CONSUMING THE METAVERSE IN MODERATION
“The Metaverse is massively niche, but as a potential growth sector, it’s probably one of the biggest things that will impact technology.”
Robin Schmidt has always been in love with filmmaking, shooting, and editing. It was perhaps inevitable then that he became a master commercial maker, even shooting his own feature film in 2012.
But his work in TV commercials almost killed his creativity. He even shares that when he now looks back at his body of work, none of it reflects who he is.
Having seen the ease with which his film could be pirated within hours of its release on Apple iTunes, he saw a format in crypto that could defeat piracy – and that was a large part of the appeal, as well as there being no rules, just the freedom to tell good stories.
During two years in partnership with The Defiant, a DeFi-focused newsletter, Robin’s exposure to founders, project instigators, creators, and artists gave him ideas about what he wanted to do for himself.
“That’s the weird thing about the Metaverse: it’s massively niche, but as a potential growth sector, it’s probably one of the biggest things that will impact technology.”
Robin is wary of the antagonism between those who are part of the web3 community and those who aren’t. He challenges those who work and play in the crypto space to be more tolerant of those who don’t, although he doesn’t see his role as an advocate for web3.
“Our job is not to onboard people into web3, crypto, or the Metaverse. Our job is to entertain people and run a business that can be attractive to those who want to partner up with us.”
Robin’s work is based on three pillars: you create an audience, and you monetize it. The third pillar he calls ‘share the spoils’ and is where his NFT community sits, figuring out how to give other content creators space on his platform.
Robin believes strongly in inclusivity and sets rules for his own work around accessibility. He creates content that is fun and relatable. His next project is running a marathon in the Metaverse on an AR treadmill, and he hopes this may open up a conversation about health and fitness. The marathon will be shared in a VR chat.
But Robin needs to step away from the Metaverse from time to time and be present in the real world too.
“The Metaverse is something you can step into it, and you can also step away from it. It can be overwhelmingly positive, but like anything, if you overconsume, it can be detrimental. If you consume responsibly, it can be amazing.”
