Masters of Storytelling

Abigail Rosen Holmes is a lighting, video and production designer who's worked on live concerts, special events, and installations for artists like Phish, The Cure, Janet Jackson, The Cure, Cher; for companies like Disney and Nordtrom; and on projects the span from the High Roller Observation Wheel at Caesar’s in Vegas to Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall,’ which was performed live at the site of the Berlin Wall only eight months after it had been torn down. A D.C. native and graduate of Brown University, Abigail spent years touring the US and Europe with some of the world's biggest music acts before spending six years as a Disney Imagineer. Her unique and varied background lend to her habit of leaning into otherwise unfamiliar mediums, platforms, and tools. This has contributed to a depth of experience that is fundamental to who she is today. In this episode of Masters of Storytelling, Maya talks to Abigail about her experience as a roadie, the power of abstraction in lighting and media design, and the magnificent things that happen when you just say 'yes.' For more information about Abigail and NYXdesign, visit: www.nyxdesign.com For more infomation about BRC Imagination Arts, visit: www.brcweb.com

In Maya’s interview with Chris Do, an Emmy award-winning designer and director, the two discuss business storytelling, brand strategy, finding your purpose, and the importance of doing what you love. To follow up on this conversation, Maya spoke to Cara Pico, BRC’s Design Studio Director. She leads all of BRC’s casting and recruitment, studio operations, and supports practically every department at BRC from project development to marketing, finance to design and production.    For more information about BRC: https://bit.ly/3B4RDKB    Follow BRC on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3a9OJsu 

CEO and Chief Strategist of Blind Inc, Chris Do has lectured all over the world. Storyteller, businessman, designer, teacher, and creative strategist among other things, Chris has spent over 15yrs teaching at schools like ArtCenter College of Design, Otis College of Art and Design, and has reached millions through his second company, The Futur—an online education platform with close to 2M subscribers on YouTube. He received his BFA from Art Center College of Design in Graphics/Packaging, where he has taught Sequential Design for over a decade. He’s lectured all over the world on subjects including pricing, sales, negotiations, content marketing, branding, storytelling, building community and influence. In this episode of Masters of Storytelling, Maya talks to Chris about his journey starting and growing a creative agency, business storytelling and the importance of knowing your audience, and the magic that happens when you do work that has meaning. For more information about Chris and his company Blind, visit: www.blind.com For more information about The Futur, visit: www.thefutur.com To learn more about BRC Imagination Arts: www.brcweb.com

Matthew Solari, Vice President and Creative Director at BRC Imagination Arts, discusses transforming complex topics into captivating stories. He explores the collaborative processes behind immersive narratives, like those crafted for NASA at the Kennedy Space Center. Solari shares insights on the evolving paths in themed entertainment, emphasizing the importance of personal journeys and diverse voices in storytelling. He highlights the role of writers as 'narrative glue' and the need for emotional engagement in creating lasting audience connections.

Margaret Kerrison, Creative/Story Lead with 14 years of experience, discusses the importance of immersive storytelling and the role of writers in creating transformative experiences. She shares insights on working with IPs like Star Wars, the impact of multicultural influences on storytelling, and the evolution of storytelling in a post-COVID world.

In this Masters of Storytelling bonus episode, Maya talks to Edward Hodge, Vice President and Creative Director at BRC, about themes discussed in Maya's interview with Emmy award-winning pianist and composer Kris Bowers (Episode 3).   Edward’s what some people call a 'technical wizard'. The man with the magic wand, he’s often responsible for bringing our shows to life using integrated technical systems, projection mapping, and special effects.    For more information about BRC: https://bit.ly/3B4RDKB   For more information about Edward Hodge: https://bit.ly/3JhtAvt     For more information about the Music Box Experience Center at Ravinia Festival: https://bit.ly/3u0aOCj    For more information about the Las Vegas Raiders Allegiant Stadium Tours: https://bit.ly/3IgdjFw    Follow BRC on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3a9OJsu 

An Emmy Award-winning composer and pianist, Kris Bowers has mastered the art of translating emotion to sound. From Bridgerton to Space Jam, Green Book, and most recently, King Richard, the Juilliard-educated pianist has established himself at the forefront of Hollywood’s emerging generation of genre-defying composers. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Kris first made a name for himself in 2011, when he won the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The win earned him a record deal with Concord Jazz, who later released his debut album, Heroes+Misfits, which opened at number one on the iTunes jazz chart in 2014. Since then, he's gone on to compose for projects that include Kobe Bryant’s Muse, Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us, Netflix’s Dear White People, and Shonda Rhimes' Inventing Anna. In addition to his work as a composer for TV and film, Kris has recorded and performed with artists such as Q-Tip, Aretha Franklin, Ludacris, Christian Rich, Jay-Z, and Kanye West. In this episode of Masters of Storytelling, Maya talks to Kris about his craft as a composer, how he views jazz as a way of life, and the visceral experience of tying sound to story. Many thanks to Kris Bowers for providing music for this episode: 0:00 — "What's Stopping Us" from Netflix's 'Dear White People' 06:35 — "Bed-Stuy Princess / No System" from "Monsters and Men" 17:55 — "Hitchhiking" 22:01 — End Credits from "Monsters and Men" 33:58 — "In Loving Memory" from "Monsters and Men" 42:40 — "What's Stopping Us" from Netflix's 'Dear White People' For more information about Kris, visit: www.krisbowers.com For more information about BRC, visit: www.brcweb.com Follow BRC on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3CofmWY Follow BRC on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3a9OJsu   

In this Masters of Storytelling bonus episode, Maya catches up with Christian Lachel, Chief Creative Officer at BRC Imagination Arts, to discuss Corona Island and the art of science of branded destinations.    One of today’s most important thought leaders in the experiential space. Christian has led the strategy, design, and production of some of the world’s most successful branded destinations including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Johnnie Walker Princes Street, Jameson Distillery Bow St., NASA Kennedy Space Center, and more.    For more information about BRC: https://bit.ly/3B4RDKB   For more information about Christian Lachel: https://bit.ly/3HAMyfE    Follow BRC on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3a9OJsu 

From theatre to journalism and now branded entertainment, Gabor Harrach has never been afraid to reinvent himself. A content marketing consultant, Gabor has spent years helping global brands build content portfolios that speak entertain, and inspire as much as they drive business impact.   Gabor builds content studios for global brands and media companies and is widely recognized as a key contributor to the global success of Red Bull Media House and Corona Studios. With precisely crafted and executed content strategies, he’s an expert at building bridges between the worlds of advertising and entertainment and connecting brands with audiences across platforms.   In this episode of Masters of Storytelling, discover what Gabor considers the best school of storytelling, the role of entertainment in creating branded engagement, and how community-led storytelling has helped power Corona Beer’s rise from the seventh to the number one most valuable beer brand in the world.    For more information about Gabor: https://bit.ly/34hlgg5    For more information and to buy The Art of Branded Entertainment: https://amzn.to/3HGsA2Y    For more information about Corona Studios:  https://bit.ly/3rx4Bh2    For more information on BRC: https://bit.ly/3B4RDKB    Follow BRC on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3a9OJsu 

In Maya's interview with Chris Copeland, Director and Producer at Dreamworks, they discuss — among other things — what it means to live authentically, how that lends to his role leading creative teams, and why diverse teams tend to tell better, more interesting stories.    In many ways, the conversation reminded Maya of countless chats she's had with Carmel Lewis, Executive Vice President and Executive Producer at BRC Imagination Arts.   In addition to pushing through some of the biggest projects BRC has in production, Carmel oversees the team casting and can be largely credited for the culture BRC enjoys today.    For more information about BRC: https://bit.ly/3B4RDKB    For more information about Carmel Lewis: https://bit.ly/3uCcXGb   Follow BRC on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3a9OJsu