Future of StoryTelling (FoST)

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 StreetNew York, NY 10011Founder and CEO, Charles MelcherDirector, Carolyn MerrimanAssistant Producer, Tsuki Carlsonin collaboration with Charts & LeisureFounder, Jason OberholtzerProducer, Meghal JanardanEditor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael SimonelliWith 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 StreetNew York, NY 10011Founder and CEO, Charles MelcherDirector, Carolyn MerrimanAssistant Producer, Tsuki Carlsonin collaboration with Charts & LeisureFounder, Jason OberholtzerProducer, Meghal JanardanEditor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael SimonelliWith special thanks to Carolyn Blackwood, Ben Grossmann, Madison Brown, David Gray, Bonnie Eldon, and Megan Worman.

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 StreetNew York, NY 10011Founder and CEO, Charles MelcherDirector, Carolyn MerrimanAssistant Producer, Tsuki Carlsonin collaboration with Charts & LeisureFounder, Jason OberholtzerProducer, Meghal JanardanEditor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael SimonelliWith 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 StreetNew York, NY 10011Founder and CEO, Charles MelcherDirector, Carolyn MerrimanAssistant Producers, Madison Brown and Tsuki Carlsonin collaboration with Charts & LeisureFounder, Jason OberholtzerProducer, Meghal JanardanEditor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael SimonelliWith 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 StreetNew York, NY 10011Founder and CEO, Charles MelcherDirector, Carolyn MerrimanAssistant Producer, Madison Brownin collaboration with Charts & LeisureFounder, Jason OberholtzerProducer, Meghal JanardanEditor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael SimonelliWith special thanks to Eliza McNitt, David Gray, Tsuki Carlson, Bonnie Eldon, and Megan Worman.