Proposal: Smart Contract Literacy Pilot Video Series

Archive
1

This is an amended and resubmitted version of the original found here. The decision to retract the original and resubmit was made because we didn’t feel there was enough time left in the season to complete the 6 videos scoped out in the original. There is also a little repurposing in that this limited series will act as sort of pilot series that can be used to secure funding for future series from outside of the DAO.

Title: Smart Contract Literacy Video Series (potential alternative: The Anti Rug)

Authors: @hashedMae

Squad: hashedMae, chrisfcrypto, liquidiot, EurekaJohn

Date Created: October 25th, 2021

Date Posted: October 25th, 2021

Tags: Video, Educational, Smart Contracts, Bankless Brand

Summary

A pilot series of 3 education videos focusing on using Etherscan and how to read smart contracts. This pilot series, if successful, will be used to obtain outside grants and sponsorships to continue the series in fleshing out more specific topics.

BACKGROUND

One of the most often repeated phrases in Web3 is “Do Your Own Research,” but how much research can one really do if they aren’t able to read and understand the workings of a smart contract? The resources that are currently available for learning about smart contracts and solidity are almost exclusively aimed at developers. While thorough, these aren’t accessible to Web3 users without a technical background or interest in learning how to develop smart contracts. This video series will start to close that gap, showing people the major red flags to watch out for, how different sorts of contracts work, and how to engage with them directly in the event that a front end is down.

MISSION & VALUES ALIGNMENT

How does this project help the DAO achieve its mission and align with it’s values?

It will increase the competency and confidence for users to safely engage with Web3 products, both in and out of the DAO. These videos will help Web3 users reach the next level in their journey, achieving a strong technical base that goes beyond just interacting with websites.

SCOPE OF WORK

3 Videos, 5-10 minutes Each

This is scoped for Season 2, if successful and there is enough interest additional videos could be made on different subjects in future seasons

Currently slated topics for each video:

Video 1 - How to Navigate Etherscan and interact with Contracts

Video 2 - Basics of reading a smart contract and solidity

Video 3 - Major exploits and red flags to watch out for in contracts

SPECIFICATION

Defined Roles and Responsibilities:

Producer/Project Manager - hashedMae, Oversee and coordinate workflows and meetings, create storyboard for each video, review submissions, give notes, review revisions

Technical/Solidity Expert - TheRG (looking to see if any solidity learning members are interested in collaborating with TheRG on role), research subject of each video, provide technical explainer presentation for each subject for team, answer any questions on each subject that comes up

Voice Over Performer - Liquidiot, perform and record monologue for each video

Writer - unfilled, write voiceover monologue for each video

Capture Artist -EurekaJohn, capture screen footage for each subject, showcasing parts of smart contracts and functions in sync with voice over

Graphics Artist - chrisf.crypto, create visual graphics for each video, eg title card, any necessary captions, branding, closing card

Video Editor - EurekaJohn and chrisf.crypto, edit together final videos for release from capture footage, voiceover, and graphics

Audio Engineer/Editor - Liquidiot, coordinate with Voice Over Performer to record and master voice over track

Video Workflow

Pre Production

  • Research and then technical explainer presentation by Technical Expert, mandatory attendance from Writer and Producer, others welcome optionally
  • Producer creates storyboard
  • Writer creates monologue script for voice over, submits to Producer for notes, makes any revisions

Production

  • Recording of voice over by Voice Over Performer and Audio Engineer, submits to Producer for notes, makes any revisions
  • Graphics Artist makes any graphics required for video, submits to Producer for notes, makes any revisions, makes final versions available to Video Editor
  • Capture Artist captures screen footage based on story board and voice over script, submits to Producer for notes, makes revisions

Post Production

  • Audio Engineer makes final edits to Voice Over track and makes it available to the Video Editor
  • Video Editor makes edits from the captured footage so it follows along with the Voice Over Track and Story Board, adds graphics where needed, submits to Producer for notes, makes any revisions

Rolling Production

Goal will be to create a pipeline so multiple videos will be in production at each stage. Anticipating first 3 stages to take up to two weeks each as we revise and establish workflow.

Weekly standup meetings with the team.

Stage 1: Start on pre pro for Video #1 (technical explainer, writing, storyboarding)

Stage 2: Move Video #1 to pro (audio capture, graphics, screen capture), Start on pre pro for Video #2

Stage 3: Move Video #1 to post pro (video editing, audio editing, mashing it all together), start on pro for Video #2, start on pre pro for Video #3

Stage 4: Video #1 final revisions, Video #2 post pro, Video #3 pro

Stage 5: Video #2 final revisions, Video #3 post pro

Stage 6: Video # 3 final revisions

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Producer/Project Manager 12 hrs per video (1 hr for technical session, 3hrs for organzing and conducting weekly stand ups, 2hrs for facilitating coordination between team members, 6 hrs reviewing submissions at different stages of production and making notes) 36 hr total @ 1000 BANK/hr = 36,000 BANK

Technical Expert 6 hr per video, 18 hrs total @ 1000 BANK/hr = 18,000 BANK

Voice Over Talent 3 hrs per video, 9 hrs total @ 1000 BANK/hr = 9,000 BANK

Video Editor 8 hr per video, 24 hrs total @ 1000 BANK/hr = 24,000 BANK

Audio Editor 6 hr per video, 18 hr total @ 1000 BANK/hr = 18,000 BANK

Writer 4 hrs per video (1 hr for technical session, 3 hrs for writing per video) 12 hrs total @ 1000 BANK/hr = 12,000 BANK

Graphics Artist 2 hrs per video, 6 hrs total @ 1000 BANK/hr = 12,000 BANK

Capture Artist 4 hrs per video, 12 hr total @ 1000 BANK/hr = 12,000 BANK

20,000 BANK for Bounties and Overages

161,000 BANK Total

I intend to take this proposal to other DAOs, like GitCoin and Uni, for additional grants.

BRAND USAGE

Videos will be posted publicly, brand will be used in pre-roll, DAO logo in the lower right corner, and credits.

SUCCESS METRICS OR KPIS

User feedback, view numbers

NEXT STEPS

Fill vacancies, start on production of first video, establish workflow

SQUAD BACKGROUND

hashedMae - Jr Web 3 Developer, Dev Guild Member, DEGEN Contributor, former TV & Broadcasting Major at BCIT, has experience onset for a small handful of indie movies and webseries

Liquidiot - Voice over specialist and audio production enthusiast, AV Guild member and Coordinator

chrisf.crypto - Graphic design and video production. Design, AV, Marketing and Education Guilds

EurekaJohn - YouTuber, Podcaster, Researcher, Host, Improv, Video and Audio editor

ADDENDUM

Add Educational Advisor/Instructional Designer- 4 hours per video, 3 videos, 1000 BANK/hr = 12,000 BANK

New Total Ask is 173,000 BANK

/ADDENDUM

  • For: Move this forward to Grants Committee
  • Against: Do Nothing
  • Needs revisions

0 voters

1 Like
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BanklessDAO’s mission is to educate people and this project is fully part of that.

My perplexity is related to the number of parallel and uncoordinated educational initiatives that are proliferating in BanklessDAO.

I will not enter into the merits of the financial request for the development of 3 videos.

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The shrinking of 6 videos to 3 is to confine the scope to something that is still achievable within Season 2. Originally we were also planning videos on different sorts of contracts like governance, AMMs, bridges, and loans. This proposal is purely for the 3 detailed above but there are plans to use those videos as the pitch portfolio to obtain outside grants and sponsorships to fund the rest of the videos that were planned for in the original proposal as well as others that were brainstormed, but we weren’t able to fit into the original 6 (NFT contracts, different types of tokens, etc).

1 Like
4

Solidity Literacy is something a ton of members are asking for and a wonderful, achievable goal for many (inside and out of the DAO). Totally in favor of this and think this could potentially be added in Bankless Academy when the time is right (but they are focused on DeFi usage for noobs atm).

#outbound-grants-squad can definitely help with additional funding.

With regard to @Grendel 's point about parallel “uncoordinated” education initiatives: while I agree there are a ton of different initiatives for education across the DAO (and outside of the Education Guild), I’m not entirely convinced that we are either running duplicate effort or that this “uncoordination” is necessarily bad.

Perhaps long term it can better coalesce and optimize around the Education Guild, but it should not stop us from creating, funding, and executing on these initiatives.

2 Likes
5

I have also spoken with BAcademy and while my format is different, they’ve expressed interest in using or adopting this series when it falls within their scope.

1 Like
6

Voted in favor as its pared back the ask. Would like to see the analytics after videos are completed.

1 Like
7

100%, I’m going to need some help/advice finding sponsorships or other outside funding to continue the series, and having analytics will be vital to achieving that.

8

Personally I think this is very important, thanks for the update.

Regarding the funding part, I have an idea about it and if you like we can discuss it on Discord

9

For sure. Ideal would be to get the series funded as initially proposed, especially if it gives a little more time than end of season 2. Happy to talk on Discord.

10

Hi, i totally love this proposal.

May I suggest to add an “instructional designer” to your team?

It’s quite knee jerk to “make a video” to try to answer every educational need nowadays.

But I believe, the thing that will ultimately deliver the best educational outcomes for this would be some kind of blended approach. A live mentor delivering these content via a workshop style, with some live sessions, with some working hours.

But no issue with doing the videos first, because, we can always absorb these videos into the asynchronous part of the workshops. But having an instructional designer, helps to give the big picture, so that the videos also meet educational requirements on top of the AV and content requirements.

11

Very excited for this initiative @hashedMae and squad!
I will be an eager consumer of these Smart Contract Literacy videos :nerd_face:

12

Since this moved to a new thread I just want to reiterate my support for this project. Everyone reading this is interacting with and trusting in smart contracts, some of us every day and for some with many thousands of dollars, but only a small subset even speak the language these contracts are written in. This project can represent an important step forward for the community as a whole.

5 Likes
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I’ll reach out to education guild. having someone that can help with making sure the education part flows is good. Not sure if I’d have to resubmit to forums before going to grants committee if adding another team member and stuff? Thank you for the tips. I don’t feel like the person to design a workshop but I’d be open to working with someone that can in the future

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I see Grendel’s point, but ultimately I’m in favor of this. As someone involved with Academy, I think both projects can go in parallel for now and eventually be merged and repurposed.

1 Like
15

yes, my intent is to keep as much source material as possible for it to be reworked to fit academy later. or at least used as reference

16

I’ll vote to support this proposal.
I have two questions around this driven by curiosity alone (should not weigh on the ultimate fate of this particular proposal).

  1. On what public platforms will the videos deploy? (there are many options globally… are we agnostic as to the platform simply seeking broadest reach?)
  2. When this and other bDAO instructional videos reach millions of views on platforms that pay creators for content is there a possibility of monetization? I don’t know - never run a channel… but if so, would the bDAO receive that money?
  3. Is there an implication that any “royalties” or revenue from the videos goes in whole or in part to the creators, the bDAO, Bankless Academy?
    Like I said, these questions are more academic at this point… still voting to support.
17

My perplexity is related to the number of parallel and uncoordinated educational initiatives that are proliferating in BanklessDAO.
Exactly what I was thinking as well.

18

I have been coordinating with those projects. They have their scopes set in for the season. This addresses a different subject/need than what they’re covering.

1 Like
19

I’m confused where the notion that there is a wide swath of projects that are all doing the same thing comes from?

The only parallel I see is that they are educational. There haven’t been other projects that I’ve seen that aims to specifically target smart contract literacy for the everyday person.

If we’re planning on bringing 1000000000 on the bankless journey I would argue being able to read and comprehend smart contracts is a must-have skill. Especially for those who have no interest in writing code.

1 Like
20

no no adding team members does not require you to rewrite this. Maybe add an addendum and request for a higher budget. Also when you submit to grants committee.

We have a couple of instructional designers, might be able to provide some consultancy work, if not a permanent part of the team.