Two Melbourne filmmakers are crowdfunding a Bitcoin documentary in Australia. The film will be presented in parts, as a mini-series. Chris Mylrae and Dale Dickins are behind the production and recently launched a fundraiser with a special Bitcoin event in an iconic warehouse space located in Melbourne’s CBD.
The two filmmakers are on a mission to uncover the real stories behind the news. In the process they hope to demonstrate the impact that cryptocurrencies are having on people’s lives in Australia.
Some footage has already been shot. What we see is a community of people coming together to make Bitcoin user friendly, safe and secure. The filmmakers have also discovered that people have a lot of questions about Bitcoin and crypto-currencies in general, so there will be a focus on answering the question in the mini-series.
Dale brings experience and connections in the Bitcoin ecosystem. Chris has an attention to detail and a professional, on-the-fly approach. The Australian Bitcoin community is eagerly awaiting the release of this series, with its valuable and unique perspective.
The campaign launch drew people from a variety of industries, many of whom brought a friend with them. Shortly after arriving, people who’d never used Bitcoin before happily waited for wallets to download so they could get their $10 Bitcoin gift and then spend it at the bar.
There were many ‘lightbulb’ moments as Bitcoin was transferred from wallet-to-wallet and then to point of sale systems. Bar staff confidently showed new people how to use the tablets that had been sitting on the bar for payments.
Of the 38 gift transactions 47% happened after people saw the clips, which indicates that the footage increased confidence in use. People could see how to buy things using Bitcoin in shops, which answered their “where can I use it?” question.
The cinema quickly filled when the screenings were announced, and the feedback was positive. The atmosphere was relaxed and casual with high energy conversations, as is usually the case with Bitcoin meetups.
The filmmakers note that their key drive with this campaign is to assist people as they step into Bitcoin, answer questions and make the process as easy as possible. They are keen to educate people with crypto-currencies, answer any questions they have and give them opportunities to use it.
The film is open for pledges and funds will be used for flights to additional locations, editing, colour grading, sound mixing, animation, music composition, hard disks and associated web hosting costs. The film will cover 3 episodes with some exciting bonus material. It is being shot in HD with proper mics and fill lighting.
The mini-series will be released on the web as Creative Commons BY-NC-SA; the Vimeo (Pro) version with zero ads, the Youtube without revenue streams. The series will be downloadable in HD for backers.
Chris has directed and shot music videos for renowned Australian musical artists such as Jimmy Barnes, Slinkee Minx and Dallas Crane. He has also created material for all kinds of organisations and documented many interesting events from large scale conferences to games conventions.
Dale is the creator of MADinMelbourne and is on a mission to make Melbourne the Bitcoin Capital of the World. She also founded the Melbourne Bitcoin shopping tours and is very active in the Australian crypto-scene.
