Today I Learned #3: There's a wiki for everything!

Status
Not open for further replies.
Buy one and try it?
I am not sure that would help. If I cannot find out the deal without buying one I am sure it is not in my interest.
 
I am not sure that would help. If I cannot find out the deal without buying one I am sure it is not in my interest.
Can't you just create an NFT from a file if you own it? Or have it? What is the process for creating them?
 
Can't you just create an NFT from a file if you own it? Or have it? What is the process for creating them?
There are 2 things: you have to have the file to calculate a hash out of it, and you have to own the copyright to be able to make the NFT transfer it. They have a FAQ and do not have "What do I buy?" on it.
 
Last edited:
There are 2 things: you have to have the file to calculate a hash out of it, and you have to own the copyright to be able to make the NFT transfer it. They have a FAQ and do not have "What do I buy?" on it.
A cool personal message from a person of note would be fun to have.
 
A cool personal message from a person of note would be fun to have.
But the question still is in what sense do you "have" anything. It is quite possible that you get nothing more that the ability to view it through a DRM'ed to the hilt app (and if the web site is anything to go one, security hole ridden), and send it to others who have the same app.,
 
If I can find a cool celeb I will try it out. So far I haven't. :(
 
NM
 
Last edited:
Now, if I could get Mick Jagger to sing Happy birthday to my wife, she would be thrilled. :)
 
TIL: you can get private video messages from famous and not so famous people.

https://www.cameo.com
Just browsing, spotted some tv actors it would be fun to see do something "in-character."

James Marsters (Spike in Buffy the Vampire Slayer) $50
John de Lancie (Q in ST:TNG) $100
Tricia Helfer (Number 6 in BSG) $125
Emma Caulfield (Anya in Buffy) $125
Richard Schiff (Toby in The West Wing) $220
Krysten Ritter (Jessica Jones) $275

I wonder how these fees are determined? It would be interesting if it was some kind of sliding scale, based on demand.
 
Just browsing, spotted some tv actors it would be fun to see do something "in-character."

James Marsters (Spike in Buffy the Vampire Slayer) $50
John de Lancie (Q in ST:TNG) $100
Tricia Helfer (Number 6 in BSG) $125
Emma Caulfield (Anya in Buffy) $125
Richard Schiff (Toby in The West Wing) $220
Krysten Ritter (Jessica Jones) $275

I wonder how these fees are determined? It would be interesting if it was some kind of sliding scale, based on demand.
I guess that the celebs get to choose and get some advice from from the site.
 
Don't those celebrities get paid well? Why would they stoop to the level of making private videos to fans for 50-200 dollars? :/ Some people are just greedy ;)

(although in the case of those who charge 50 dollars, I have to suppose they actually don't work much now)
 
Smokey Robinson video:



Don't those celebrities get paid well? Why would they stoop to the level of making private videos to fans for 50-200 dollars? :/ Some people are just greedy ;)

(although in the case of those who charge 50 dollars, I have to suppose they actually don't work much now)

WSJ said:
The startup behind online service Cameo tripled its valuation to more than $1 billion after raising more capital, reflecting the hot market for platforms that help celebrities and content creators make money from their fan bases.

Baron App Inc. said Tuesday it completed a $100 million funding round led by e.Ventures with participation from new investors such as SoftBank Group Corp.’s 9984 1.26% Vision Fund 2, professional skateboarder Tony Hawk, United Talent Agency and Alphabet Inc.’s venture-capital arm GV. Baron App was valued at roughly $300 million in 2019 after raising $50 million.

Cameo was launched four years ago and it enables celebrities to sell personalized videos and messages to fans. The platform has attracted those not currently in the limelight—like Brian Baumgartner of NBC’s “The Office” and octogenarian pop singer Neil Sedaka —as well as a range of others, from Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas and former White House press secretary Sean Spicer to rock legend Melissa Etheridge and famous animals such as the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s hippo Fiona.

“My D-list celebrity might be your favorite person in the world,” Steven Galanis, chief executive and co-founder of Cameo, said in an interview, adding that those informal list ratings aren’t relevant in today’s entertainment landscape. “We’re tapping into this. The definition of fame has totally changed.”

Cameo celebrities charge from as little as $5 to more than $2,500 for each recorded message, which Mr. Galanis said are mostly bought as gifts for special occasions like someone’s birthday. Other times they have been purchased to break up with a romantic partner or to play tricks on the celebrity messengers. Some Cameo videos have gone viral on social media, such as one in which singer Smokey Robinson mispronounced the Jewish holiday Hanukkah.


Top-earning celebrities like Mr. Baumgartner can gross more than $1 million annually through the platform, the company said. British actor James Buckley was the service’s most prolific creator last year with about 10,000 Cameos.

Cameo generated $100 million in sales in 2020, a more than fourfold increase from 2019, Mr. Galanis said. The total sales figure comes before Baron App pays its creators their 75% cut. He attributed the outsize growth to the Covid-19 pandemic but said the platform was growing before that. Still, Baron App isn’t profitable, he said.

Cameo is one of several online platforms featuring user-generated-content that reported a boost in both creators and customers through the pandemic, including Patreon Inc., Fenix International Ltd.’s OnlyFans and newsletter provider Substack Inc. In September, Patreon said it completed a $90 million funding round, bringing its valuation to more than $1.2 billion. Substack said Tuesday it raised $65 million in a funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz general partner Andrew Chen.


Rivals are circling. A smaller San Francisco-based company, Vidsig Inc., features some of the same celebrity talent and specializes in live-video conversations. Vidsig is profitable, self-funded and gives its celebrities 80% of sales, said CEO Jonathan Yarnold. Facebook Inc.’s FB -0.97% new product lab began development on a Cameo-like service called Super last year and is now running public tests of the platform.


20210330cameo_1920x1080.jpg

Fan of NFL Player Cassius Marsh Reacts to Cameo Video He Made for her
NFL player Cassius Marsh appears in the first ever video sold on the Cameo platform in 2017. He made it for a fan who was celebrating her 16th birthday at the time. VIDEO: CAMEO
A challenge for these services is preventing consumers from abusing them, said Jenna Drenten, an associate marketing professor at Loyola University Chicago. She pointed to when former National Football League quarterback Brett Favre in 2018 was tricked into citing anti-Semitic tropes through coded language for a Cameo purchased by white supremacists. Mr. Favre couldn’t be reached for comment, but he said in a 2018 post on his Facebook page that he would have never fulfilled the request had he understood its source.

Mr. Galanis said Cameo has since taken steps to help celebrities avoid making the same kind of mistakes and added that such incidents are rare. The idea for Cameo came from a 2016 conversation Mr. Galanis said he had with his close friend and Baron App co-founder, Martin Blencowe. At the time, Mr. Blencowe was working as an NFL agent with clients such as former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Cassius Marsh.


To show off Mr. Marsh’s charismatic personality, Mr. Blencowe played on his phone a congratulatory video that he had asked the athlete to record for a friend who had just become a father. When Mr. Blencowe described his friend’s ecstatic reaction, Mr. Galanis saw a business opportunity. He then persuaded his former Duke University classmate—software engineer Devon Townsend and Baron App’s third co-founder—to build the Cameo platform.

Cameo features more than 40,000 celebrities accepting offers for personalized videos and other fan experiences. Mr. Marsh, also an investor in Baron App who recently signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, is still among them.

“You get to know these fans and interact with them in a more intimate way than a signature,” he said.

With the new funding, the company plans to invest in new services such as Cameo Calls—which would enable fans to attend virtual meet-and-greets—and evaluate others, including a subscription-based model. Cameo doesn’t plan on selling ads to generate revenue, Mr. Galanis said.

Baron App is looking to bring Cameo into new markets such as Asia and South America, as well as efforts to boost sales to businesses, some of which have bought videos to welcome new hires, engage with customers and host marketing events. Mr. Galanis said as the platform grows, higher-profile celebrities—many who eschewed Cameo in its infancy—are warming to the idea of joining.

Bringing on more mainstream talent will be critical for scaling Cameo and fending off rivals, said Rahul Telang, professor of information systems at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College. But he isn’t sure whether Cameo can draw the kind of star power that doesn’t need side income. “Some might see it as cheapening their brand,” he said.

Write to Sarah E. Needleman at sarah.needleman@wsj.com
 
It is a good idea, and good for the fans, but I am not sure about the long-term viability of having well-paid actors/others ask for money to make a personal video. If your income isn't high, it does make sense, but if it is... it'd look a lot better if you just reply to a fan for free.

Remember that people do pay-on-demand videos/content exactly because their online presence is their job. It's not the same when you are (or are supposed to be) a pro in another (not just the web) field, imo :)
 
Last edited:
Don't those celebrities get paid well? Why would they stoop to the level of making private videos to fans for 50-200 dollars? :/ Some people are just greedy ;)
These aren't really celebrities, they're working actors. It's pretty typical for them to fill time between acting gigs with things like convention appearances or autograph signings; this is really just another one of those avenues.
 
These aren't really celebrities, they're working actors. It's pretty typical for them to fill time between acting gigs with things like convention appearances or autograph signings; this is really just another one of those avenues.
But wait! Peter Noone was hugely popular in 1965!


Link to video.
 
I glanced at the first couple pages of actors, and I'm amazed at how few of them I recognize. Also, Tom Felton is worth more than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar? The world has gone insane.

I think there are certain price levels, and the celebrities decide themselves.

For the people, I guess you just need to have the right interest.
There's like 1/3rd of the different Star Trek casts on it, a few rappers and heavy metal musicians, etc.
I had hoped that maybe one of the guys, who my GF really likes, is on it, but sadly not, would be a great present for her.

I am trying to figure it out if you own the IP? Could you make an NFT out of it?

The more important thing is that you can tell them what to tell, so it'll be personalized.
 
I glanced at the first couple pages of actors, and I'm amazed at how few of them I recognize. Also, Tom Felton is worth more than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar? The world has gone insane.
Hm. Harry Potter actor (played Draco Malfoy) vs. some sports celebrity that I only recall seeing on a couple of TV shows decades ago?

No contest. If I was into paying some celebrity to make a video.

Some of these genre actors would normally be commanding $$$/autograph/photo at conventions, but of course the conventions have been canceled due to the pandemic. So they probably see this as a way of making up for the money they're not making at Comic-Con or whatever other conventions they'd be doing.

The only time I ever paid for an autograph was when I met David Gerrold (the guy who created tribbles) at a science fiction convention in Calgary in the '90s. Even then it wasn't actually being paid to him. He took a leaf out of Robert Heinlein's book and would only sign if the person made a charitable donation (Heinlein would only sign books for people who could prove they had donated blood).
 
Kind of hard on people who are banned from giving blood.

When I was a young person, I sometimes felt guilty for not donating, but the donation events near me (I had no car) were always right before big sporting events I participated in. Then one wasn't, so I went to donate and discovered that I was banned from donating (due to mad cow disease paranoia) - I couldn't have donated at any of the past blood drives, either. I'm told they dropped this permanent bad because of COVID, but now I'm forbidden for other reasons.

I'm not interested in autographs, but this policy would make me grumpy.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom