

Future of StoryTelling (FoST)
Future of StoryTelling
The Future of StoryTelling (FoST) is a passionate community of people from the worlds of media, technology, and communications who believe that better stories can create a better future. Join FoST Founder and CEO Charlie Melcher for a series of conversations with expert storytellers from a range of disciplines to learn how they’re navigating the changing media landscape, focusing on how stories can help create positive and lasting change in the world. Conversations address a breadth of topics, from immersive storytelling to emerging technologies, the neuroscience of narrative, and much more. www.futureofstorytelling.org
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 15, 2023 • 28min
Tribeca and the Importance of Curation — Jane Rosenthal Revisited
In honor of the Tribeca Festival taking place this week in New York City, we’re revisiting a conversation with Tribeca’s CEO and co-founder Jane Rosenthal. In this episode, Jane discusses the festival’s important role in finding, highlighting, and supporting the development of new and diverse voices. --© 2023 Future of StoryTelling, Corp.Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp.124 West 13th StreetNew York, NY 10011Founder and CEO, Charles MelcherDirector, Carolyn MerrimanAssistant Producer, Madison Brownin collaboration with Charts & LeisureFounder, Jason OberholtzerExecutive Producer, Mike RugnettaEditor, Garrett CroweMix and Music, Michael SimonelliWith special thanks to Jane Rosenthal, Bonnie Eldon, Meghal Janardan, Elisabeth March, Michael Bass, and Megan Worman.

Jun 1, 2023 • 32min
JR Reality and the Power of Portraits — JR
For years, French artist JR has been making statements by printing large-scale portraits and pasting them in public locations across the globe. Now, he’s using augmented reality technology to make it easier than ever for communities to share their stories. JR Reality, created with Superblue and Niantic, is a platform that lets anyone with a smartphone add their portrait and story to geotagged locations throughout their city. On today’s episode, JR talks about the creative process behind the app and what it means both for him and for the world.For additional links, information, and more, visit our website.--© 2022 Future of StoryTelling, Corp.Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp.124 West 13th StreetNew York, NY 10011Founder and CEO, Charles MelcherDirector, Carolyn MerrimanAssistant Producer, Madison Brownin collaboration with Charts & LeisureFounder, Jason OberholtzerExecutive Producer, Mike RugnettaEditor, Garrett CroweMix and Music, Michael SimonelliWith special thanks to JR, Superblue, Bonnie Eldon, Meghal Janardan, Elisabeth March, Michael Bass, and Megan Worman.

10 snips
May 18, 2023 • 31min
"Silo" and Disrupting Entertainment — Hugh Howey
A true disruptor, Hugh Howey turned his sci-fi novella series Silo from a self-published ebook into a bestseller and now an acclaimed streaming series. On the occasion of Silo’s release on Apple TV+, Hugh talks about changing the traditional model of publishing, adapting his work to television, and the creative revolution he sees on the horizon.--© 2023 Future of StoryTelling, Corp.Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp.124 West 13th StreetNew York, NY 10011Founder and CEO, Charles MelcherDirector, Carolyn MerrimanAssistant Producer, Madison Brownin collaboration with Charts & LeisureFounder, Jason OberholtzerExecutive Producer, Mike RugnettaEditor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael SimonelliWith special thanks to Hugh Howey, Bonnie Eldon, Meghal Janardan, Sarah Vitak, Elisabeth March, Michael Bass, and Megan Worman.

May 9, 2023 • 32min
Story Living with Industrial Light & Magic — Rob Bredow and Vicki Dobbs Beck
Industrial Light & Magic sets the gold standard for visual effects and immersive storytelling in collaboration with some of the world's most popular IPs. On today’s episode of the FoST podcast, ILM’s SVP, Chief Creative Officer Rob Bredow and VP of Immersive Content Vicki Dobbs Beck discuss the work of ILMxLAB and the exciting ways that storytelling is becoming more immersive than ever with AR, AI, and other next-generation technologies.For additional links and more information, visit our website.--© 2023 Future of StoryTelling, Corp.Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp.124 West 13th StreetNew York, NY 10011Founder and CEO, Charles MelcherDirector, Carolyn MerrimanAssistant Producer, Madison Brownin collaboration with Charts & LeisureFounder, Jason OberholtzerExecutive Producer, Mike RugnettaEditor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael SimonelliWith special thanks to Rob Bredow, Vicki Dobbs Beck, Bonnie Eldon, Meghal Janardan, Elisabeth March, Michael Bass, and Megan Worman.

Apr 13, 2023 • 32min
Behind the Mask with Punchdrunk — Felix Barrett
With critically acclaimed shows worldwide, Punchdrunk is the company that put immersive theater on the map. On today’s episode of the FoST Podcast, Punchdrunk’s founder and artistic director Felix Barrett gives us a very special “one-on-one”– he’ll take us through their iconic production Sleep No More from beginning to end, illuminating the creative process behind it all along the way.--© 2023 Future of StoryTelling, Corp.Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp.124 West 13th StreetNew York, NY 10011Founder and CEO, Charles MelcherDirector, Carolyn MerrimanAssistant Producer, Madison Brownin collaboration with Charts & LeisureFounder, Jason OberholtzerExecutive Producer, Mike RugnettaEditor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael SimonelliWith special thanks to Felix Barrett, Izzy Stargardter, Meghal Janardan, Bonnie Eldon, Elisabeth March, Michael Bass, and Megan Worman.

Mar 30, 2023 • 29min
Get Your Art Rate Up — Ivy Ross and Susan Magsamen
In their new book Your Brain on Art, VP of Hardware Design at Google Ivy Ross and Founder and Director of the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Susan Magsamen show that great art and stories are not just enjoyable, but necessary for us to flourish as humans. On this episode of the FoST Podcast, they discuss the neuroscience supporting their hypothesis and the culture shift needed to help us live fuller, more artistic lives.--© 2023 Future of StoryTelling, Corp.Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp.124 West 13th StreetNew York, NY 10011Founder and CEO, Charles MelcherDirector, Carolyn MerrimanAssistant Producer, Madison Brownin collaboration with Charts & LeisureFounder, Jason OberholtzerExecutive Producer, Mike RugnettaEditor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael SimonelliWith special thanks to Ivy Ross, Susan Magsamen, Meghal Janardan, Bonnie Eldon, Elisabeth March, Michael Bass, and Megan Worman.

Mar 22, 2023 • 28min
Burning Man and Radical Self-Expression — Marian Goodell
Burning Man is much more than an event– it’s a co-created immersive world. Marian Goodell, the CEO of Burning Man Project, has helped the community grow while maintaining its culture, spirit, and collaborative ethos. On this episode of the FoST Podcast, Marian talks about what makes Burning Man such a fertile ground for creativity.--© 2023 Future of StoryTelling, Corp.Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp.124 West 13th StreetNew York, NY 10011Founder and CEO, Charles MelcherDirector, Carolyn MerrimanAssistant Producer, Madison Brownin collaboration with Charts & LeisureFounder, Jason OberholtzerExecutive Producer, Mike RugnettaEditor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael SimonelliWith special thanks to Marian Goodell, Meghal Janardan, Bonnie Eldon, Elisabeth March, Michael Bass, and Megan Worman.

Mar 2, 2023 • 30min
Where Physical and Digital Merge — Cathy Hackl
Chief Metaverse Officer at Journey and “Godmother of the Metaverse” Cathy Hackl is paying close attention to the metaverse– and if you’re a creator or an entrepreneur, you should be too. On this episode of the FoST Podcast, Cathy shares how she defines the metaverse, what opportunities it’s creating for commerce and creativity, and how she’s working towards a protopian world both physical and virtual.--© 2023 Future of StoryTelling, Corp.Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp.124 West 13th StreetNew York, NY 10011Founder and CEO, Charles MelcherDirector, Carolyn MerrimanAssistant Producer, Madison Brownin collaboration with Charts & LeisureFounder, Jason OberholtzerExecutive Producer, Mike RugnettaEditor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael SimonelliWith special thanks to Cathy Hackl, Meghal Janardan, Bonnie Eldon, Elisabeth March, Michael Bass, and Megan Worman.

Feb 16, 2023 • 29min
How to Design an Escape Room — Victor van Doorn
Escape rooms give audiences the opportunity to use their minds and bodies in an exciting, participatory experience. Victor van Doorn and his company Sherlocked are taking that offering to the next level by integrating deep storytelling into their rooms for an altogether more immersive experience. Hear Victor talk about how Sherlocked designs with an eye towards narrative and flow on today’s episode of the FoST podcast. --© 2022 Future of StoryTelling, Corp.Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp.124 West 13th StreetNew York, NY 10011Founder and CEO, Charles MelcherDirector, Carolyn MerrimanAssistant Producer, Madison Brownin collaboration with Charts & LeisureFounder, Jason OberholtzerExecutive Producer, Mike RugnettaEditor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael SimonelliWith special thanks to Victor van Doorn, Bonnie Eldon, Meghal Janardan, Sarah Vitak, Elisabeth March, Michael Bass, Megan Worman, and Laura Cray.

Feb 2, 2023 • 30min
Pursuing Fan Joy at Scale — Greg Lombardo
Fans dream of living in their favorite storyworlds, and as Head of Experiences at Netflix, Greg Lombardo is helping make those dreams come true for lovers of shows like Stranger Things and Bridgerton. What's more, he and his team are bringing shows to people in cities across the globe, producing immersive experiences at incredible scale. In this episode, Greg discusses the strategy behind these experiences and what makes them special. --© 2022 Future of StoryTelling, Corp.Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp.124 West 13th StreetNew York, NY 10011Founder and CEO, Charles MelcherDirector, Carolyn MerrimanAssistant Producer, Madison Brownin collaboration with Charts & LeisureFounder, Jason OberholtzerExecutive Producer, Mike RugnettaEditor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael SimonelliWith special thanks to Greg Lombardo, Bonnie Eldon, Meghal Janardan, Sarah Vitak, Elisabeth March, Michael Bass, Megan Worman, and Laura Cray.