short answer to “how” is: it was the right time and we had the knowledge, drive, determination, relationships, and mad skills to do it.
Our business model is really based on a very traditional media and entertainment company. Because: do what you know. We create original IP in all formats; we do co-productions and distribution deals; we sign talent, and more. What’s so fun and interesting now is that we are operating in our current Web 2.0 world and moving swiftly to a more decentralized and accessible Web3 world. We are proud to have taken the bold steps to build our products and ecosystem. I say “we” as it has taken a small but mighty team, particularly our art director Jason Stout (Austin) who is also a partner in our business, and others in Los Angeles, New York City, and London. I’m also proud that our Company HQ is based in San Antonio, Texas, a remarkable city that welcomed more people in 2021 as new residents from elsewhere in the USA than any other city and is super tech-forward with a continuous thread of culture, heritage, and innovation flowing freely and constantly. After 30+ years living in NYC and LA, I have moved back to my original home town of SATX and welcome you to visit.
More and more I am hearing that I’m an “OG” in digital. I suppose that is accurate as I was born at the exact right time to experience real time some marvels in technology that are moving us toward full hyperconnectivity. What I really think is I’m an OG in storytelling and I care a great deal about creators and their value in our world. Throughout my career—beginning in my national women’s magazine and television days—my audience has been mostly women. Did you know that women make 83% of the purchase decisions in the US economy but still only make 83¢ on the dollar compared to men? That means she is buying for everyone. You can see more about that here. We believe we are harnessing the power of women to benefit everyone.
You can get a snapshot of what we stand for here, meet our producers here, our talent here, and check out our channels here.
Wherever you are, have a fantastic day,
Ceslie
PS: don’t forget to support the causes that are important to you … every little bit matters. We support STEM and general education for girls and public egalitarian spaces and parks that foster conversations and good health.
