22. Luc Schurgers: Leveraging DNABlock 3D models for content creation in the era of Web3

Welcome to EARLY, the podcast about web3 business from Bankless Consulting.

DSide's guest today is Luc Schurgers, co-founder and CEO of DNABlock Animations Studio. Luc has had a diverse career, working in advertising with notable brands like Ray Bans, Levis, and Nissan, as well as stand-alone projects with the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final, and Ethernia - Cryptowars. He describes himself as a left/right brain thinker, combining his technical expertise in computer science with his creative passion for animation. DNABlocks has so far raised $7m in seed funding and anticipates launching its full product line in July of 2023.

 

Luc explains how his experiences led him to found DNABlock Animations Studio, driven by his desire to create a content creation tool by using a game engine. DNABlock is a platform that focuses on creating 3D models at scale for use throughout mediums in Web3. Luc explains the journey of building a procedural system to generate a billion different avatars. A process that took two and a half years to accomplish. He explains how DNABlock's goal is to democratize 3D model creation and that it has already garnered interest from professionals seeking to leverage its capabilities.

 

Later in the episode, Luc explains how the integration of DNABlock with blockchain technology and Web3 allows for token-gating content and digital assets. Luc demonstrates the character creation process in DNABlock, showcasing its capabilities and how it leverages LLM APIs to maximize efficiency in video content creation and script writing. The APIs also integrate sentiment analysis and a self-improving animation system into their APIs, which further enhances the efficiencies over time. 

 

The blockchain tie-in allows every aspect of character creation to be turned into an NFT, granting token-gated content access. This feature enables music video artists, for example, to offer exclusive content to their community through airdrops and live events.
Luc describes how the suite of software included in DNABlock's Replikant product has already attracted significant interest, particularly in light of canceled shows and reduced production budgets. 

 

DNABlock will offer a subscription-based service where AI APIs can be integrated, and NFTs can be transferred, bought, or sold, opening up new revenue streams for content creators.

Looking ahead, DNABlock plans to continue developing the product, explore opportunities in game creation, find clients, and focus on customer support through tutorial creation. Interested creators can join the waitlist on the DNABlock website to receive a Steam key for the platform.

 

***Timestamps***

• 0:00 - Luc Schurgers Background

• 4:45 - Limits of traditional animation

• 8:00 - Interactive Adidas Soccer Campaign (UEFA 2012)

• 9:48 - Limits of traditional advertising

• 13:37 - First Entrepreneurial experience 

• 15:40 - Introducing DNABlock Animations Studio

• 18:40 - Bitcoin Mining

• 20:48 - Creating 3D models at scale

• 27:35 - DNABlock ties into Blockchain and Web3

• 28:55 - Issues of integrating NFTs into the game space (Fortnite)

• 30:35 - DNABlock ecosystem

• 33:50 - Live Demo of character creation in DNABlock

• 44:28 - Use Cases for DNABlock

• 45:30 - Business and Revenue Model

• 55:10 - Script Writing

• 1:00:00 - Example Script

• 1:03:36 - Blockchain Tie in for finished products

• 1:11:22 - Where does DNABlock go now
  
  

***Additional Resources***

• Youtube - @dnablock.studio

• Twitter - DNABlock - @DNABLOCK

• Luc Shurgers - @Shurgenator

• Web - Dnablock.com

• Discord - DNABLOCK

• Instagram - @dnablock.ai

• TikTok -@dnablock

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