The FlavorVerse
Using NFT’s to build a community for my filmmaking and intellectual property endeavors.
Who am I and what do I want?
My name is Danathon James, but I’ve been going by Flavor in the digital world for over 10 years.
I have a goal of creating a virtual world for the intellectual property I have been writing, and I wish to use the NFT space to begin my film directing career to build a Virtual Theme Park with attractions and games based off of the movie and book worlds I have created.
Hoping to direct my first feature film, 2184, I want to start building a community of people who would enjoy my product, my brand of filmmaking and writing, and to do that I need to start sharing who I am and what I’ve been working on for years. You’ll find my inspirations and 6 of my story worlds I’ve created down below.
My Inspirations
I want to share my inspirations with you, so you can get to know the kind of person I am, and what brands and worlds I enjoy. I love to feel emotion. I love the fantastical.
A list of stories and franchises that have shaped my style:
Toy Story, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Sam Raimi Spider-Man Trilogy, MCU, Rebel Without A Cause, Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, Mortal Kombat, Hollow Knight, Chrono Trigger, Ori and the Blind Forest/Will of the Wisps, Crash Bandicoot, Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Shape of Water, Pan’s Labrynth, Attack on Titan, Alice in Wonderland, Pixar, Pokemon, Hunger Games, Disney Movies, Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Fire Emblem
As you can see, I am a fan of fantasy with colorful characters.
Directors:
I have spent the time studying and practicing techniques from a lot of directors, and the styles I am most drawn to, and feel I am a fusion of:
Guillermo Del Toro, Wes Anderson, George Lucas
Guillermo Del Toro’s poetic and romantic side of filmmaking speaks to me, and I love using my writing to make poetic and beautiful plot, like a long form visual poem.
Wes Anderson’s symmetrical style lends to what I would call my Storybook style extremely well, however I do like to play with asymmetry quite often.
George Lucas’ idea conceptualizing and world building techniques is something I grew up on — I could and probably will write a large article of why I love the prequels, and how I would fix the issues that I have with them to better appeal to the existing fans.
Other directors who have left their print on me, but our process and type of story we tell are structurally different:
Quentin Tarantino, Taika Waititi, Coen Brothers, Denis Villeneuve, Christopher Nolan, Akira Kurosawa, Steven Spielberg, Judd Apatow
I also write and have a passion for comedy, and would love to show more of that side in the form of movies in similar fashion of the Coen Brothers, Judd Apatow, and workplace sitcoms.
Literature:
I love to tell my stories in different mediums, and it’s imperative to me that even if I’m telling the same story, the perspective can be different if it’s coming from a book rather than a movie. Some literature that inspired me:
1984, Left Hand of Darkness/Ursula K Le Guin, Journey to the Center of the Earth/Jules Verne, Ready Player One, The Great Gatsby, Grapes of Wrath, Maze Runner, Hunger Games, Game of Thrones
And with my inspirations in mind, here’s my Core Character projects.
My Story Worlds
I will be giving a brief and vague overview of each of my main 6 story worlds that I will divulge in over time.
The Cryptid Coalition
The First Pillar of the FlavorVerse.
The Cryptid Coalition can be boiled down to a mystery adventure series with mystifying creatures. I would love to make a good amount of these movies throughout my life, as I have a long term story plan for continuing past the first feature. Heavily inspired by Jules Verne literature like Journey to the Center of the Earth, 20 Thousand Leagues Under The Sea, and The Mysterious Island, I take that concept of adventure and mix it with the fantasy of Pokemon.
Mysterious creatures that “may or may not exist” like the Loch Ness Monster and Sasquatch, I use that mystery alongside the love for animals and nature to create The Cryptid Coalition.
The story revolves around the myth of the Jersey Devil, a mysterious creature said to live in the Pine Barrens in New Jersey.
Overview:
After his sister goes missing, Maurice sets out on a journey after finding a clue to her possible whereabouts with fellow Cryptid Hunter, Jerome, but after the discovery of a mysterious Crpytid, and the suspicious activity of the Cryptid Coalition, the journey starts to give a lot more excitement and peril than the gloomy Maurice originally had hoped for.
Characters:
Maurice — Working at Pixie Paul’s Packaging, Maurice tries hard to have a simple life. He has been feeling empty after his sister, Lillian, goes missing after dedicating her life to hunting Cryptids. He is set on a “treasure hunt” by Grover Holland to pick up a package for him at the Cryptid Coalition, an organization that manages the preservation of Cryptids and other unique monsters.
Jerome — A rambunctious vagabond, Jerome is a rambler. He remembers nearly being drowned when he was a child by a mysterious creature, what he believes to have been a mermaid. Throughout his entire life, he’s been studying Cryptids to try to prove he really saw one, something he begins to doubt himself.
Grover — With a Sasquatch by his side, Boonie, Grover lives in a small town, tending to his trees and garden. He respects nature, and wants nothing more than to preserve and be one with nature and animals, something he feels the Cryptid Coalition lacks despite touting to want the same. He is extremely cautious about who he lets in, and his research has brought him to the verge of something bigger than the Crpytid World is ready to believe.
Linda — Linda works for the Cryptid Coalition office, and wants to move up in the industry. She is often trying to be the first one on top of any new Cryptid news, hoping to find a Cryptid partner to stand by her side.
2184
1984, The Left Hand of Darkness, Lord of the Rings, Hunger Games, Star Wars — I have used elements from all of these to create one of my more complex stories, 2184.
In the year 2184, after years and years of climate disaster, the world has started to recover and get back to a semi-normal life, at least if you consider a city the size of Kansas, walled in, unable to leave “because it’s dangerous in the Wild, STARS will protect you” semi-normal.
As a more complex and mature pieces, I focus a lot on the question of humanity itself, as most good alien stories do. 2184 is one of the projects I have been working on the longest, going on 6 years now, and I expect at least a few more before I’m ready to create the feature film.
STARS is a Media Company who essentially runs the city-state, named The Precinct, where people are given a certain amount of food stipends per month. It is a constant fight between the Red Stripes and the Blue Stripes, government workers who work for the White Stripes, each having different responsibilities. The political turmoil leads to a Rebellion story, a master plan resistance.
2184 has exaggerated hand to hand combat with the beginnings of futuristic technological weapons, such as a sword charged with electricity, and genetic mutation. Technology and Literature/Education had taken a large step back after the destruction of the modern world, and is finally recovering in very specific ways.
Overview:
After being kidnapped by a savage rebellion group to take down a totalitarian government controlled by STARSmedia, Ori Jackson begins to assist a secret plan to change the political landscape of his country by teaming with an advanced alien race known as the Gelleiid.
Characters:
Ori — Chosen for his intellect and ability to conform, Ori is a Remunerator and a Blue Stripe, a special role to help educate and spread “awareness” within Stars. He is kidnapped by a rebellion group who thinks that he can help end the suffering that the higher ups in the government have brought.
Winston — Winston is mysterious, as a Blue Stripe, he guides and mentors the rebellion, which is filled with mostly teenagers with few adults. He isn’t old enough to be the wise old man, but it’s obvious 10–15 years, that will be his position. He keeps a lot of information to his chest, something that irks the unofficial leader of the rebellion Lazarus. He hand chose Ori to help the rebellion. Winston is an herbologist who has helped create plants and medicine to help the world, but STARS has shut him down every time he looks to make a true impact.
Valeria — Ori was adopted by Valeria’s parents, making her his sister. Valeria has put all her energy into becoming a successful Blue Stripe Remunerator, but when her slack off brother, Ori is offered the job instead of her, it becomes too much for her. She is the assistant of White Stripe, Eddie Conway, and is in charge of managing and supervising a plan to help overthrow Stars, making her intelligence and leader-like capabilities come in handy.
Fremick & Turner — Recruited by Eddie Conway, Red Stripes Fremick and Turner are paired together. Turner is an experienced Red Stripe who witnessed his partner being killed by “The Purple People”, something most people only thought was a bed time story. He gets labeled as a Loon, and has been shunned by his own community. Fremick is from poverty, and wanted to be a Blue Stripe, but was happy to become a Red Stripe to help support his family. He is a genuine guy, and while occasionally talks back, is an incredibily genuine guy, and does what a good Red Stripe does and follows orders from his superior. This Core Character NFT will include both Characters as 1 NFT.
Lazarus — The unofficial leader of the rebellion, Lazarus does not trust Winston. He is easily angered, and acts on emotion impulsively. He will do whatever is necessary to keep his people of the rebellion alive. The younger audience in the community look up to Lazarus because they know he will do anything, absolutely anything, to protect their well being.
Eddie — Eddie Conway III, the son of President Conway, and leader of the Conway Explorers. Eddie Conway wants to expand further geographically, and even into space, as he believes the changing weather threatens to take out the city of STARS, but his father slashed his funding for the group. He is charismatic, and cares little about other people. He is a treasure hunter, and has a thirst for knowledge. He wants the world to remember him as a hero, and he doesn’t care who he has to go through to make that happen.
Tucker — A member of the rebellion, Tucker accepts Lazarus as his leader. With less anger against STARS as most of the rebellion, he cares most about keeping his people safe. He has a calm demeanor, and doesn’t thirst for power or the label of being a leader, he just wants to protect the people he calls family. He is an extreme naturally skilled combatant, and relies on his genetically modified strength. He begins to question his role as a soldier in the rebellion, and what being a soldier truly means.
Catina — A member of the rebellion, Catina was brought to the rebellion’s Community in her teens. She helps the Community run smoothly and is essentially the adopted mother to the teens of the rebellion. She kidnaps Ori from the city, following Winston’s plan, in the hopes to persuade him to help turn the tides.
Estraven — Leader of alien community, The Geleiid, Estraven is an intellectual. They despise the human way of life, and think humans are greedy and can’t control their emotions. Cautious, and always 2 steps ahead, they use Ori to assist their goal, but comes to enjoy the philosophical discussions between them and Ori. Their skin is light purple, and while their aggressive nature is abrasive, they have a warm and empathetic side.
Toy Saga
A fusion of Toy Story, Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, and Game of Thrones, this will be the first book I publish as an author. As a child, I loved playing with my toys, and I would pull from scenarios of my favorite tv shows, and started to create original characters and storylines with my Toys. This has a lot of action — I watched a lot of Dragon Ball Z when I was younger, but as I became older, the characters of each Toy developed and matured. I always knew I wanted to create an animated movie/series of my toys, I just didn’t know when I’d put the work in to actually create the series, but the time in quarantine really allowed me to work on this project after years of not actively working on it. I remembered the characters so vividly, well over a hundred, often ones received alongside a Happy Meal, and the character arcs I created for them way back when. I began to retell the story as a more experienced writer, and it really took shape.
The book series, a trilogy (as you’ll find out, I love telling stories in trilogies), follows Silver, a Sentinel (based off the Power Rangers) of the Delaware Household. The scope of this series is one of the, if not the largest I have, and the book I am writing is written from 10+ POV characters, with Silver as the leading toy. As I grew older and wanted a more complex storyline than Dragon Ball Z, Naruto really started to stick out for me as an insanely poetic story with great character arcs and the battles were the climax to these poetic storylines, and I really wanted to create my own series like that, albeit in a trilogy format rather than long form episodic. Naruto and Game of Thrones have a deep, inner world political conflict, and that is the basis for the story of Toy Saga, where the entire Delaware Household is filled with different communities of toys, each having a different perspective on The Playroom’s choices of governing.
Overview:
After becoming the Captain of a Toy Soldier Platoon, Silver tries to make sure his team becomes the #1 team in the Delaware Household, wanting to surpass the All-Star Team lead by Red. Silver becomes incredibly envious of Red and his goal to become the iMajarrah, leader of the Delaware Household, and wants to become the iMajarrah to have the power to banish Red. Imagination is a power, and Silver must embody it to reach his goals.
Characters:
Silver — A toy in a gray suit, black V on his helmet, and has gold designs on his chest. Silver is given the honor of being a Toy Soldier Platoon Leader, but has trouble filling out his squad because of his attitude. He always has to talk back, and doesn’t handle criticism well, and when his arch rival Red puts together an All-Star Team, Silver must set his ego aside to do what’s best to protect the Delaware Household.
Red — Silver’s archrival, Red has a white shield symbol on his red power suit helmet. He has white stripes on his body, and looks similar to Silver. He is confident. He wants nothing more but to become the iMajarrah and keep the Delaware Household safe, and he wants everyone to know his name, and idolize him for protecting them. He becomes the leader of an All Star team, one that he feels will help propel him to the top. He is naturally gifted in combat, and believes that it’s his job to become the strongest toy of all time.
Ashe — Ashe has a purple hooded cloak, and a green crystal attached to a string around her neck. She is humanoid with the power to mentally link with smaller toys, and control them. She appears to warn Red about the “Ides of Project”. She often has visions of “the life before”. She is often gloomy, but doesn’t mind a little excitement here and there.
Wendy — Silver’s best friend, they will follow Silver with whatever decisions he make. They are whimsical and always have something sassy to add. Well liked and sweet, Silver’s abrasive confidence lets Wendy hide their anxiety. Essentially the co captain of Team Silver, Wendy dawns short purple hair, with a green pointy hat. They are rubber, and can glide through the air, light as a feather.
Blaze — Of the dragonkin, Blaze transferred to the Playroom to become a Toy Soldier, one of only two dragons to do so. The Toys of the Household do not trust Dragons. Blaze’s family puts an extreme amount of pressure on him to win the Toy Soldier Showcase tournament. He has pure white skin with rainbow prismatic scales on the top. He has only one wing on the back of his body, his left wing. On his head, he has 2 yellow horns, and eyes that look like crystals.
The Silly Shenanigans of Professor Preposterous
Inspirations: Phineas and Ferb, Doctor Horrible’s Sing A Long Blog, Rick and Morty, Marvel Comics
The Silly Shenanigans of Professor Preposterous is, well, silly. It’s a comedy series about a mad scientist who wants to create an invention to achieve his goal for world domination. In this project, I explore themes of how everyone labeled a Hero isn’t necessarily a hero, and how everyone labeled a Villain, isn’t necessarily a bad person.
Overview: Professor Preposterous attempts to achieve his goal of world domination, not destruction, because what’s the point of destroying the world if nobody’s gonna be around to know that it was you who did so, but is often foiled by popular superhero and new stepfather, Captain Jawline with his sidekick, not a sidekick, upcoming influencer superhero Lady Fabulous. With the help of his pro gamer Glitch streaming super famous brother, Dave, Professor Preposterous plots to take over the world.
Characters:
Professor Preposterous — An unnaturally naive evil scientist who knows the Do’s and Dont’s of being a Mad Scientist, he got the book at the Mad Scientist Convention. Often found with wild Einstein hair, dark raccoon eyes, and his lab coat, Professor Preposterous attempts to take over the world by creating inventions to take out his arch rival/stepfather, Captain Jawline.
Captain Jawline — While not the most intelligent superhero, it somehow always works out for Captain Jawline. He shows no fear when facing Professor Preposterous, and works double duty keeping Professor Preposterous from hurting himself and others with any inventions he may try to make. He wears blue tights with a pair of trunks over them that look like underwear. He dons a cape and a face mask over his eyes.
Lady Fabulous — The trainee of Captain Jawline, Lady Fabulous follows Captain Jawline to boost her presence on social media so she can achieve her goal of becoming a popular superhero. She often gets in semantic arguments with Professor Preposterous, who has no ill will towards Lady Fabulous. She wears a lot of pink and professional outfits.
Dave — Dave lives with Professor Preposterous, even though Dave’s streaming earns him nearly an endless amount of money. He assists his brother Professor Preposterous in his wacky schemes. Captain Jawline is a fan of Dave. Dave wears a lot of yellow, and a $ gold chain necklace.
Whimsical Creatures
Inspirations: Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, James and the Giant Peach, The Shape of Water, Chrono Trigger, The Wizard of Oz, Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Pan’s Labrynth
Overview:
In the 1970’s, Alix’s father sends them to a conversion therapy facility where they sneak out with the aid of a frog, and end up lost in a mystical and whimsical land in the midst of their own civil disagreements. With the help of Spirit, a loud-mouthed orange glowing tree spirit expelled from his home, Mr. Minotaur, a kind, gentle creature that enjoys baking and drinking tea, and Mr. Frog, a noble sword wielding-knight sworn to protect their kingdom despite it falling into darkness, Alix journeys through dangerous labyrinths and dark forests to reach the last ray of hope that is the Tree of Wisdom, the home of the Queen of the Dark Forest.
Characters:
Alix — Berated by their father, Alix is a young teenager learning who they are. They are an optimist, yet dreadfully sarcastic, but their confidence often lacks. Isn’t too bothered by seeming to be lost, wishes to meet the Queen of the Dark Forest when they learn people who don’t fit in with the norm often go missing, and wants to find out why. Short hair, chopped most of it off themselves, and proud of it, wears jeans and a t-shirt.
Mr. Frog — A noble knight who wishes nothing but to help Alix leave this world and return home, even if the Kingdom has ordered all knights to capture Alix. Someone Alix would refer to as “The Most Loyal”
Mr. Minotaur — Peacefully living in a burrow in a large stone, Mr. Minotaur loves to bake. They are kind, warmhearted, and accepting. They have clean, light blue fur, and dons a chef’s hat and apron often, and offers shelter for Alix, “The Most Kind”
Spirit — After being expelled from their homeland, Spirit tries to steal an ancient artifact to try to buy his way back in. They try to trick Alix into stealing the artifact initially before they both end up locked in a dungeon. They have snake like features, and have an orange glow to them. They have 2 large wisps of hair that make it look like they have a mustache.
The Queen of the Dark Forest — A heroine of myth, the Queen is said to be one of the original creatures of life. Those who do not fit into the kingdom’s idea of normal are sent to the Dark Queen, and were never to be seen again.
The Harbinger
Inspirations: Hollow Knight, Ori and the Blind Forest/Will of the Wisp, Blade Runner 2049
Overview:
The Harbinger, an emotionless soldier created specifically for The Mission, descends from above and lands on a desolate planet. He makes his way into the Underground to fulfill his mission before finding the life on the planet to be more lively than anticipated. After arriving in a local town, he finds a shop, ran by The Shop Keeper, who supplies him with a special dagger needed to complete the mission. As he continues through The Underground, he begins to witness the afflictions of the cursed life on the planet.
Characters:
The Harbinger — The titular character, he wears a mask made of bone and cloth covering the bottom half of his face, with the sides of his head shaved. Only a white strand of hair in the middle of his head flows back. He wears armor, made from the creatures of the planet. He is a skilled combatant, and can traverse rock walls with ease. The Harbinger is unable to speak, but shows signs of the ability to communicate on occasion.
The Shopkeeper — Inhabitant of The Underground, The Shopkeeper started up a shop near the entry to The Underground. He is in possession of a special weapon that The Harbinger needs to complete his mission. The Shopkeeper is known to be able to communicate with The Harbinger, but understands the threat The Harbinger brings to him. He often travels with more bags on his back than seemingly possible to carry, and resembles that of a Cricket.
The Other — Inhabitant of The Underground, The Other stalks the Harbinger. She is pure white, and glows bright in the dark. She is agile, and resembles that of a Fox. Her small demeanor allows her to sneak through crevices The Harbinger is unable to.
My Core Character Project
The 30 of my Core Characters spread over the 6 different story worlds I have shared will each be turned into a 1 of 1 NFT, where the holders of my Core Characters will get benefits in the form of partial royalties for some of my future projects, free copies of book releases such as my Toy Saga series that I will be self-publishing in the next year and a half, airdrops free mints of my Flavor Emblem NFT project, and pre-mint access for projects that won’t be giving out free mints. I plan to continue giving utility to these Core 30 Character NFT’s for the entirety of my life.
Flavor Emblems NFT Project
I will be creating an NFT Project called Flavor Emblems that I plan to build indefinitely to reach my goal of creating my virtual theme park. Flavor Emblems will be my collectible token NFT’s of different creatures, characters, and communities within my story worlds. These will actively dive deeper into the story worlds, and each collection will bring utility corresponding to the story world they exist in. I am a big fan of games, specifically game design, and I have many gameplay plans ready to go for multiple projects.
Conclusion
While I have a few other projects and worlds, these 6 are the most developed.
I will be creating articles for these projects, diving deeper into the story worlds alongside my individual goals for each.
Look for an article soon going much further into detail about my Flavor Emblem project.
Follow me on twitter: https://twitter.com/DanathonJames
Join the discord community: https://discord.gg/7Ft5cpXJ5A
