Future of StoryTelling (FoST)

We’re revisiting our conversation with writer and immersive storyteller, Margaret Kerrison, an episode first recorded following the launch of the ambitious Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser experience at Disney World in Florida. As a key architect of its narrative and characters, Margaret offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to build story worlds audiences can step inside. We explore how writing for immersive experiences demands a distinctive creative approach — one rooted in world-building, collaboration, and audience agency. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. To get your copy of Charlie’s book, The Future of Storytelling, visit thefutureofstorytelling.com/home. -- © 2026 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Tsuki Carlson in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Margaret Kerrison, Madison Brown, Lor Simpson, David Gray, Bonnie Eldon, and Megan Worman.

Today, we speak with producer Todd Eckert of Tin Drum, a studio creating original work for mixed reality. While the medium remains unfamiliar to many, Todd has spent years exploring its potential as a form of storytelling that blends the physical and digital worlds. This conversation centers on his most recent piece, An Ark, now at The Shed in New York, and how mixed reality can forge intimate relationships between audience and performer. We reflect on how emerging technologies can be valuable in understanding the deeper human condition. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. To get your copy of Charlie’s book, The Future of Storytelling, visit thefutureofstorytelling.com/home. -- © 2026 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Tsuki Carlson in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Todd Eckert, Madison Brown, Lor Simpson, David Gray, Bonnie Eldon, and Megan Worman.

We’re re-releasing a conversation from 2021 that remains strikingly relevant today. In this episode, we speak with Pierce Freelon– musician, filmmaker, social entrepreneur, and former Durham, North Carolina City Councilman– whose work sits at the crossroads of art, activism, and storytelling. From his Emmy Award-winning Beat Making Lab to his Grammy-nominated albums AnceStars and Black to the Future, Pierce shows how storytelling, rooted in family and community, can drive real social change. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. To get your copy of Charlie’s book, The Future of Storytelling, visit thefutureofstorytelling.com/home. -- © 2026 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Tsuki Carlson in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Pierce Freelon, Luke Gernert, Madison Brown, Lor Simpson, David Gray, Bonnie Eldon, and Megan Worman.

Before Billie Eilish and Olivia Dean were winning Grammys and selling out at Madison Square Garden, they were performing in living rooms with Sofar Sounds. In this episode, we talk with Warren Webster, CEO of Sofar Sounds, about the importance of connecting artists and fans through intimate live music to create community. Warren also discusses the economics of Sofar concerts and how they approach scaling this intimacy across the globe. Stay tuned to hear special Sofar Sounds live performances featured. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. To get your copy of Charlie’s book, The Future of Storytelling, visit thefutureofstorytelling.com/home. -- © 2026 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Tsuki Carlson in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Warren Webster, Rebecca Carlisle, Madison Brown, Lor Simpson, David Gray, Bonnie Eldon, and Megan Worman. Sofar songs in this episode are performed by Benjamin Carter and Rootbeer Richie & The Reveille.

Today, we’re re-releasing a favorite conversation and a 2024 Webby Award-nominated episode with acclaimed Mexican filmmaker, Alejandro González Iñárritu. Iñárritu is best known for directing Oscar-winning films like Birdman and The Revenant, but today, we discuss his work beyond Hollywood. Unpacking Carne y Arena, a groundbreaking virtual-reality installation centered on the lived experiences of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, Alejandro embodies a storyteller who creates to evoke empathy and humanity. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. To get your copy of Charlie’s book, The Future of Storytelling, visit thefutureofstorytelling.com/home. -- © 2025 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Tsuki Carlson in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Alejandro González Iñárritu, Madison Brown, David Gray, Bonnie Eldon, and Megan Worman.

What happens when one of Hollywood’s most beloved classics is reimagined for one of the most advanced immersive venues in the world? In this episode, Carolyn Blackwood and Ben Grossmann break down how they adapted The Wizard of Oz for the Sphere. They discuss the technical challenges and creative opportunities of using VFX, generative AI, and 4D effects to pull audiences into the world of Oz, while preserving the authenticity of the original film. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. To get your copy of Charlie’s book, The Future of Storytelling, visit thefutureofstorytelling.com/home. -- © 2025 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Tsuki Carlson in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Carolyn Blackwood, Ben Grossmann, Madison Brown, David Gray, Bonnie Eldon, Megan Worman, and all FoST members who participated.

We’re moving away from media that is flat, fixed, linear, and passive. The future of storytelling is embodied, immersive, agentic, responsive, and social — and this is what Charlie Melcher’s new book, The Future of Storytelling: How Immersive Experiences Are Transforming Our World is all about. In this episode, guest host Rohit Bhargava in collaboration with FoST members asks Charlie all about his book and how audiences can become “actiences.” To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. To get your copy of Charlie’s book, The Future of Storytelling, visit thefutureofstorytelling.com/home. To listen to the first half of the conversation on the future of storytelling for creators, visit nonobvious.com/podcast/. -- © 2025 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Tsuki Carlson in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Rohit Bhargava, Madison Brown, David Gray, Bonnie Eldon, Megan Worman, and all FoST members who participated.

Since launching The Shed in 2019, Alex Poots has developed it into one of NYC’s most dynamic cultural institutions– a home for genre-defying performances, bold commissions, and unexpected collaborations. In this episode, he shares his insights on the space, its programming, and the evolving role of cultural institutions as platforms for innovative and interdisciplinary arts and storytelling. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. To get your copy of Charlie’s upcoming book, The Future of Storytelling, visit thefutureofstorytelling.com. -- © 2025 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producers, Madison Brown and Tsuki Carlson in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Alex Poots, David Gray, Bonnie Eldon, and Megan Worman.

Today’s guest is Eliza McNitt, an Emmy-nominated filmmaker working at the intersection of technology, science, and film. From her groundbreaking VR trilogy SPHERES to her latest AI film Ancestra, Eliza embraces emerging technologies to tell deeply personal and cosmic stories. In this conversation, we explore her creative evolution — and how she’s using AI to expand the language of storytelling and make the invisible visible. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. To pre-order your copy of The Future of Storytelling, and enter for a chance to win a customizable immersive getaway, click here. -- © 2025 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Eliza McNitt, David Gray, Tsuki Carlson, Bonnie Eldon, and Megan Worman.

Today’s conversation is with Christopher Bedford, the Helen and Charles Schwab Director of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Chris is leading a bold vision to make the museum community-centered, inclusive, and reflective of San Francisco’s cultural identity. In this episode, he shares how SFMOMA is adapting to a changing world and redefining what a modern museum can be. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. To pre-order your copy of The Future of Storytelling, and enter for a chance to win a customizable immersive getaway, click here. -- © 2025 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Christopher Bedford, David Gray, Tsuki Carlson, Bonnie Eldon, and Megan Worman.

Today’s conversation is with Shachar Scott, VP of Global Marketing at Meta Reality Labs. Shachar has played a key role in introducing the world to immersive, wearable technology, like the Meta Quest headset and the wildly popular Ray-Ban Meta glasses. In this episode, she shares her insights on what storytelling opportunities these devices present, how Meta has successfully got customers to adopt them, and the role authenticity plays in their marketing. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. To pre-order your copy of The Future of Storytelling, and enter for a chance to win a customizable immersive getaway, click here. -- © 2025 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Shachar Scott, David Gray, Tsuki Carlson, Bonnie Eldon, and Megan Worman.

Today’s conversation is with Liz Rosenthal and Michel Reilhac, the curators of Venice Immersive, the Extended Reality section of the Venice International Film Festival. For close to a decade, Liz and Michel have put together one of the world’s leading showcases for immersive arts and media, convening a global community of artists, technologists, and producers to experience and celebrate the evolution of immersive media. In this episode, they discuss this year's edition of Venice Immersive (showing from August 27 - September 6), what they've learned from watching immersive media grow, and how they anticipate the medium will continue to evolve. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. To get your copy of Charlie's upcoming book, The Future of Storytelling, visit thefutureofstorytelling.com -- © 2025 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Liz Rosenthal, Michel Reilhac, David Gray, Tsuki Carlson, Bonnie Eldon, and Megan Worman.

Today on the podcast, we revisit an all-time favorite conversation with Annie Murphy Paul, author of The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain. Annie's insightful and informative book about embodied cognition is an invaluable read for any storyteller interested in creating embodied, multi-sensory narratives. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. To get your copy of Charlie's upcoming book, The Future of Storytelling, visit thefutureofstorytelling.com -- © 2025 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Annie Murphy Paul, David Gray, Tsuki Carlson, Bonnie Eldon, and Megan Worman.

In this revisited conversation, renowned photographer Stephen Shore talks about the craft of photography, tells stories from his illustrious career, and shares his philosophy on art and life. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. To get your copy of Charlie's upcoming book, The Future of Storytelling, visit thefutureofstorytelling.com -- © 2025 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Stephen Shore, David Gray, Bonnie Eldon, Eitan Wolf, and Megan Worman.

Jeffrey Seller is the legendary Broadway producer behind shows like Rent, Hamilton, In the Heights, and more. His shows have won a combined 22 Tony Awards, including four for Best Musical, and he's the only producer to have mounted two shows that went on to win the Pulitzer Prize. This spring, Jeffrey published his autobiography, Theater Kid, an honest and moving reflection on his path to finding his place on Broadway, as well as an invaluable source of wisdom for anyone interested in building a business in a creative field. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. To get your copy of Theater Kid, visit jeffreyseller.com. -- © 2025 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Jeffrey Seller, David Gray, Bonnie Eldon, Eitan Wolf, and Megan Worman.

French photographer and street artist JR is best known for his striking large-scale black and white portraits that he flyposts in public spaces. Today on the FoST Podcast, we revisit a conversation with him about his foray into digitizing the collaborative Inside Out project—where communities are invited to create their own public art in his style—and what the project has taught him about the power of giving people the space to tell their own stories. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. -- © 2025 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to JR, David Gray, Bonnie Eldon, Eitan Wolf, and Megan Worman.

Demise of the Gricers is a groundbreaking "real-life game" by interactive experience studio Entered. Brought to life in a former train yard in As, Belgium, it combines elements of immersive theater, video games, escape rooms, and LARP to create a first-of-its-kind story experience. In this conversation, Entered co-founder and creative director Jeroen van Hasselt takes us behind the scenes of the project to share how he and his team approached its unique design and what they learned from it. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. -- © 2025 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Jeroen van Hasselt, David Gray, Bonnie Eldon, Eitan Wolf, and Megan Worman.

Jason Zada and Eric Shamlin lead the team at Secret Level, an AI-native entertainment studio that’s exploring new frontiers in storytelling. They made waves this past winter when they created a TV commercial for Coca-Cola with generative AI, which sparked many conversations about AI’s role in the future of creativity. Today, Jason and Eric pull back the curtain on the advantages and challenges of this new technology that's helping artists dream bigger and move faster. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. -- © 2025 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Jason Zada, Eric Shamlin, Sara Hougan, April Gardner, Caitlin Fisher, Renuka Sastri, David Gray, Bonnie Eldon, Eitan Wolf, and Megan Worman.

Yerba Madre (formerly Guayakí) is a certified B-corp that aspires to create more than just profits with their yerba maté teas. CMO Emily Kortlang and her team are doubling down on what makes the brand unique: their commitment to regenerating the planet and to creating dialogues, rather than just increasing sales. On today's episode of the FoST Podcast, Emily shares her fascinating insights on using a story-first approach to build relationships that go beyond product. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. -- © 2025 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Emily Kortlang, David Gray, Amy Snook, Bonnie Eldon, Michael Bass, Eitan Wolf, and Megan Worman.

Today's guest is Eric Spring in 't Veld, founder and creative director of Dutch escape room company Mama Bazooka. Eric and his team created the Netherlands' first-ever escape room in 2013, as well as the award-winning Girlsroom experience. Their third project, The Dome, has been on TERPECA’s list of top ten escape rooms worldwide since 2019, and was ranked #1 in the world twice in a row in 2019 and 2020. In this episode, Eric goes in depth into the development, design, and evolution of this leading example of the genre. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. -- © 2025 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Eric Spring in 't Veld, David Gray, Amy Snook, Bonnie Eldon, Michael Bass, Eitan Wolf, and Megan Worman.