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Angel Studios

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This article is about the media company. For the video game developer formerly known as Angel Studios, see Rockstar San Diego. For the recording studio, see Angel Recording Studios.

Angel Studios, Inc.
Company typePrivate
IndustryEntertainment
PredecessorVidAngel
FoundedMarch 25, 2021; 3 years ago (2021-03-25)
Founders
  • Neal Harmon
  • Jeff Harmon
  • Jordan Harmon
  • Daniel Harmon
  • Benton Crane
Headquarters
Provo, Utah
,
U.S.
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Neal Harmon (CEO)
ProductsVideo on demand
Services
Number of employees
100-250
Websiteangel.com

Angel Studios, Inc. is an American independent media company and film distribution studio based in Provo, Utah.[1] It operates the over-the-top video on-demand service Angel Studios.[2] The streaming service is available worldwide and can be accessed via web browsers or via application software installed on smartphones, tablet computers, and smart TVs.[3]

Angel Studios emerged as the result of a bankruptcy reorganization from VidAngel,[4] using equity crowdfunding through Angel Funding[5] to finance its original productions by offering individual investors the opportunity to purchase shares in the company and its titles.[6] Content produced by Angel Studios is distributed for free on their own streaming service.[2] Some titles are also available in other third-party streaming services as distribution deals.[7]

The studio has become known for its Christian-themed films. Notable titles that Angel Studios has produced include the film Sound of Freedom,[8][9] and the television series The Chosen.[10][11][12]

History

[edit]

Early years as VidAngel

[edit]
See also: VidAngel

Angel Studios was originally founded as VidAngel in 2014 by Neal Harmon, Jeffrey Harmon, Daniel Harmon, Jordan Harmon, and Benton Crane. According to Neal Harmon, the brothers wanted to be able to show any movie to their children without worrying about explicit material.[13] VidAngel provided a filtering service that allowed viewers to skip or mute scenes they did not want to watch from streamed movies and TV shows, by allowing viewers to set customized filters on graphic violence, nudity, and profanity.[14]

In 2016, VidAngel was sued by several major Hollywood studios for copyright violations, accusing the service of streaming unlicensed content that was not created by VidAngel.[15] VidAngel fought the lawsuit for several years, asserting its method was legal under the Family Movie Act of 2005, and then eventually reached a settlement in 2020.[16]

As a result of the lawsuit, the Harmon brothers decided to sell the filtering service business and instead focus on producing original content through equity crowdfunding.[17] The previous VidAngel service was sold to VidAngel Entertainment, and the company was rebranded as Angel Studios in 2021.[18]

Equity crowdfunding

[edit]

In December 2016, VidAngel was undergoing a lawsuit. To raise money for operations and lawsuit costs, the company conducted a Regulation A+ securities offering with a goal of $5 million in investment. It met its goal after 28 hours and had crowdfunded over $10 million after five days.[19]

In 2017, the company conducted another Regulation A+ securities offering to crowdfund Season 1 of The Chosen.[20] Neal Harmon and Jeff Harmon worked together with Dallas Jenkins and Derral Eves to produce and stream a multi-season television series about the life of Jesus and his disciples. After a pilot episode was developed, the company raised $13 million in equity crowdfunding to finance the first season, the largest amount ever crowdfunded for a TV show.[21]

Also in 2017, a third foray into equity crowdfunding came from the launch of Dry Bar Comedy, a series of 52 original stand-up comedy sets filmed in Utah that are generally clean and performed by lesser-known comedians. Much of its content went viral, with Dry Bar Comedy videos receiving over two billion views as of 2021.[22]

Launch of Angel Studios

[edit]

The success of Dry Bar Comedy and The Chosen gave way to a new business model that would allow the company to produce and distribute original content. The founders decided to focus on developing original content using its equity crowdfunding model and rebrand as Angel Studios.[23]

Angel Studios was named after the "angel investors" that participate in the new model that uses equity crowdfunding to finance original productions. These productions are distributed via the Angel Studios streaming platform for free. The company relies on a pay what you want revenue model, coined "Pay It Forward", in which viewers can optionally pay for the content if they choose to support it.[24]

In early 2021, Angel Studios purchased the domain angel.com for $2 million.[25] Soon after, Angel Studios launched an investment portal called Angel Funding that offered investment opportunities through Regulation Crowdfunding securities offerings.[26]

Several productions were successfully funded through the investment portal after its launch in March 2021. Tuttle Twins, a show for children with educational themes on economic freedom raised $4.6 million in equity crowdfunding for its production.[27] The Wingfeather Saga, an animated series based on the award-winning book collection of the same name raised $1 million in the first 48 hours and $5 million in 20 days.[28]

In April 2021, The Chosen, which was originally distributed through the VidAngel platform, was made available on Angel Studios for the launch of Season 2. The show became a viral hit with renowned success worldwide.[29]

In 2022, Angel Studios raised $47 million in an investment round led by a Gigafund, a venture capital company.[30] In May 2022, the studio reported that it had $123 million in revenue, and that 50,000 people have invested over $100 million for production of new original content on its platform.[31]

As of 2022, Angel Studios had 50,000 individual investors and had over $100 million worth of original content, including 12 titles, in production.[32]

Launch of the Angel Guild

[edit]

The Angel Guild, launched in 2023, is a  group of approximately 400,000 members who review and vote on completed episodes and movies to help Angel Studios decide if they should take on a project. If a film or show’s voting results meet the Guild's minimum eligibility requirements, the project enters into a due diligence process to determine its potential for distribution.

Angel Guild members pay a monthly or annual membership fee to receive exclusive benefits such as access to Angel Studios’ entire library, new monthly releases, merchandise discounts, two complimentary movie tickets to every release, and more. The Angel Guild supports Angel Studios’ mission to share stories that amplify light.

Notable films greenlit by the Angel Guild include His Only Son, which earned $13 million at the worldwide box office, and Sound of Freedom, which grossed $250 million after Angel Guild members voted for its distribution.

Production library

[edit]

Films

[edit]

Live-action

[edit]
Title Release date Director(s) Screenwriter(s) Producer(s) Production partner(s) Budget Box office
Testament: The Parables Retold October 6, 2022 (2022-10-06) Paul Syrstad TBA
His Only Son March 31, 2023 (2023-03-31) David Helling David Helling, Roman Medjanov, & Mike Kaney II RockBridge Productions $250,000[33] $13.8 million[34][35]
Sound of Freedom July 4, 2023 (2023-07-04) Alejandro Monteverde Rod Barr & Alejandro Monteverde Eduardo Verástegui Santa Fe Films $14.5 million[36] $250.6 million[37][38]
After Death October 27, 2023 (2023-10-27) Stephen Gray & Chris Radtke Jason Pamer & Jens Jacob Sypher Studios
Theora Films 		$11.8 million[39][40]
The Shift December 1, 2023 (2023-12-01) Brock Heasley Brock Heasley & Ken Carpenter Nook Lane Entertainment
Pinnacle Peak Pictures
Salt Shaker Media 		$6.4 million[41] $12.2 million[42]
Cabrini March 8, 2024 (2024-03-08) Alejandro Monteverde Alejandro Monteverde & Rod Barr Leo Severino & Jonathan Sanger Francesca Film Production NY
Lupin Film
Lodigiano Film Development Inc. 		$50 million[43] $20.5 million[44][45]
Sight May 24, 2024 (2024-05-24) Andrew Hyatt Andrew Hyatt, John Duigan & Buzz McLaughlin Darren Moorman, David Fischer & Vicki Sotheran Open River Entertainment
Reserve Entertainment 		TBA $7.2 million[46]
Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot July 4, 2024 (2024-07-04) Joshua Weigel Joshua Weigel & Rebekah Weigel Letitia Wright (executive producer) Peacetree Productions
DailyWire+ 		$8.5 million[47] $11.7 million[48][49]
Upcoming
Bonhoeffer November 22, 2024 (2024-11-22) Todd Komarnicki Fontana
In Plain Sight Group
Crow's Nest Productions
Guy Walks Into A Bar Productions 		TBA $5.1 million[50][51]
Homestead December 20, 2024 (2024-12-20) Ben Smallbone Phillip Abraham
Leah Bateman
Jason Ross 		Ben Kasica
Andrea Royer
Ben Smallbone 		Black Autumn Show
Skies Fall Media Group 		TBA TBA
Brave the Dark January 24, 2025 (2025-01-24) Damian Harris Dale G. Bradley
Lynn Robertson-HayNathaniel
DeenJohn P.
Spencer
Damian Harris 		Grant Bradley
Derek Dienner
Dale G. Bradley 		MAKE/FILMS
Aristos Films
Inspiring Films LLC
Triode Media 		TBA TBA
The Telegram TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA
Jacob TBA David Helling TBA TBA TBA TBA

Animation

[edit]
Title Release date Director(s) Screenwriter(s) Producer(s) Production partner(s)
Upcoming
David November 21, 2025 (2025-11-21) Phil Cunningham & Brent Dawes TBA Phil Cunningham & Jacqui Cunningham Sunrise Animation Studios

Television

[edit]

Live-action

[edit]
SeriesSeasonEpisodesOriginally airedStatus
The Chosen19December 24, 2017 (2017-12-24)November 26, 2019 (2019-11-26)Released
29April 4, 2021 (2021-04-04)December 1, 2021 (2021-12-01)Released
38December 11, 2022 (2022-12-11)February 7, 2023 (2023-02-07)Released
Dry Bar Comedy1TBA2017 (2017)TBAReleased
Playing For Eternity111February 3, 2023 (2023-02-03)TBAReleased
Lightwise116March 21, 2023 (2023-03-21)TBAReleased
Testament1TBATBATBAIn production
Dry Bar Unscripted1TBATBATBAIn production
The German King1TBATBATBAIn production

Animation

[edit]
SeriesSeasonEpisodesOriginally airedStatus
Tuttle Twins112June 30, 2021 (2021-06-30)November 1, 2022 (2022-11-01)Released
212March 7, 2023 (2023-03-07)December 12, 2023 (2023-12-12)Released
310May 7, 2024 (2024-05-07)March 5, 2025 (2025-03-05)
The Wingfeather Saga16December 2, 2022 (2022-12-02)March 10, 2023 (2023-03-10)Released
27April 5, 2024May 17, 2024Released
Young David15November 10, 2023 (2023-11-10)March 8, 2024 (2024-03-08)Released
Gabriel and the Guardians1TBATBATBAIn production
The Axiom Chronicles1TBATBATBAPending

Content

[edit]

TV series

[edit]

The Chosen

[edit]
See also: The Chosen (TV series)

The Chosen, a streaming multi-season television series created by Dallas Jenkins and about the life of Jesus, was first produced under the VidAngel umbrella and later distributed by Angel Studios.[52] The series was supported by equity crowdfunding and raised over $13 million, the largest amount ever crowdfunded for a TV show.[52] Following the Season 3 finale in February 2023, The Chosen and Jenkins broke away from Angel Studios. The show is now handled by the Come and See Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation formed specifically to produce, license, and distribute The Chosen.[53]

Following months of legal arbitration between Angel Studios and The Chosen LLC, a decision by the arbitrator in favor of The Chosen was given in late May 2024. One day after Jenkins announced the ruling, Angel Studios' CEO Neal Harmon announced his company planned to appeal.[54][55]

Dry Bar Comedy

[edit]

Dry Bar Comedy was one of the preceding company's first forays into original content, launched in 2017. It began as a series of 52 original stand-up comedy sets filmed in Utah that are generally clean and performed by lesser-known comedians.[56] Dry Bar Comedy has attracted a large social media following, particularly on YouTube. As of 2021, Dry Bar Comedy videos have attracted over 2 billion views.[22]

The Wingfeather Saga

[edit]
See also: The Wingfeather Saga

Angel Studios produced an animated TV adaptation of The Wingfeather Saga, a fantasy book series for children and young adults written by Andrew Peterson. Investors contributed $5 million to produce the first season, which is currently streaming.[28]

Feature films

[edit]

As of July 2023, Angel's distributed feature films include His Only Son, a March 2023 live-action drama retelling the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac produced by RockBridge Productions,[57][58] Sound of Freedom, produced by Santa Fe Films and released in July 2023, and The Shift, a sci-fi film[59] released in late 2023 starring Neal McDonough, Sean Astin, Kristoffer Polaha, and Emily Rose, which was Angel Studios's first original theatrical feature film.[60]

David, an animated film about the eponymous biblical hero is set to be released in 2025.[61]

Sound of Freedom

[edit]
See also: Sound of Freedom (film)

On July 3, 2023, Angel Studios released the film Sound of Freedom as its first international theatrical release.[8][9][62][63] Directed by Alejandro Monteverde, the film stars Jim Caviezel, Mira Sorvino, and Bill Camp. The film was a box office success, earning over $250 million worldwide.[8][9][64][65] However, the film also attracted controversy due to allegations of exaggerated ticket sales,[66][67][68] challenges to the credibility of its subject Tim Ballard,[69] and its ties to the QAnon conspiracy theory.[70][71][72][73]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "'The Chosen' Distributor Angel Studios Launches Theatrical Division". Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Angel Studios: Free, Wholesome Movies & Shows". Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  3. ^ "Supported Devices - Angel Studios: Free, Wholesome Movies & Shows". Angel Studios. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  4. ^ Michael Balderston (March 23, 2021). "VidAngel Rebrands as Angel Studios for Crowdfunding Content". TVTechnology. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  5. ^ Klee, Miles (February 24, 2024). "New Lawsuit Against Tim Ballard Also Targets 'Sound of Freedom' and Angel Studios". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  6. ^ "Angel Funding - Invest in stories that amplify light". Angel Funding. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  7. ^ Form 1-K Annual Report 2022 Angel Studios, Inc. SEC.report
  8. ^ a b c "Sound of Freedom (2023)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  9. ^ a b c "Sound of Freedom (2023)". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. Archived from the original on July 10, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  10. ^ Graham, Ruth (November 25, 2022). "Jesus Christ, Streaming Star". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  11. ^ Parke, Caleb (January 7, 2019). "Story about life of Jesus emerges as largest crowdfunded entertainment project in history". Fox News. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  12. ^ "A television show about Jesus Christ has become an unlikely hit". The Economist. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  13. ^ "VidAngel CEO Talks Filtering Content For Faith-Based Streaming And Creating "The Chosen"". Religion Unplugged. October 6, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  14. ^ "Nothing Will Stop VidAngel from Exorcising Hollywood's Demons". Vanity Fair. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  15. ^ "Hollywood studios win ruling over VidAngel family-friendly filters". Reuters. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  16. ^ "VidAngel Set to Emerge from Bankruptcy After Settling Historic Copyright Battle with Disney and Other Studios". AP News. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  17. ^ "The brothers who sold faith and 'Sound of Freedom'". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  18. ^ Harmon, Neal. "Angel Studios Form 1-K". US Securities and Exchange Commission. SEC. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  19. ^ "After Raising $10 Million using Reg A+, VidAngel Files for Chapter 11". Crowdfund Insider. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  20. ^ "Crowdfunding on VidAngel Studios, the Chosen Claims to be #1 Crowdfunded Media Project Ever". Crowdfund Insider. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  21. ^ "'The Chosen' $10M crowdfunded show out now: 'Experience Jesus in a way that's never been done before'". Fox News. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  22. ^ a b Knight, Robert (August 28, 2021). "Dry Bar Comedy delivers inoffensive humor in a compromised culture". The Washington Times. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  23. ^ "VidAngel Rebrands as Angel Studios, Refocuses on Original Content". Techbuzz. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  24. ^ "Pay It Forward - Angel Studios". Angel Studios. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  25. ^ Allemann, Andrew (April 15, 2021). "Angel.com domain name sells for $2 million". Domain Name Wire | Domain Name News. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  26. ^ "Invest in Stories that Amplify Light". Angel Funding. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  27. ^ "Libertarian Cartoons Promise to Turn Your Kids Into Little Ayn Rands". Bloomberg.com. July 27, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  28. ^ a b Fowler, Megan (June 3, 2021). "Andrew Peterson's Wingfeather Saga Raises $5M for TV Series". News & Reporting. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  29. ^ Mendelson, Scott. "Angel Studios Will Try To Replicate 'The Chosen's Box Office Miracle". Forbes. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  30. ^ "Angel Studios, Streaming Platform Behind 'The Chosen', Raises $47 Million Investment Led by Gigafund to Give Hollywood a Remake". markets.businessinsider.com. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  31. ^ TechBuzz (May 20, 2022). "Angel Studios Announces New 2022 Lineup, Representing over $100 Million in Original Content". www.techbuzz.news. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  32. ^ TechBuzz (January 6, 2022). "Angel Studios Raises $47 Million in Venture Financing". www.techbuzz.news. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  33. ^ "Angel Studios' latest film 'His Only Son' recounts the story of Abraham and Isaac". KSL. March 29, 2023. Archived from the original on July 20, 2023. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  34. ^ "His Only Son (2023)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  35. ^ "His Only Son (2023)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  36. ^ Jurgensen, John (July 2, 2023). "A Child-Trafficking Thriller Is Taking on Hollywood. Who's Behind It?". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on July 8, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  37. ^ "Sound of Freedom (2023)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on July 10, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  38. ^ "Sound of Freedom (2023) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  39. ^ "After Death — Financial Information". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  40. ^ "After Death (2023)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  41. ^ Whitten, Sarah (November 30, 2023). "Sound of Freedom studio looks to build on crowdfunding success with new film The Shift". CNBC. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  42. ^ "The Shift (2023)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  43. ^ DiStefano, Joseph N. (February 29, 2024). "A Main Line patriarch raised $50 million to make Cabrini, the new movie about a relentless Italian American nun". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  44. ^ "Cabrini— Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
  45. ^ "Cabrini". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
  46. ^ "Sight – Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  47. ^ Fabian, Liz (September 8, 2022). "Casting call goes out for $8.5 million movie filming in Macon this fall". AOL. Verizon. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  48. ^ "Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot – Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  49. ^ "Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  50. ^ "Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin – Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  51. ^ "Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin. (2024)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  52. ^ a b Bond, Paul (January 5, 2019). "Largest-Ever Crowdfunding Campaign for a TV Show Issues Equity to Investors". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  53. ^ "Foundation Formed to Translate, License & Distribute 'The Chosen'". December 2022.
  54. ^ Hibberd, James (May 30, 2024). "'The Chosen' and Angel Studios Are in a Polite War Over Hit Show". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 31, 2024. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  55. ^ Schneider, Michael (May 30, 2024). "The Battle Over 'The Chosen': Angel Studios Will Appeal the Ruling That Terminated Its Rights to the Hit Faith-Based Series". Variety. Archived from the original on May 31, 2024. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  56. ^ Herald, Court Mann Daily. "VidAngel switches its focus to 'Dry Bar Comedy' in wake of lawsuit". Daily Herald.
  57. ^ "Invest in 'David' on Angel Funding".
  58. ^ "His Only Son | Angel Studios".
  59. ^ "The Shift Makes Cast Announcement and Begins-Filming". February 23, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  60. ^ Grobar, Matt (February 3, 2023). "Neal McDonough, Sean Astin Join 'The Shift'; Brainstorm Media Acquires 'Acidman' With Dianna Agron, Thomas Haden Church; Hope Runs High Takes BAFTA-Nominated Doc 'Rebellion' — Film Briefs". Deadline. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  61. ^ CCM News (March 27, 2023). "Angel Studios Announces DAVID Movie Surpasses "The Chosen" as #1 Crowd Funded Media Project in History". CCM Magazine. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  62. ^ X. "You ask, we answer. "Sound of Freedom" is on its way around the world". www.X.com. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  63. ^ The Numbers. "The Numbers, Where Data and the Movie Business Meet". www.the-numbers.com. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  64. ^ Washington Examiner. "Sound of Freedom exceeds expectations with $40 million box-office opening". www.washingtonexaminer.com. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  65. ^ Deadline (July 3, 2023). "Jim Caviezel Anti-Child-Trafficking Thriller 'Sound Of Freedom' Notches $10M Presales Before July 4th Opening – Box Office Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  66. ^ Huggins, Katherine (July 17, 2023). "Who takes the front row? These bizarre seating charts at 'Sound of Freedom' screenings lend credence to claims fake ticket sales are boosting numbers". Daily Dot. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  67. ^ Gabbatt, Adam (July 23, 2023). "Sound of Freedom passed the $100m mark. Who's really watching the movie?". The Guardian. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  68. ^ "'Sound of Freedom' Fans Shrug Off Arrest of Donor for Child Kidnapping". Rolling Stone. August 4, 2023.
  69. ^ Stolworthy, Jacob (July 11, 2023). "The controversial child trafficking drama that's become summer's unlikely hit". The Independent. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  70. ^ Long, Katherine. "'Sound of Freedom,' this summer's surprise blockbuster, is fronted by a QAnon supporter and financed by a man who defrauded Medicare". Insider. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  71. ^ Shannon Bond. "Christian thriller 'Sound of Freedom' faces criticism for stoking conspiracy theories". NPR. National Public Radio. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  72. ^ Scribner, Herb; Sommer, Will (July 7, 2023). "'Sound of Freedom' is a box office hit whose star embraces QAnon". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 9, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  73. ^ Bramesco, Charles (July 6, 2023). "Sound of Freedom: the QAnon-adjacent thriller seducing America". The Guardian. Archived from the original on July 8, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
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