Future of StoryTelling (FoST)

Opera is often thought of as one of the most traditional art forms. Rooted in centuries-old conventions and grand theaters, it’s not usually the first place people look for experimentation or technological innovation. But in today's conversation with Paola Prestini — co-founder and artistic director of National Sawdust and VisionIntoArt and one of the top composers in the world — we challenge that very assumption....

With the launch of Interstellar Arc, the groundbreaking free-roaming VR experience at AREA15 in Las Vegas, we’re revisiting this conversation with the creators and immersive storytelling pioneers Félix Lajeunesse and Paul Raphaël, co-founders of Felix & Paul Studios. 

In this conversation, Félix and Paul talk about the evolution of virtual reality, from their early VR experiments and the acclaimed Traveling While Blac...

Today, we’re re-releasing an episode with Norwegian chemist, artist, linguist, and smell researcher, Sissel Tolaas, whose work explores scent as a powerful medium for storytelling. In this conversation, Sissel shares how she analyzes smell molecules in everything from garments in museum archives, to the ancient ruins of Pompeii. Through collaborations with institutions such as the Cooper Hewitt, the Tate Modern, Venice Bienna...

Matthew DuPlessie, Founder & CEO of Level99 and 5 Wits, joins Charlie Melcher to explore a different approach to immersive experience design.

Level99 is built as an open world of short, high-intensity challenges. Guests move through it in small teams, choosing where to go, repeating rooms, and improving over time. Progress carries across visits, so the experience evolves the more you engage with it.

Matt shares why they moved awa...

Jay Rinsky, Founder and Chief Creative Director of Little Cinema, is reimagining what it means to go to the movies.

What began as an experiment, mixing film, live performance, and audience interaction, has grown into an industry-leading experiential studio transforming screenings into shared events. From a 24-hour David Bowie tribute at House of Yes to large-scale productions with Warner Bros., The Walt Disney Company, and Cosm, Lit...

Greg Lombardo, Vice President of Experiences Creative & Production at Netflix, takes us inside the thinking behind Netflix House and the company’s growing slate of real-world experiences.

From Stranger Things to Bridgerton to Squid Game, Greg and his team are translating global hits into physical environments you can step into, through immersive worlds, live experie...

Reality Escape Pod hosts David Spira and Peih-Gee Law take a closer look at escape rooms as immersive, participatory experiences. They unpack the medium’s evolution, the rise of escape room tourism, and how hands-on play can reshape learning, collaboration, and the way people connect through story.

They also share standout rooms from around the world and reflect on the creative and business choices that help these immersive ex...

Manish Vora, CEO and co-founder of the Museum of Ice Cream, shares how a 30-day pop-up across from the Whitney Museum became a global experiential brand and helped define what he calls the “experium,” a mix between a museum and an experience.

In this conversation, he reflects on how we define a museum, why participation and hospitality matter as much as physical design, and how simple rituals like choosing an ice cream n...

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 create immersive story worlds. We explore the craft of writing for immersive experiences,...

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 betwe...

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

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 ...

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.-Mex...

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...

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 aud...

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 m...

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 invisib...

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...

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 gotten customers to adopt them, and the role authent...