Future of StoryTelling (FoST)

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.
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© 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.

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© 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.
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© 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.
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© 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, 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/.
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© 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.