Podcasts

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 Inc, is a platform that lets anyone with a smartphone add their face and voice 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.

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.

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.

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.

In their new book Your Brain on Art, Ivy Ross (VP of Hardware Design at Google) and Susan Magsamen (Founder and Director of the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine) 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.

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.

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.

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 to design with an eye towards narrative and flow on today’s episode of the FoST podcast.

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.

As new technology arises, so do new opportunities for expression, empathy, and empowerment. Our guest today, Alton Glass of GRX Immersive, shares how he’s making the most of these opportunities and helping others do the same through educational programs designed to help diverse creators take advantage of virtual reality and other emerging forms.

We all play roles in our day-to-day lives– but we don’t always have a choice in them. Roleplaying games, and particularly live action roleplays (aka “LARP”), allow us to reclaim the ability to decide who we’re going to be, both within the game and beyond. On today’s episode of the FoST Podcast, Dr. Sarah Lynne Bowman shares her learnings on how roleplaying games work and why they’re becoming more and more popular.

Today’s marketers are tasked with telling stories that not only represent their products, but that also empower their customers. As VP of Global Marketing at Google, Marvin Chow understands better than anyone how important it is for a brand to have a positive impact and help its users do the same. On this episode of the FoST Podcast, Marvin shares learnings on marketing for one of the biggest brands in the world.

Creators, marketers, and other storytellers have long wondered: could there ever be an objective measurement of how moving our stories are to audiences? Neuroscientist and tech entrepreneur Paul J. Zak says yes— and he's studied 50,000 brains to back up his claims. Paul shares science-based insights on what makes stories effective from his new book, "Immersion: The Science of the Extraordinary and the Source of Happiness," on this episode of the FoST podcast.

In recent years, brick-and-mortar retail has been facing a crisis. But Ben Kaufman and his company, CAMP, have come up with a solution: make shopping a memorable, immersive experience. On this episode of the FoST podcast, Ben discusses how CAMP is combining play, product, and programming to give young families a place to make memories together.

With immersive experiences becoming more and more popular, it's important to ask: what makes an experience not just entertaining, but transformative? Margaret Kerrison, former Disney Imagineer and multi-award winning writer for immersive experiences, shares her answer to that question and more from her new book, “Immersive Storytelling for Real and Imagined Worlds: A Writer’s Guide.”

Singer/songwriter Aloe Blacc sits down to talk about what makes a song “evergreen,” how he writes his lyrics, and the potential of machine learning in art.

Co-founder & CEO of thatgamecompany, visionary designer of Journey (2012) and Sky: Children of the Light (2019), and game media evangelist Jenova Chen talks about designing video games that bring out the best in people.

David Byrne, multi-award-winning artist and front man of Talking Heads, shares the insights and aspirations that shaped his newest immersive project, Theater of the Mind.

Marc Simons, co-founder of Giant Spoon, the agency behind the legendary Westworld SXSW activation discusses immersive as a tool for building brands.

Want to know what the future holds for the metaverse? Ask author, futurist, and digital media trailblazer, Robert Tercek. Hear his forecasts on the future of virtual reality on this week's episode.

Jessica Brillhart shares stories about the highs and lows of working with an emerging technology and takes a look at the past, present, and future of VR cinematography.

Innovator in the world of narrative gaming, Sam Barlow, talks about making games that break the mold and letting the player drive the story.

Zach Morris, Tom Pearson, and Jennine Willett of Third Rail Projects on caring for the audience, incubating new work, and intimacy versus scale.

Chief engagement officer at Salesforce.org, Cristina Jones, weighs in on the power of listening to your audience, using storytelling for good, and why action leadership is the new thought leadership.

Peabody Awardee and “Godmother of Virtual Reality,” Nonny de la Peña shares her vision for the future of immersive journalism and virtual reality.

Chris Alden, founder of Palace Games, named one of the top escape room companies in 2020 by TERPECA, gives us a peak behind the curtain at how story, experience, and technology all factor into designing great escape rooms.

Writer and digital anthropologist Frank Rose shares his insights about how the art of storytelling shapes our world, changes with new technology, and is wired into our brains.

Thorny Games cofounders Kathryn Hymes and Hakan Seyalıoğlu discuss inventing games as children, play as an integral part of being human, and designing games that allow players to co-create the story.

In this re-released episode, literary icon Margaret Atwood discusses the future and the effects that stories can have upon it.

StoryFile cofounder & CEO Stephen Smith discusses his company's pioneering technology, which allows users to converse directly with history.

Award-winning writer, director, and producer Bernie Su discusses his innovative approach to building interactive stories for brand new mediums.

Artist & designer Dario Calmese discusses predictive design, the sources of inspiration and creativity, and his practice of beginning every creative project with writing.

Neuroscientist and author Anil Seth discusses his book "Being You: A New Science of Consciousness" and brings his scientific perspective to bear on topics including embodied storytelling, co-creation, artificial intelligence, and how the stories that we hear and tell can change our experience of the world around us.

Moment Factory cofounder Sakchin Bessette discusses the studio's process, philosophy, and techniques, and explores broader questions about the field of immersive entertainment.

Acclaimed science writer Annie Murphy Paul discusses her book "The Extended Mind," how the process of thinking can take place both inside and outside the brain, and the connections between extended thinking and embodied storytelling.

Filmmaking duo and cofounders of Felix & Paul Studios, Félix Lajeunesse and Paul Raphaël, discuss their journey to becoming experts in virtual reality cinema, how the role of storytelling in VR has evolved, and the process behind their groundbreaking collaboration with NASA, which brought audience members space (virtually) for the first time.

Founder of Second Life and High Fidelity Philip Rosedale discusses how online and virtual worlds have changed since Second Life’s inception and shares his insights about the metaverse.

Baobab Studios Founder and CEO Maureen Fan discusses her passion for animation, her company's unique approach to VR production and interactive storytelling, and the challenges of being a female Asian CEO in a sector dominated by white men.

Microsoft Corporate VP of Global Events, Production Studios, and Marketing Community Bob Bejan discusses the lessons learned from Microsoft's shift to virtual events during the pandemic, and how those lessons can apply to the broader developing world of virtual and interactive entertainment.

Award-Winning XR Producer and Friends with Holograms Founder and CEO Cortney Harding discusses how XR can be used to tackle difficult topics and build empathy.

Local Projects Founder and Principal Jake Barton discusses the firm's award-winning approach to experience design and the transformative power of participatory storytelling.

Tribeca Enterprises Cofounder, CEO and Executive Chair Jane Rosenthal discusses the history of the Tribeca Film Festival and the current landscape of cutting-edge storytelling.

NowHere media cofounders Felix Gaedtke and Gayatri Parameswaran discuss their Tribeca-winning VR piece, "Kusunda," why it's so important to preserve disappearing languages, and how their background in journalism influences their work as immersive creators.

teamLab Global Brand Director Takashi Kudo and Social Branding team member Michaela Kane discuss the history and ideology behind the collective that has risen to become one of the world's most prominent digital artists.

Netflix Vice President of Product Todd Yellin discusses content personalization, interactivity, and his vision for the future of digital storytelling.

Bestselling author and business consultant Joseph Pine discusses the roots of today's experience economy and what it means for entrepreneurs and storytellers.

In this re-released episode, activist and political commentator Van Jones discusses the influence of Marvel comics on his life and activism, the power of virtual reality to create empathy and understanding, and why the future of human civilization is the future of storytelling.

Master storyteller Brian McDonald shares his thoughts on narrative structure and the inner workings of stories.

Celebrated poet Jasmine Mans discusses her new collection, her artistic process, and the realities of being a poet in the age of the internet.

Disney Imagineering Studio Lead and Creative Portfolio Executive Scott Trowbridge discusses his work on the Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge land at Disneyland and Disney World, what it means to be a Disney Imagineer, and what it takes to design immersive experiences that will be visited by tens of millions of fans.

Tender Claws co-leads Danny Cannizzaro and Samantha Gorman discuss their approach to XR storytelling and their project "The Under Presents," a unique blend of virtual reality and live theater.

Two Bit Circus cofounder Brent Bushnell shares his thoughts about the current state of the experiential entertainment industry and where it might be headed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Former Vice President Al Gore shares lessons about the art of telling stories that resonate learned through decades of experience telling the story of the climate crisis.

Weta Workshop cofounder and creative director Richard Taylor discusses the art of handcrafted movie magic and why craft is so important, even in an industry increasingly dominated by CGI.

Hall of fame speaker and performance coach Victoria Labalme shares lessons learned over a wide-ranging career in the performing arts and discusses her new book, "Risk Forward."

Sarah Ellis of the Royal Shakespeare Company and Robin McNicholas of Marshmallow Laser Feast discuss the two companies’ virtual interactive adaption of "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

Meow Wolf cofounder and director Vince Kadlubek discusses the history and philosophy behind Meow Wolf's unique brand of immersive storytelling.

Multi-talented creative and Durham city council member Pierce Freelon discusses the intersections of political movements and storytelling.

Yoni Bloch, founder and CEO of interactive video startup eko, discusses the artistic and commercial applications of branching narrative in storytelling.

Director Tyler Jones and activist T. Marie King, who collaborated on the recent short film “For the Sake of Old Times,” discuss the relationship between storytelling, truth, memory, and reconciliation.

Vans President Doug Palladini and inclusion strategist Amber Cabral discuss the importance of inclusion and diversity to modern brands, and why brand storytelling has to start from within.

Transmedia artist and storyteller Stephanie Dinkins discusses the ethical quandaries of AI and how she's using her art to chart a path forward.

Legendary animator Glen Keane discusses the art of bringing characters to life and the joy of creating magic in the minds of the audience.

WeTransfer cofounder and Chief Creative Officer Damian Bradfield discusses the evolving nature of work in the digital age and his vision of an internet that earns its users' trust rather than treating them as exploitable resources.

Speculative fiction authors Karen Lord and Martha Wells discuss their contributions to the new short story collection "Take Us To A Better Place: Stories," published by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with the goal of sparking conversations about what a culture of health might look like—and how we might get there.

World-renowned magician Helder Guimarães shares how he has successfully adapted his magic act into a virtual experience that has been consistently sold out for over 4 months.

Dr. Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas of Stanford Graduate School of Business discuss their new book on humor and share how a bit of levity can make stories more engaging, memorable, and impactful.

Theoretical neuroscientist and Socos Labs co-founder Vivienne Ming discusses her work using technology to augment humans and using data to tell stories through her Inclusion Impact Index.

Bestselling author and poet Kwame Alexander discusses his work, his passion for promoting diverse stories in children's literature, and how better stories can help empower the next generation.

Master world builder Alex McDowell discusses building fictional worlds from the ground up, and how the principles of world building can help us imagine and build a better future.

Peabody award-winning writer and producer Wendy Calhoun discusses the diversification of Hollywood, the particular strengths of television as a medium, and the responsibility that comes with writing TV episodes that will be viewed by millions.

Grammy-award winning musician and YouTube star Jacob Collier discusses his unique approach to creativity and how he bridges the intellectual and the emotional in his art.

Artist and filmmaker Karen Palmer discusses her work using neuroscience and artificial intelligence to create emotionally-responsive stories that help people understand their own subconscious biases.

Pulitzer prize-winning journalist, Emmy-nominated filmmaker, and Define American founder Jose Antonio Vargas is a leading voice for the human rights of immigrants in America. In this episode, Jose discusses his life as an undocumented immigrant and his work using storytelling to shift the cultural narrative on immigration.

Catherine Burns, Artistic Director of The Moth, discusses the organization's history, the importance of listening, and how stories can bridge the personal and the universal.

Activist and political commentator Van Jones discusses the influence of Marvel comics on his life and activism, the power of virtual reality to create empathy and understanding, and why the future of human civilization is the future of storytelling.

Rainn Wilson discusses the need for positive stories on the internet, what it took to create the iconic Dwight Schrute character, and his high school radio show where he read Dr. Seuss poems in between punk rock songs.

Charity: water founder Scott Harrison shares how he has used storytelling to build the organization to the success it is today, and why a simple story is so much more powerful in moving people to action than even the most compelling statistics and data.

Charlie Melcher speaks with John Boiler, founder and Co-Chair of the global ad agency 72andSunny.

Charlie Melcher speaks with Brian McDonald, screenwriter, director, author, and teacher of story structure.

Speaking with Margaret Atwood, poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, inventor, teacher, and environmental activist.

Speaking with Neil Patrick Harris, actor, voice actor, writer, theater artist, and tightrope walker. This episode is brought to you by PBS American Portrait.

Misinformation expert and First Draft cofounder Claire Wardle discusses how misinformation spreads, why it's so powerful, and how journalists can leverage storytelling techniques to turn the tide.

PBS American Portrait creators Bill Margol and Jon Kamen discuss how they’re using crowdsourced stories from people across the country to explore what it really means to be an American today.

Charles Melcher speaks with Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director of the Public Theater, who helped bring Angels in America and Hamilton to the stage.

Former CEO of Burberry and SVP of Retail at Apple shares insights about her approach to brand storytelling.