Entrepotdok view
Main studio room
Presentation/meeting room
Open Project business model
Multiple Open Projects can share resources
Ton Roosendaal at Berlinale 2008

Institute for Open 3D Projects

Because of the overwhelming success of the first open movie project, Ton Roosendaal, the Blender Foundation's chairman, has established the "Blender Institute". This now is the permanent office and studio to more efficiently organize the Blender Foundation goals, but especially to coordinate and facilitate Open Projects related to 3D movies, games or visual effects.

The institute will consist of (period 2007-2012):

Staff
A small team of about 3-4 people, producers and project coordinators, an administrator. Research/development positions are possible as well.
This team will also work on Foundation blender.org projects.

Studio
Fully equipped project space to host at least a team of 6-8 people. The studio will be available for temporary projects, for open movie/game/effect projects.

Additional space for workshops/trainings is available.

Open Projects biz

An Open Project means that the end result and creation process will be published under an open license, free for everyone to re-distribute, re-use, re-create or publish. Typically we'll use the Creative Commons (attribute) license for it.

Open Projects, for at least the Blender Institute's part, will be created using free/open source software.

Since we don't claim income from licensing or royalty, each project has to get financed in advance. A combination of these four different components can be used:

  1. Own contribution, via Foundation grants, pre-sale campaigns, DVD sales. This based on development subtargets (like hair rendering).
  2. Subsidy (Culture funds, EU, Government...). This reflects the public benefit side of projects we do.
  3. Workshops, Training (or DVD videos), Seminars, Documentation (books). Education is an important market for free and open projects.
  4. Corporate sponsoring, commercial jobs, income from 3rd party cooperation. Companies can have immediate benefits of having rights-free content.

These four components  the core business model of the Institute, and the proposed business model for marketing Open Content.

 

 

 

Open Projects in practice

  • Projects can last six to twelve months.
  • We execute projects as an independent production company.
  • Project team members are typically temporary involved, they get hired on artist (freelance) fee basis, with full travel and housing expenses.
  • We enable the teams to execute their creative ideas.
  • Projects have a (Blender) development target, as well as a creative target.
  • Secondary targets can be kept open for sponsors or partners.

Cooperation projects with other open source projects is possible too.

In the past 4 years, we've realized four open projects, Elephants Dream (film), Big Buck Bunny (film), Yo Frankie! (game) and Sintel (film). Currently we are setting up the fifth project, nicked "Mango" for now, a short film with an epic action theme.

Interesting corporate sponsoring to explore:

  • HD movie for HD-DVD codec testing.
  • 3D (stereo or multi-image display) movie rendering.
  • 4k rendering for networking/grids/screening tests.
  • Content with specific effects/tools, as proof-of-concept or development for a studio. Examples: fur rendering, robotic tools, global illumination for VFX.

Training concepts to explore:

  • Get 'free' team members, by studios/institutes/universities outsourcing their artists or developers.
  • Organize regular courses/training for professionals.
  • Creating Books or training material.

Contact details

Blender Institute BV

Entrepotdok 57A
1018 AD Amsterdam
the Netherlands

Director: Ton Roosendaal
Administration: Anja Vugts-Verstappen

Chamber of Commerce: 34276786
Tax (VAT/BTW):  NL 8181.52.011.B01

Bank: ING Bank
Bijlmerdreef 109
1102 BW Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Account #: 52 96 212
IBAN: NL22 INGB 0005296212
BIC/Swift code: INGB NL2A

Paypal: ton(at)blender(dot)org

Contact: institute(at)blender(dot)org

Google map, walking from Central Station to the Institute (15 min)



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