The interview with the creators of several cool collections on Singular and their new project "TATATA Beavers" - (NinjaMzfk and Tanka)
FireFlyJanuary 14, 2022
14.01.2022
FireFly
Hey! I will be glad to talk with talented and creative artists of Singular as you are! Please tell us about yourself first! What did you do before the NFT world? What`s your education, hobbies, goals!
NinjaMzfk
Hello, my name is Vitaliy and before the world of NFT, for the last 5 years, I was engaged only in online education in different schools of the CIS. I started as an ordinary sales manager, eventually created several own schools, and helped my friends develop theirs.
I love coffee\gym, watching series (especially thrillers and detective stories), now the NFT appeared and I love it too :)
I have a higher education, I graduated from Siberian State Industrial University (finance and credit) in 2013, but worked as a specialist for only half a year in my life. I have been drawing since childhood, graduated from art school and for some reason, I cannot apply my knowledge anywhere.
Goal: Just travel as much as possible and find a place where I would like to stay.
Tanka
Hi, Andrew. I`m very pleased you invited us for an interview. Always very surprised when I'm interesting to anyone.
My name is Tanya, I'm a designer. I studied applied mathematics, but it was not my cup of tea. Life took me to design. I started with creating websites and gradually came to illustration. I know a little about 3D and animation. In short, all a little bit)
My main job is to create different graphics for clients. They showed me what NFT is a month ago and I dived into it. So far, this is not my main occupation, but I really like it. It is some wonderful world that I'm a little afraid of.
About goals, it's hard to say. I want to live, create, benefit others and be happy.
FireFly
Super! Very interesting! I think this is exactly what our readers want to see! How a new artist comes to the NFT world!
Tanka
You know, people are very afraid of the new. This is our nature. I showed my first results to the designers I know and they are impressed, but they do not take this step themselves, although want to.
It's always easier to walk the beaten track.
FireFly
You have recently got acquainted with the world of crypto and NFT. Tell us how clear was the process of making fiat money and the process of withdrawing money received on the marketplace for you? What scared you and what is now clear?
NinjaMzfk
In general, almost everything was clear to me, when I sold my first work, of course, I asked my comrades how to withdraw money (hello and thanks to Nuriddin), but I figured it out pretty quickly.
Since I didn’t even think that I would sell the work, I threw it out for the sake of interest, I didn’t even think about the difficulties, it all happened spontaneously. So there was nothing to worry about.
Tanka
And I have the opposite.
I didn't understand it very well so haven't felt so stupid in a long time. I was very lucky that Vitaliy was poking me, like a little kitten, and leading through these technical issues.
Getting a wallet was not difficult. I didn’t understand how to put my money on the marketplace from the card for the first drop. Therefore, Vitaly simply transferred a small amount from wallet to me. Then I ran into difficulties when wanted to withdraw money. Because I didn't believe they were real. I repeat, I am very, very far from the world of cryptocurrencies. Even then they showed me, so I managed. It was hard to go this way the first time. It's already easy to repeat it.
I am very glad that there is an amazingly responsive community that prompts and helps a lot.
FireFly
Cool! That is, based on your experience, Tanya, we can reassure artists, who want to try to place their work in the NFT world) Guys, it's not scary! Come and we'll all help!
NinjaMzfk
Moreover, I will say on my own, to support Tanya (so she was not worried about), I bought her first work)
Tanka
This is a very difficult topic for me about work. I'll tell you now.
FireFly
Ahaha, cool, well done Vitaliy!) We`re waiting for your story, Tanya!
Tanka
It`s easier for me to work with customers, because they come with a specific task and I don’t worry that I will do something wrong. Usually, everything is clear.
But in the world of NFT... Look, I draw a picture that I like. The next step, I show it to the whole world and only then they decide if it is valuable. It reminds me when a boyfriend meets a girlfriend`s parents. You bring someone into a family and really hope that they like him. Then you get very upset if they don't. You don't stop loving him because of it, but it makes you sad.
Every drop for me is like a guy I introduce to my parents. I'm always terribly worried.
Such is my personal psychological barrier.
My first collection is All My Friends: https://singular.rmrk.app/collections/02182bd1df69629e65-%F0%9F%99%83
It consists of 20 characters. And each relatively quickly found a new owner, but even by the 20th character, my excitement did not decrease. It's very hard for me 🙂
Therefore, Vitaly's support at the initial stage is invaluable, of course)
Yes, nothing has changed till now)
NinjaMzfk
It`s very kindly!
Tanka
But then he resold it ten times more expensive 😃
NinjaMzfk
Yes)
FireFly
Tanya, I can wish you to always remain yourself!) Keep doing cool work, even with excitement! Apparently thanks to it, you are doing well!))
Tanka
Thanks, Andrew. Although I want to create the same works without going gray))
FireFly
You will succeed!) The community welcomed you very warmly!
Tanka
Yes, it's totally amazing. I somehow got used to the fact that this world is cold to everyone and only relatives warmly welcome ... And here it is ...
FireFly
If we return to the conversation about your first collection All My Friends, then I noticed it a long time ago. You know that I even bought your Zombie and kept it on my avatar for a long time. Many famous people of Singular own your works! Very cool collection, I sincerely think so!
Tanka
Thanks a lot. When I created it, I set a limit of 20 drops and thought this is a lot, if I can draw that many. As a result, there were a lot of ideas for characters that did not materialize, which means I could even do more 🙂
Though I'm glad it's over. Because I need to go further and try to create something new and implement other ideas, and not get hung up on a collection that just works and makes money. NFT is an opportunity to create for me. I wouldn't want to vulgarize it.
FireFly
Vitaly, the next question will probably be more for you! why did you choose Singular for your work and how did the first placement of the collection go? What difficulties arose or did everything go smoothly and conveniently?
NinjaMzfk
The story is very stupid.)
For a long time, I watched a stream from MAD Rabbit students where they said that they had earned a lot of money from their collection and talked about the platform.
I went to look at the site, I didn’t understand anything at first. Then I saw that can fill in a form. If the RMRK team likes your portfolio, they send you a small piece of KSM so that you can place there.
I did it, and successfully forgot about all these things. After 2 weeks I was looking through the mail, saw that I went through something there and money was sent to my wallet to post anything. At that time I didn`t understand the order of prices, or something.
Just for the sake of interest, I posted a work that had been lying for a year. No one needed it for 1.9 KSM. I don’t know where this price came from and went to drink tea. I came back in 5 minutes, the work was already bought. I was in shock, to say the least. They bought a work for $ 680 at that rate in 5 minutes. I realized that needed to start studying, since there was too much creative potential, and I didn’t fully understand where to put it in.
FireFly
Vitaly, the story is not stupid, but honest, from the outside! It seems to me that sometimes it happens, the Universe itself gives us signals that it's time to start!) Thanks for remembering your emotions!)
Tanka
It's like my mom's monthly salary (she's a teacher)...
😂
Although sometimes I want to cry)
FireFly
Vitaly, can you tell us about your past collections?
NinjaMzfk
I did not release the first collection right away, I went into myself for a very long time in order to come up with something interesting.
I decided that want to model a cassette player and make a unique collection based on it with a very cool idea (as it seemed to me at that time).
The collection is Into the music verse https://singular.rmrk.app/collections/86b151fa5dbb3ff31b-%F0%9F%96%AD
And the main idea was to collect hits that somehow influenced the development of music from the 1979th to the 2022th. To make a unique visual style for each song that was released that year. Plus, I contacted two wildly talented beatmakers and they started remixing the songs from my list. The remixes were unique, animation was done. And the interesting moment was with the price. For each year, I set the following prices.
If it's the 1979th, then the price is 1.979 KSM, if the 1985th then it`s 1.985. I thought it was cool. But unfortunately, after some time, they explained to me that it’s better not to use well-known music, even our own remixes, and I had to delete the first two works and add only the visual. Because of this, the numbering of the collection got down by 2 numbers. Moreover, the main feature was lost, so no one was interested.
FireFly
It actually sounds really cool! It's a pity that it happened (
But did you have other collections as well?
NinjaMzfk
Yes, after that I launched one mini collection for 6 pieces and started making Kusama Warriors https://singular.rmrk.app/collections/86b151fa5dbb3ff31b-%E2%9A%94%EF%B8%8F which were supposed to be the flagship. It was wildly interesting to work with them, come up with images and designs. (We make them together, by the way, with my girlfriend, now she does almost everything in this collection herself)
FireFly
Family teams))
NinjaMzfk
Exactly:)
FireFly
Well done! I do like this collection! I still can’t find the time to choose a character and buy) I’ll try to fix it)
FireFly
Tell us about your new collection TATATA Beavers.
Tanka
Let's start with the fact that we wanted to do a collaboration. Each of us has our own strengths. I believe that when people do something together, the result is always cooler than if we did something alone, synergy is important. We had to decide on a character. For some reason, we focused on cows and beavers 🙂
Tanka
I went with a friend to make concepts and we chose 3 beavers 🙂
NinjaMzfk
I said we want to do something fluffy with wool :)
Tanka
Yes, then Vitaly went to do 3D.
Tanka
We decided that it would be a fluffy beaver. The concept was from my side, from Vitaly was a 3D realization.
When we saw him, we fell in love and realized that can make a lot of cool images from him.
Everything was done relatively quickly, it seems to me that I constantly push Vitaly. I'm a hustler. I want to make it as soon as possible, launch it, and see if the idea comes to people.
NinjaMzfk
Then I tried to understand and describe what elements we can change and replace so that the images are truly unique. Then the routine work began with tables and trying out accessories and so on.
When we finally decided what we were going to do, Tanya went to draw the first concepts of the images, and then the fun began. From the basic beaver, very cool and different in character images began to turn out. And while I was thinking all this time what chips / utilities we can add to the collection to make it interesting.
I really like the combination of 2D and 3D art and add, I told Tanya at the beginning and advised to combine 2D and 3D in her first collection)
NinjaMzfk
Tanya tell me about icons and characters)
Tanka
Each beaver has icons at the bottom. They denote different categories: mood (mood), gender ... In short, different. And it's not just like that!) I like such things and of course we transfer everything that responds to our work.
And beavers will be able to breed 🙂
If you have a beaver girl and a beaver boy, then you can get a cute beaver from a separate collection that we are preparing.
We want to create some additional value for the collection and add interest, of course. Therefore, we add all sorts of chips.
NinjaMzfk
Beavers tatata is a collaboration collection of 450 generative beavers with a unique combination of 2D and 3D elements and 50 collected looks with their own characteristics.
The first of three unique collections from the beaver series.
Each beaver has its own character / gender and the main characteristics that are indicated in the form of symbols below it. These characteristics will influence future offspring.
RoadMap 1.0
1. A collection of pixel versions of beavers.
Each owner of our beaver in mid-February will be able to AirDrop a pixel version (which will be made under RMRK 2.0) under the same number from a unique separate collection.
2. Collection of little beavers.
Our beavers are divided into 2 genders, male and female. Having collected 2 beavers of different sexes, you will be able to marry them and in the spring receive an AirDrop of a unique beaver (made of 2D and 3D elements) from a separate collection of beavers, which will be available only by mixing, there will be no direct sales from the creators.
3. Banners and draws of beavers, various bonuses and activities, follow twitter. :)
Tanka
I already want to create little brutal beavers))
NinjaMzfk
I have already come up with a system of how it will be + beavers can be bred once a season
FireFly
sounds super ambitious! well done! art is cool too!
NinjaMzfk
50 pictures will be unique images collected by hand, then we will start generating from individual elements. But still, each generated beaver will be rendered and completed manually)
450 will be in generation! Total collection of 500 pieces!
Tanka
Maybe there will be even more images ...
NinjaMzfk
may be)
Tanka
Because I have 1000000 ideas
NinjaMzfk
1000000 ideas and only 500 beavers)
Tanka
choose the best)
FireFly
yes yes yes!) there are only 500 beavers!)
Tanka
But for now, we collect and think over each with 50 pens
FireFly
Tell us about the NFT utilities (useful functions) in your past collections!
NinjaMzfk
Here in the warriors https://singular.rmrk.app/collections/86b151fa5dbb3ff31b-%E2%9A%94%EF%B8%8F there are 4 goodies.
1) For significant warriors in the collection, I give separate pieces of art that can be placed as a banner. The art itself is not the same nft that you bought.
2) Now I am holding a faction war, where people decide in an open vote which faction will win, and the owners of the winning faction receive unique NFTs in honor of this particular victory, which they can then exchange for discounts and so on.
3) 10 unique artifacts are planned, 1 artifact for 1 faction. buying which you can use it on your warrior and get his legendary version, again a separate work.
4) For some warriors, they will be marked on Twitter as "He will be a beaver as a gift" you can get one generative beaver. Such warriors will be 20 out of 50.
Tanka
Each NFTs owner of my first All My Friends collection https://singular.rmrk.app/collections/02182bd1df69629e65-%F0%9F%99%83 will receive a random generative beaver.
FireFly
What prices will be on the primary sale of the new collection? Do you already have an understanding, the prices for all beavers will always be the same from the owner of the collection or will they increase?
NinjaMzfk
I think that with the receipt of verification, prices will increase, because a lot of work is being done and 2 more collections are tied to this one price. These are the pixel ones that holders + beavers will receive.
So the price will go up.
FireFly
Clear ! something I really wanted to buy myself a pair of beavers and beavers!))) How often do you plan to put up new beavers for sale? First, there will be 50 pieces manually created and then generative?
NinjaMzfk
Now we are testing options and will put up 2-3 for sale, but we promise to speed up =)
FireFly
clear ! well done!
FireFly
The world of NFT gives obvious advantages to artists - the absence of strict deadlines, as in the case of working with a customer (although Tanya wrote that this is not usual for her), the ability to create those works that the author himself likes, and a pleasant bonus of selling her works! At the same time, some artists are already thinking about creating "breakthrough things in the NFT world"! What are such breakthrough things for you and what would you personally like to bring new to this space?
Tanka
For me, this is an environment where you can implement your ideas. So far, I'm not at a very deep level in this world, but I'm getting it.
For example, I love strange creatures and magical worlds. And I really want to create a limited series of cards from the fictional world of spirits, gods and shamans.
I really want to send each owner of this future collection a real card made in the stereo-vario technique. So that it was a physical animated card, when a different picture is at different angles. Make individual packaging, beautifully design and send to anywhere in the world.
Link something virtual to the physical.
NinjaMzfk
For me, I am proud that we were among the first to start mixing 2D and 3D in Singularity.
But in general, I have one very cool idea, but I still don’t fully understand how I can implement it technically and most importantly automatically, and because of this I’m afraid to talk about it so that it won’t be stolen ahead of time.
But it contains mechanics that should be very interesting and exciting. It is possible to implement this only in Sandbox, but this is not certain until I find out the options)
Tanka
these are the developments of the first card, but now I want to add modern elements there ...
FireFly
What a pleasure to get to know the artists! I am very glad that I have direct contact with many of you!)
NinjaMzfk
mutually =)
FireFly
Select 1-2 most beautiful works on Singular for you and explain why! Don't propose to each other!
NinjaMzfk
works or collections?
FireFly
As you wish !
NinjaMzfk
then collections
Tanka
in general, of course, there are the craziest ideas, but for them you need to assemble a team ... maybe we will come to this someday
I really like this collection https://singular.rmrk.app/collections/54eea4ff69b8f03873-C1MAO
charismatic character and very cool work with color
NinjaMzfk
1. I would even single out the artist, since his collections are all cool: https://singular.rmrk.app/space/FykMxr2d2MEGizLbs9hGGCiEb5nrgTHvHmWo3GSJ3xrEHJ6?page=1&tab=created&creator=true&showCollections=yes SKULLZ
NinjaMzfk
2. The new 3D collection from Mad Rabbit went crazy for me, I think it will be a wild success. https://singular.rmrk.app/collections/fa0dcc186bd089241e-%F0%9F%8F%80
FireFly
Oh ! SKULLZ! very very cool ! I personally expressed respect to him during our communication for his work, and even impudently hinted that sooner or later I would have my Avatar drawn by him! https://singular.rmrk.app/collections/9692fa834afcce2d3e-Q8SHU
As for Mad Rabbit - I know there are many of his students, this person definitely understands Art)
Tanka
I also find interesting doodles https://singular.rmrk.app/collections/6ec662611f161fd10a-DDWORLD
FireFly
Cool, thanks, many of these works are known to me, but not all! get acquainted!)
FireFly
What features would you like to see added to Singular in the future?
Tanka
Whitelist, royalty and auction 🙂
NinjaMzfk
1. Royalty)
2. Search by attributes inside the collection (example as in open, this is a huge plus for generative collections)
3. And the button to exchange RMRK right on the site)
4. Auction, yes)
Tanka
I don't have enough whitelist. Because sometimes they write to me that they want a character, when I haven't posted it yet. But I don’t want to directly conduct a transaction, like they send you to your wallet, and you are a gift
and so the first person has the opportunity to buy directly through the system
NinjaMzfk
this is actually a problem.)
the first 3 in my warriors were bought through twitter and there 5 KSM came for 3 warriors, it would not hurt me in the statistics =)
FireFly
Much of this is coming soon! The team hears you!) https://rmrk.upvoty.com/ - and don't forget to add your suggestions and ideas here!
Tanka
Okey)
FireFly
Our interview is coming to an end! Do you have anything else to add?) I think many artists looking at your activity will work even more productively)
NinjaMzfk
First of all, thank you so much for calling, it is really important for us.
Since it is right at the time of the launch of the new collection, which we have high hopes for.
Thanks for doing a great job overall :)
And we keep playing :)
Tanka
I would wish those who doubt whether to try NFT or not, cast aside all their doubts and try. Because it can give new opportunities. It's not easy here, no one promised it. But here it is very interesting and it seems that this is the future 🙂
Andrew, thank you very much. For interviews, help and advice. I will be glad to receive some random advice from you if ideas come to mind)
FireFly
Thanks a lot ! I was very pleased to talk with you, I want more people to know about you and be able to appreciate your work and your work! You are cool !
https://singular.rmrk.app/collections/02182bd1df69629e65-%F0%9F%A4%A4 - TATATA Beavers collection
GvYhEKCUYcK5GdHB5MHPMmLKZqrdyPZV9HMW83RV5L7ZZLz - is my KSM wallet address if you want to donate some tips, so I can spend more time on projects like this.