Future of StoryTelling (FoST)
Episodes
Humanity is First — Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Revisited
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we’re re-releasing a favorite conversation and a 2024 Webby Award-nominated episode with acclaimed Mexican filmmaker, Alejandro González Iñ...
Behind the Curtain of The Wizard of Oz at Sphere — Carolyn Blackwood and Ben Grossmann
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The Future of Storytelling for Audiences — Charlie Melcher and Rohit Bhargava
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re moving away from media that is flat, fixed, linear, and passive. The future of storytelling is embodied, immersive, agentic, responsive, and s...
Inside The Shed’s Vision for Interdisciplinary Arts — Alex Poots
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 perfo...
Directing the Machine — Eliza McNitt
09 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest is Eliza McNitt, an Emmy-nominated filmmaker working at the intersection of technology, science, and film. From her groundbreaking VR ...
How SFMOMA Centers the Audience — Christopher Bedford
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s conversation is with Christopher Bedford, the Helen and Charles Schwab Director of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Chris is leading ...
Meta's Wearable Revolution — Shachar Scott
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 i...
Enriched Reality at Venice Immersive — Liz Rosenthal and Michel Reilhac
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s conversation is with Liz Rosenthal and Michel Reilhac, the curators of Venice Immersive, the Extended Reality section of the Venice Internat...
Embodied Cognition and Sensual Media — Annie Murphy Paul, Revisited
15 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Photos and Stories — Stephen Shore, Revisited
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this revisited conversation, renowned photographer Stephen Shore talks about the craft of photography, tells stories from his illustrious career, a...
Memoirs of a Theater Kid — Jeffrey Seller
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Aw...
JR Reality and the Power of Portraits — JR, Revisited
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Embodied Storytelling in a Real-Life Game — Jeroen van Hasselt
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Demise of the Gricers is a groundbreaking "real-life game" by interactive experience studio Entered. Brought to life in a former train yard in...
Inside the AI Revolution with Secret Level — Jason Zada and Eric Shamlin
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jason Zada and Eric Shamlin lead the team at Secret Level, an AI-native entertainment studio that’s exploring new frontiers in storytelling. They ma...
From Conversations to Change with Yerba Madre — Emily Kortlang
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Yerba Madre (formerly Guayakí) is a certified B Corp that aspires to create more than just profits with their yerba mate teas. CMO Emily Kortlang and...
Behind the Scenes Under the Dome — Eric Spring in ‘t Veld
25 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 th...
The Worth of Water — Scott Harrison, Revisited
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On today's episode, we revisit a conversation with Scott Harrison, founder and CEO of Charity: Water. Scott and his team recently opened The Exper...
Discovering Great Stories with The Black List — Franklin Leonard and Randy Winston
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Black List is a platform that helps writers get feedback on their work and connect with professionals who can bring their project to life. After t...
Taking Design from Good to Great — Robert Brunner
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest is Robert Brunner, founder and creative director of Ammunition. Robert is one of the world’s foremost industrial designers, having w...
The Stories of Smell — Sissel Tolaas
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sissel Tolaas is an expert on the art and science of smell. Her endeavor to help people rediscover this essential sense and understand its importance ...
How to Design an Escape Room — Victor van Doorn, Revisited
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s episode of the FoST Podcast, we revisit a conversation with Victor van Doorn, co-founder and creative director of escape room company She...
Storytelling's Future Normal — Rohit Bhargava
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rohit Bhargava is a bestselling author, keynote speaker, and entrepreneur whose specialty is identifying the trends and innovations of the future that...
Balanced and Connective Brand Storytelling — Angela Ahrendts, Revisited
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For the last episode of 2024, we return to the very first conversation on the FoST Podcast with Angela Ahrendts. Angela has had an incredible career i...
Exploring the Experience Economy — Joe Pine, Revisited
28 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today on the FoST Podcast, we revisit a conversation with Joe Pine, co-author of the seminal 1999 book The Experience Economy: Competing for Customer ...
Science is a Story — Vivienne Ming, Revisited
14 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we revisit a conversation with Dr. Vivienne Ming, theoretical neuroscientist, author, and serial entrepreneur. Dr. Ming has worked in AI and ma...
The Story of "The Work of Art" — Adam Moss
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier this year, celebrated magazine editor Adam Moss authored his first book, The Work Of Art: How Something Comes From Nothing. Inspired by his ex...
Cooking and Creativity at Attica — Ben Shewry
17 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Shewry is a chef, author, and co-owner of Attica Restaurant in Melbourne, Australia. Recognized as one of the top restaurants worldwide, Attica of...
Spherical Storytelling and Shared Reality at Cosm — Neil Carty
03 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Cosm is a global immersive technology company that aims to democratize access to "shared reality"—highly immersive, highly social experience...
Authentic Brand Engagement at Johnnie Walker Princes Street — Christian Lachel
19 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
BRC Imagination Arts has 40 years of experience creating brand experiences that are especially participatory, personalized, and emotionally engaging. ...
Drone Storytelling at New Heights — Kimbal Musk
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kimbal Musk is the cofounder and CEO of Nova Sky Stories, the company that's pushing the boundaries of the new medium of aerial drone storytelling...
The Rise of Uncle Nearest — Fawn Weaver
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When Fawn Weaver learned that the first master distiller for Jack Daniel's Distillery was a formerly enslaved man named Nearest Green, she set out...
Embodying Empathy with Global X-Perience — DJ Begbie
08 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hong Kong-based nonprofit Crossroads Foundation brings together those who are in need with those who can provide help. To raise awareness about global...
Your Brain is a Storyteller — Theodore H. Schwartz
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In his new book, Gray Matters: A Biography of Brain Surgery, neurosurgeon Dr. Theodore Schwartz delves into the history and practice of neuroscience. ...
Greater Humanity with Layered Reality — Andrew McGuinness
11 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Immersive entertainment company Layered Reality's approach is, as the name suggests, layered: they combine components of immersive theater with ne...
Making Change One Story at a Time, Revisited — Jose Antonio Vargas
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we revisit an episode from 2020 with Jose Antonio Vargas, Founder of the nonprofit Define American. Drawing on his background as a journalist a...
Agency, Exploration, Discovery, Revisited — Vince Kadlubek
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this revisited episode, we go back to a conversation with Vince Kadlubek of legendary immersive art collective Meow Wolf, whose installations give ...
Good, True, and Beautiful, Revisited — Glen Keane
30 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Legendary Disney veteran and Academy Award winner Glen Keane has made invaluable contributions to the art of animation. In this episode, we revisit a ...
Creating a Healthy AI Ecosystem, Revisited — Stephanie Dinkins
16 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Since this 2020 conversation with artist, educator, and AI practitioner Stephanie Dinkins, essential questions about artificial intelligence have only...
"Silo" and Disrupting Entertainment, Revisited — Hugh Howey
02 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Silo, the TV adaptation of Hugh Howey's acclaimed sci-fi novel Wool, has become one of Apple TV's hottest properties since it aired last May:...
Evolving Layers of Experience, Revisited — Felix and Paul
18 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we revisit a conversation from 2021 with immersive storytelling pioneers Félix Lajeunesse and Paul Raphaël of Felix & Paul Studios. For o...
Second City and the Power of "Yes, And" — Kelly Leonard
05 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Improvisation is an essential skill for comedians at the famous Second City— and it’s a valuable skill for creators and businesses off stage, too....
Human-Centric Health Stories — Jim Weiss
21 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We all get sick-- and yet somehow, so much of the communication from biopharmaceutical companies fails to connect with the average person. Jim Weiss, ...
The Reimagined Greatest Show On Earth — Juliette Feld Grossman
07 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey has been delighting Children Of All Ages for generations. However, The Greatest Show On Earth is anything but ...
Niantic and the Future of Mixed Reality — John Hanke
19 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s episode of the FoST Podcast, founder and CEO of Niantic John Hanke discusses his company’s philosophy when it comes to making AR games,...
Design in Our Time at MoMA — Paola Antonelli
01 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Paola Antonelli is Senior Curator of Architecture & Design at the Museum of Modern Art, where she’s been expanding the understanding and appreci...
Pursuing Fan Joy at Scale — Greg Lombardo Revisited
18 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this revisited episode, we return to a conversation from February 2023 with Greg Lombardo, VP and Head of Experiences at Netflix. As Netflix's ...
Systems for Immersive Storytelling — Les Enfants Terribles
21 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The high-touch, immersive storytelling of theater company Les Enfants Terrible’s show Alice’s Adventures Underground is made possible by a complex...
Solving the Leadership Crisis — Ajaz Ahmed
07 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
AKQA is not just one of the most successful design and innovation agencies in the world— it’s also a workplace that allows creative people to trul...
Humanity Is First — Alejandro G. Iñárritu
16 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the FoST Podcast is celebrating a very special occasion: our 100th episode. For this milestone, we’re honored to interview Alejandro Gonz...
A Strong Voice — Maira Kalman
02 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For decades, Maira Kalman has worked on countless projects across many different kinds of media and with many different collaborators— all while sta...
The Craft of Experience Design — Abraham Burickson
19 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Experience designers are working on turning the innate knowledge of human experience into a craft. Abraham Burickson's forthcoming book, Experienc...
Photos and Stories — Stephen Shore
05 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this special episode of the Future of StoryTelling Podcast, pioneering photographer Stephen Shore talks about the craft of photography, tells stori...
At AREA15, Space is Content — Winston Fisher
21 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
AREA15 is the world’s first district dedicated entirely to immersive entertainment. Leading it is CEO Winston Fisher, whose real estate background g...
Mess and Magic in Advertising — David Lubars
07 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As Chief Creative Officer of BBDO Worldwide, David Lubars is constantly adapting to change— a skill that has allowed him to lead the agency to becom...
Return on Impact with National Geographic — Kaitlin Yarnall
24 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The mission of the National Geographic Society is to illuminate and protect the wonder of the world. Chief Storytelling Officer Kaitlin Yarnall, her t...
Behind the Beanie Bubble — Kristin Gore & Damian Kulash
10 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In their new film, The Beanie Bubble, co-directors Kristin Gore and Damian Kulash look closely at the hopes and delusions behind a consumerist craze–...
Living History in VR — Derek Ham
27 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Derek Ham, PhD, is using the spatial and empathetic capacities of VR to illuminate stories from African American history, allowing participants to fee...
Live Entertainment's Operating System — Ignacio Bachiller
13 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Fever is a platform that is filling a crucial hole in the live entertainment market: they’re not only curating the best events for users based on th...
The Future of Sports is Electronic — Dan Sutton
29 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Esports are a rapidly growing entertainment phenomenon, drawing in millions of viewers from around the globe, particularly young people. As the develo...
Tribeca and the Importance of Curation — Jane Rosenthal Revisited
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 R...
JR Reality and the Power of Portraits — JR
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For years, French artist JR has been making statements by printing large-scale portraits and pasting them in public locations across the globe. Now, h...
"Silo" and Disrupting Entertainment — Hugh Howey
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Story Living with Industrial Light & Magic — Rob Bredow and Vicki Dobbs Beck
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Industrial Light & Magic sets the gold standard for visual effects and immersive storytelling in collaboration with some of the world's most p...
Behind the Mask with Punchdrunk — Felix Barrett
13 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With critically acclaimed shows worldwide, Punchdrunk is the company that put immersive theater on the map. On today’s episode of the FoST Podcast, ...
Get Your Art Rate Up — Ivy Ross and Susan Magsamen
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 H...
Burning Man and Radical Self-Expression — Marian Goodell
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 communit...
Where Physical and Digital Merge — Cathy Hackl
02 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Chief Metaverse Officer at Journey and “Godmother of the Metaverse” Cathy Hackl is paying close attention to the metaverse– and if you’re a cr...
How to Design an Escape Room — Victor van Doorn
16 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Escape rooms give audiences the opportunity to use their minds and bodies in an exciting, participatory experience. Victor van Doorn and his company S...
Pursuing Fan Joy at Scale — Greg Lombardo
02 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 lo...
Emerging Tech, Education, and Empowerment — Alton Glass
19 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As new technology arises, so do new opportunities for expression, empathy, and empowerment. Our guest today, Alton Glass of GRX Immersive, shares how ...
LARP and Co-Created Reality — Sarah Lynne Bowman
15 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 (a...
Be the Stage, Not the Star — Marvin Chow
01 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s marketers are tasked with telling stories that not only represent their products, but that also empower their customers. As VP of Global Mar...
The Neuroscience of Good Storytelling — Paul J. Zak
17 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Creators, marketers, and other storytellers have long wondered: could there ever be an objective measurement of how moving our stories are to audience...
Reinventing Retail — Ben Kaufman
03 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In recent years, brick-and-mortar retail has been facing a crisis. But Ben Kaufman and his family experience company, CAMP, have come up with a soluti...
The 4 Elements of Transformative Experience – Margaret Kerrison
20 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With immersive experiences becoming more and more popular, it's important to ask: what makes an experience not just entertaining, but transformati...
Songwriting and the Future of Music — Aloe Blacc
06 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Singer/songwriter Aloe Blacc sits down to talk about what makes a song “evergreen,” how he writes his lyrics, and the potential of machine learnin...
Designing Games for Generosity — Jenova Chen
22 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Co-founder & CEO of thatgamecompany, visionary designer of Journey (2012) and Sky: Children of the Light (2019), and game media evangelist Jenova ...
Inside the Theater of the Mind — David Byrne
08 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
David Byrne, multi-award-winning artist and front man of Talking Heads, shares the insights and aspirations that shaped his newest immersive project, ...
Marc Simons
25 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Marc Simons, co-founder of Giant Spoon, the agency behind the legendary Westworld SXSW activation discusses immersive as a tool for building brands.--...
Robert Tercek
11 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Want to know the future of the metaverse? Ask author, futurist, and digital media trailblazer, Robert Tercek. Hear his forecasts on the future of virt...
Jessica Brillhart
28 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Sam Barlow
14 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Innovator in the world of narrative gaming, Sam Barlow, talks about making games that break the mold and letting the player drive the story.--© 2022 ...
Inviting the Audience In — Third Rail Projects
30 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Zach Morris, Tom Pearson, and Jennine Willett of Third Rail Projects on caring for the audience, incubating new work, and intimacy versus scale.--© 2...
Cristina Jones
16 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Chief engagement officer at Salesforce.org, Cristina Jones, weighs in on the power of listening to your audience, using storytelling for good, and why...
Nonny de la Peña
02 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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
19 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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, ...
Frank Rose
05 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Writer and digital anthropologist Frank Rose shares his insights about how the art of storytelling shapes our world, changes with new technology, and ...
Thorny Games
21 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Kathryn Hymes and Hakan Seyalıoğlu, the cofounders of Thorny Games, discuss inventing games as children, play as an integral part of being human, an...
Diverting Dystopia, Revisited — Margaret Atwood
07 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Literary icon Margaret Atwood discusses the future and the effects that stories can have upon it. --© 2022 Future of StoryTelling, Corp.Produced by ...
Stephen Smith
29 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
StoryFile cofounder & CEO Stephen Smith discusses his company's pioneering technology, which allows users to converse directly with history. ...
Bernie Su
10 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Award-winning writer, director, and producer Bernie Su discusses his innovative approach to building interactive stories for brand new mediums. --© ...
Dario Calmese
24 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Artist & designer Dario Calmese discusses predictive design, the sources of inspiration and creativity, and his practice of beginning every creati...
Anil Seth
10 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Author and neuroscientist Anil Seth discusses his book Being You: A New Science of Consciousness and brings his scientific perspective to bear on topi...
Sakchin Bessette
27 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Moment Factory cofounder Sakchin Bessette discusses the studio's process, philosophy, and techniques, and explores broader questions about the fie...
Embodied Cognition and Sensual Media — Annie Murphy Paul
13 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Acclaimed science writer Annie Murphy Paul discusses her book "The Extended Mind," how the process of thinking actually takes place both insid...
Felix and Paul
29 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Film-making duo and co-founders of Felix & Paul Studios, Félix Lajeunesse and Paul Raphaël, discuss their journey to becoming experts in virtual...
Philip Rosedale
09 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Founder of Second Life and High Fidelity Philip Rosedale discusses how online and virtual worlds have changed since Second Life's inception and sh...
Maureen Fan
02 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Baobab Studios Founder and CEO Maureen Fan discusses her passion for animation, her company's unique approach to VR production and interactive sto...
Bob Bejan
11 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Microsoft Corporate VP of Global Events, Production Studios, and Marketing Community Bob Bejan discusses the lessons learned from Microsoft's shif...
Cortney Harding
28 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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...