Museum pieces or stealing the show?

Abstract

There has been considerable interest in the adoption of Web3 technologies in filmmaking, particularly for the perceived potential for such developments to address access to the industry, facilitate new funding models, and maximise audience and fan investment, financial or otherwise, in film productions. There has been less attention, however, on the possible role of these technologies in the preservation and conservation of film heritage, including the multiple contributions and stages of creativity towards a commercial film work. This chapter examines the potential application of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in the film space in bringing artefacts of film production to the public, through a particular focus on Quentin Tarantino’s proposed NFTs for his handwritten and annotated script development materials for Pulp Fiction (1994), and the subsequent dispute with Miramax. The Tarantino example provides insight into the nature of the film work, the relationship between artist and audience, and the motivation to contribute to the wider archive process. Drawing upon the work of Lefebvre as well as examples from visual art and cultural heritage, this chapter develops a theory of the NFT as non-object, and the investigates the stakes for NFTs in the history of film and property theory.