“ A big mistake [is saying] ‘look at our thing’, instead of ‘How do I empower and serve my customer?’”

What is the future of storytelling? If you ask Charlie Melcher, the answer lies in “living stories,” stories where the audience has a role and participates. Indeed, the subtitle of his new book, The Future of Storytelling is “How Immersive Experiences Are Transforming the World.”

In the early 90s, Charlie started Melcher Media, publishing books. Even then, he noted that books had a unique tactile physicality. He talks about working on the infamous Madonna photo book Sex, and how they made it into an early “immersive experience,” wrapping the book in mylar to mimic the look of a condom.

He also produced and designed S by J.J. Abrams, which told a story through elaborate annotations and other media enclosed within a copy of the novel The Ship of Theseus. The book has a very unusual mechanic for storytelling, including postcards and even a cipher wheel.

He even did something different when it came to his own book, The Future of Storytelling. He created a unique multi-fold dust jacket so readers could choose the genre and look of the cover themselves.

Charlie Melcher has been pushing the envelope when it comes to books and storytelling, so it’s no surprise that when he attended his first immersive experience, he was hooked from the beginning. Today, he joins us on REPOD to talk about his vision for where immersive stories are going.

Besides having his own podcast, also titled The Future of Storytelling, he has hosted many immersive summits under the same brand. Charlie has so many thoughtful insights about immersive storytelling. We touched on topics from the complexities of scaling intimate moments, to breaking down immersive experiences into the core components of physical, participatory, and emotional immersion. I found this to be an enlightening conversation. And if you enjoy this conversation, I highly recommend you listen to Charlie’s own podcast, The Future of Storytelling, starting with the episode where David and I were guests.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

We are immensely grateful to our sponsors this season: REA Patreon Backers, PG’s Playhouse, and Buzzshot. We truly appreciate your support of our mission to promote and improve the immersive gaming community.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

• 00:00 Sponsor Break: RECON – The Reality Escape Convention
• 03:14 Madonna’s Photo Book Sex
• 04:39 Why Physical Books Matter
• 08:36 Inside JJ Abrams’s Book “S“
• 13:44 Breaking Publishing Rules
• 16:45 Writing The Future of Storytelling
• 22:42 Sponsor Break: Buzzshot, Escape Room Marketing Software
• 26:01 Dislike of the Word “Audience”
• 31:55 Charlie’s Podcast: The Future of Storytelling
• 33:29 Sponsor Break: Room Escape Artist Patreon – Bonus Episodes, Spoilers Club & More
• 35:28 Immersive Storytelling at Scale
• 40:49 The Drowned Man One on One Epiphany
• 46:13 When VR Breaks Immersion
• 47:25 Corporate IP Benefits and Risks
• 49:29 Brands Must Make Guests Heroes
• 51:18 Sponsor Break: PG’s Playhouse – Puzzles, Pals, and Trivia
• 52:46 Defining Immersion Beyond Buzzwords
• 55:01 Worldbuilding Versus Story
• 01:04:54 What Gives Charlie Hope for Storytelling
• 01:07:44 Charlie’s Fencing Experience
• 01:11:18 What Comes Next
• 01:15:31 Credits
• 01:15:53 Star Wars Lightsaber Peak Moment

Leave a Voicemail

Got a question or thought for the podcast? You can submit a voice recording by calling the Room Escape Artist not-so-hotline that always goes straight to voicemail (551-227-7273).

Resources Mentioned in this Episode

• The Future of Storytelling Website
• The Future of Storytelling Book
  • FOST Book Review by Forbes
• S by J.J. Abrams
  • REA Review of S
• REPOD S8E5 Epic & Engrossing: Jeroen van Hasselt, Co-Creator of Demise of the Gricers
• ABBA Voyage Concert
• The Drowned Man by Punchdrunk

About Charles Melcher

Instagram: @futureofstorytelling

Linkedin, Facebook

Charles Melcher is a creator, curator, and thought leader in the storytelling and technology space, as well as an entrepreneur and early-stage investor in media and technology companies. He is the Founder and CEO of Future of Storytelling, a live events and content studio that is focused on how storytelling and technology are developing in the twenty-first century. For over a decade, FoST has created groundbreaking live gatherings such as the FoST Summit, the FoST Festival (recognized as cutting-edge events by Forbes, VICE, The New York Times, and others), and most recently the FoST Explorers Club membership program. Additionally, FoST produces original content throughout the year, including storytelling workshops; curated exhibitions with local and international organizations; a storytelling curriculum for businesses; a monthly newsletter, “FoST in Thought,” and the bi-weekly FoST Podcast, where Melcher has intimate and informative conversations with expert guests such as Margaret Atwood, Al Gore, Neil Patrick Harris, and David Byrne, among others. FoST also produces apps, websites, films, and immersive experiences for international brands and media companies.

Melcher also recently wrote and published a first-of-its-kind book about immersive experiences titled The Future of Storytelling: How Immersive Experiences Are Transforming Our World. He sits on the boards of immersive theater company Punchdrunk International, the American Alliance of Museums, and Nova Sky Stories.

Melcher is also the Founder and CEO of Melcher Media, Inc. Founded in 1993, the company works with leading brands (including Meta, PepsiCo, and Microsoft), media companies (Netflix, HBO, Condé Nast, and Time Warner), and individual authors (Oprah Winfrey, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Kobe Bryant) to help them tell their stories and connect with large audiences via beautifully illustrated, interactive books. The company has won numerous design awards and has produced thirty-three New York Times best sellers.

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