How people from Rio Frenz were born from what you say and do on the Web.
images: disney | bbdo | our lady's hospital in crumlin*
Brief:
What makes a good character and a good story?
The creative process of Rio Frenz inspired by the models of Toy Story.
Meet the Briefing of the 5 Original Characters of Rio Frenz.
Today you will meet the ORIGINAL CHARACTERS of Rio Frenz and how they were created! [Music for party day 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼]
A year ago, anyone keeping up with Web3 in Brazil probably crossed paths with us at some point on Twitter or Discord communities. You didn't even know it, but the things you and the entire Web3 crew said, questioned, and buzzed about all this time were becoming the 5 characters of Cartoons #ForTheWeb3Culture. And today, we're going to get to know who they are and how they came to be.
Cartoons for the Web3 Culture
Toy Story, the animation classic, won over crowds because its characters mirrored people's hearts: Everyone holds fond childhood memories with iconic toys and, at the same time, has experienced the fear of loss or the disappointment of being cast aside.
In the pursuit of connections like these, that's how we crafted the characters for Rio Frenz.
Do you know that all-out showdown between the artist who lost their royalties and the seasoned degenerate? The clashes between the maximalist radicalism and the expectations of the newbie who just stumbled upon what Bitcoin is? Or even the cheeky meme that humorously lays down the dirty cards we'd rather not see on the table?
That's a treasure.
It's the Web3 culture taking shape right before us.
Turning Rio Frenz into the leading line of Cartoons for the Web3 Culture was born from this premise. From the relationships between you and this world. And for this to happen, a cartoon needs to reflect emotions, values, and expectations, so that people see themselves in those characters.
It's a way for us to have fun telling the world who we are.
Good Web3 Characters: How it all started
Once on the RIP Twitter, I asked to Rodrigo Portaro "What is a good character?" - Don't you know who the guy is? Shame on you... 🫣 Google it and fire your head up.
Rodrigo answered:
Good character is believable. He fight when cornered or run if he possibly can. He is reveled when pressured. A Good story don’t underestimate the audience. Tell the truth. At the end it surprises (we didn’t see it coming) & is inevitable (because could never happen other way).
This seemed difficult to achieve, but I liked it. Then began a very challenging journey to create the Rio Frenz from profiles on Web3. Provocative figures, with several layers of feelings and personalities, and that touch the hearts of those who love innovation in the same way that Toy Story did with adults who were once children. So I started collecting important quotes, mapping profiles of people, identifying passions and conflicts that could compose a good cartoon - a cartoon that tells the world who we are. At first, with superficial stimuli. But soon after I could observe deeper layers, interesting contradictions between what people say and what their attitudes actually reveal. When this became clear, there was no need to push: 5 authentic characters jumped before my eyes almost organically. The Frenz Rivers were born, from the things you say and do every day.
The Background
Our characters are some truly colorful Cariocas experiencing the 3rd web revolution in Rio de Janeiro. The city of urban contrasts and an overwhelmingly positive vibe lends its chaotic and vibrant energy for us to both laugh and cry along with these really crazy folks - including ourselves.
They'll meet up at the beach, at work, on a Sunday at Maracanã Stadium, or online. Always diving into situations that we also go through here in Web3.
The Characters
Scene set, it's time for the Rio Frenz to take the stage!
(I don't even have enough outfit to tell you all this... 🥰)
Polly:
The Samba Artist Janitor
Janitor by day and Mangueira Samba Dancer by night, she's a pure-hearted artist seeking an opportunity in Web3 to showcase her art to the world.
Torbes:
The Surfer and Bitcoiner
Torbes under 30 - born rich for real - is a financial market expert, friendly, and charming. The only Bitcoiner among his colleagues at work.
Migow:
The Knowledgeable Mate Uncle
Hey, Migow! This mate king pops out of nowhere, quenches the crowd's thirst for knowledge, and disappears like the Master of Wizards. Spoilers: He has a secret identity too.
Nem:
The Degen Funk Artist
Queen of the Favela Dance, this Ostentatious-Degen who shook Bangu is now making Ethereum tremble. No room for posers, if she's not causing a stir, she won't even step in.
Node:
The Nerd Dev and Football Fan
From own goals to a solo lead in the Brazilian Soccer Championship, some things only happen to Botafogo... and to the Ethereum Virtual Machine. Node is bad with girls, fierce in code, and has an iron heart to handle these two passions.
Together they will experience our dilemmas and celebrate our discoveries!
Which one do you identify with?
Detailed profiles can be found in the Briefings.
Os Briefings de Personagens
Briefings are very cool technical summaries that bring illustrators all the information they need for the creation of the characters. Previous history, humor, physical characteristics, superpowers and kryptonites.
And as the proposal here is to share the build with you, here are the briefings of our 5 original characters.
Click to open:
Briefing: Polly | Artist
Briefing: Torbes | Bitcoiner
Briefing: Migow | Rei do Mate
Briefing: Nem | Degen
Briefing: Node | Dev
I.A. Gentileza [Kindness]
If there's anyone saying that Web3 is the AI Revolution, this technology couldn't be absent from the scene. Without a personified body and omnipresent in our lives, in Rio Frenz, it takes upon itself the scriptures of Prophet Kindness, showing up when we least expect it. On the viaduct murals, shirts along the streets, on the beach towels, or who knows where else...
There are still a few elements missing for us to shape this character, but it's already known that she'll be quite temperamental. We'll send news soon!
Off to drawing now!
Phew! Are you all "squared away" with our characters? Once it's done, we have no idea how much effort it takes to build each one of them. But it's a fascinating job, and I want to thank you all for the opportunity you've given me to explore Web3 from different angles and create new realities from it.
Next stage: DRAWINGS!
We're starting with sketches of Rio de Janeiro and its aesthetics in the scenes, followed by the characters.
You won't be disappointed by what's to come… 🥰
Thanks for being with us in this beautiful moment!
Lesgoooo!
(*) The illustrations this time are from Disney's incredible campaign, created by BBDO to help children who are afraid of doing X-ray exams at the Hospital of Our Lady in the city of Crumlin. Very cool! ♥️
Find out more about Rio Frenz
Get to know us at www.RioFrenz.com.
Follow us on Medium.
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