Web3 Can Help Marginalized Communities Share Their Stories: Jordan Bayne

Award-winning filmmaker Jordan Bayne believes blockchain technology can succeed where Hollywood falls short, giving creators a better alternative to the dynamics of today’s cinema landscape.

“I think that Web3 offers something that traditional Hollywood does not offer, which is power to the creator,” Bayne told Decrypt at the inaugural MetaCannes Festival in France.

Bayne has been at the forefront of the Film3 movement, founding the Film Squad media collective after she became interested in crypto in 2015. The Film Squad showcases myriad ways that indie filmmakers can leverage blockchain tech to their own benefit.

The organization has hosted over 350 shows since it was created in February 2021, Bayne said, drawing on the experience of other women engaged in the film industry and exploring Web3’s potential in areas such as financing, distribution, and ownership.

“You can truly own your IP through the whole thing,” Bayne said, highlighting the advantages that Web3 brings to filmmaking. “Your community can be involved through every step, and you don't necessarily need the studios.”

Another central tenet of the Squad is its potential to uplift other artists, she explained, using the internet to bring like-minded people together.  

“I built the Squad on amplifying others [and] showcasing others,” Blayne said, adding that the Web3 space offers artists a unique sense of acceptance and inclusion.

The Film Squad was founded partly in response to pain points that Bayne encountered as a woman and member of the LGBTQIA community working in film, she said. The squad is therefore committed to serving members of other marginalized communities, like Black filmmakers and people of color. 

Bayne’s ambitions with the Squad mirror elements of her work as a filmmaker, she said, which is aimed at capturing the stories of those that are often untold. 

“As a filmmaker, I've always told stories that are about people in the shadows—people whose voices haven’t been heard,” Blayne eplained, referencing some of her previous work, like the short motion picture “Red Flags.”

Blayne described the film as a “heavy hitter” in terms of its focus on social impact, and said Web3 tech is enabling people to rally around the creation of other content that they want to see—helping marginalized groups control their own representation in media.

“This is just an innovative new pathway, where we can create another way for voices to be out there,” she said. “Each community wants to see their voices on screen.”