Proposal: Showcase Fingerprints Collection in Night Run

TLDR: We are asking for between $10,000 and $20,000 USD to incorporate Fingerprints Autoglyphs collection into the Night Run video game which will be released for free for all to play on Steam.

What Is Night Run: a conceptual art project that incorporates a night time motorcycle video game, an NFT collection about imaginary AI powered fashion houses and a video documentation series providing a behind the scenes view of the creative process.

Website with more info: https://www.nightrun.art/

View the proposal with images and links (removed in order to post on Discourse forum): Finger Prints DAO - Night Run Integration Proposal - Google Docs

Example of production ready game visuals with both 2D and 3D HeavenComputer artwork

Night Run YouTube Playlist (see Google doc above, links removed by forum)

WIP collection selector screen for token holders in prototype game build

Goal:

Showcase the fingerprints DAO AutoGlyphs collection in a new and interesting way:

  1. Adding the Fingerprints Autoglyph collection to the Night Run game as one of the collections that owners of Night Run tokens can add to their curated routes through the generative city.
  2. Integrate Autoglypes as 2D billboards in the game
  3. Create 3D interpretations of the Autoglyphs floating in the sky of the city in the style of aerial drone art
  4. Feature the process of building the feature and collaborating with the Fingerprints DAO in our YouTube documentary series about the project
  5. Fingerprints as sponsor: If desired, Fingerprints could be credited as a sponsor of the game on the game’s title screen and marketing materials

Project Outline:

  • Proposal (you are here)
  • Funding
    • Reach agreement with Fingerprints team on funding for the project and terms
  • 2D Billboards:
    • Incorporate 2D Autoglyphs into the Night Run game by placing them on billboards which appear as you drive through the procedurally generated city
  • 3D Feature Integration
    • Develop the technology needed to render Autoglyphs as “ASCII drone art” in the sky of the game, displaying randomized selections from the DAO collection
  • Documentation Video:
    • A professionally produced YouTube video that documents the creative process behind the feature, shares some history about Fingerprints and explains how the collection came to be in Night Run

Timeline: The timeline for the feature development is 4-6 weeks from the funding date. The video will be delivered two weeks after the feature is complete. Both will be “built in public” via the Thousand Ant and Fingerprints Discords (if desired).

Benefits for Fingerprints:

  • This is a unique opportunity to showcase the Fingerprints Autoglyph collection in a realtime environment that is open to the public for free
  • Fingerprints members who are interested in game development will get a front row seat for the process, the chance to ask questions and learn what goes into making a modern 3D game
  • Fingerprints DAO gets privileged access to mint Night Run tokens during a presale period (if desired)

What will the video look and feel like?: The video will include a mixture of on camera footage of Matto talking, footage of the game and graphics. There are examples of other devlog videos in the series here (see Google doc above for link, removed by forum)

The Team: Thousand Ant is a digital agency with a focus on realtime 3D and game development. We work with organizations like Unity Technologies, Google, Microsoft, Terraforms by Mathcastles and JuiceboxDAO to help them create games, animations and educational content to inspire developers and creators.

Matto (aka Matt Schell) is the Managing Director of Thousand Ant and a generative artist working with code, realtime visuals and procedural audio. He’s released music for respected labels like Warp Records and also formerly served as the global head of online evangelism for Unity Technologies. He is a community contributor to web3 projects including Terraforms by Mathcastles. Thousand Ant has recently released our own first two NFT collections: Hypercastle Explorers, a project which is building a game engine SDK for Terraforms and The Idea Becomes A Machine, an AI mediated exploration of the work of Sol LeWitt with robots from the future.

Suspicious Seaweed (aka Tom Schell) is the Head of Operations for Thousand Ant.

Funds Requested: $10,000 - 20,000 USD (or ETH equivalent)

Funds allocation & delivery

  • The majority of funds will be spent on developer and technical artist salaries for the time period of building the integration

  • A portion of funds will be used to pay for dev log video production costs

  • We normally operate on a 50% up front and 50% upon completion basis but are open to other milestone based structures if desired.

So just off the top, I saw this idea in the Cryptoadz Discord and was in favor of it for toadz. I see this as a find and replace version of the one provided to them here:

Cryptoadz - Night Run Integration Proposal - Grants - CrypToadz by GREMPLIN

Kind of less of a fan of the idea for toadz having seen this pitch as well. I would ask to know who else has gotten this pitch and how do their use case(s) differ from Fingerprints? I understand game dev isn’t cheap nor is the potential for eyeballs but the additional cost of adding new art might not warrant the entry price.

It’s worth discussing - that what may work for toadz may not work for FP:

  1. Showing a quick hit JPEG of a toad with the project name does not require the same depth of understanding between an Autoglyph and what they are and what they mean to FP and what makes up the FP collection and on and on… Going further, someone playing a free steam game probably aren’t the target audience for a DAO collecting generative art.
  2. Describing what a DAO is to the Steam audience in this digestible format is not as easy as showing a funny picture i.e. toadz. Without knowing the impact of the game, it is then hard to assign value to people (who may or may not be) seeking out an explainer video where these details could be expanded.
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hey @f1cken thanks for taking a look at the proposal.

We’ve approached Nouns, Toadz and now Fingerprints with proposals. We’re approaching projects and organizations we admire and think would fit well with the project. As of now we haven’t received a commitment from anyone, but if we do we can come back and update this thread in case that changes anyone’s thinking about it.

As to whether it’s the right fit for Fingerprints, I think it’s a novel way to bring attention to the collection and potentially reach a new audience but it’s of course up to the DAO as to whether it’s in line with their goals or the right audience/context.

I had spoken to Sam Spike about this project last year when he was part of the curatorial team at FP and he had expressed interest in working together on the project, although that didn’t end up moving ahead. I hope it doesn’t seem like we’re just randomly approaching organizations. I’ve been a Jims holder since mint, am active in Terraforms which I know the DAO has a substantial collection of and have a lot of respect for Fingerprints as a collecting body.

Thanks for clearing it up! Just something that I think is probably worth mentioning at the top. Definitely know you to be a community member (JM).

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My pleasure :slight_smile: JM :handshake:.

Thanks for this proposal @Matto . It’s great to have a fellow Jim coming to Fingerprints with new ideas and doing really innovative stuff!

Echoing @f1cken’s comment, I’m not quite sure how Fingerprints benefits from the same “spreading the meme” kind of brand exposure Toadz or Nouns benefit.

There are levels of understanding required to:
(1) see an Autoglyph in the game
(2) understand what it is
(3) and eventually link to the Fingerprints

that I just don’t see how that will be effective in this format to create brand value for the DAO. In general our brand needs a little more explanation than other projects that are just looking to spread the meme or their aesthetics.

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hey Luiz,

Thanks for taking a look at this. Understood if it doesn’t feel like exactly the right fit, a few Fingerprints adjacent folks have been supportive and interested in the project so I thought it would be worth reaching out with a proposal. Appreciate your taking time to consider it and sharing your thoughts.

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