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The Future of Storytelling

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What to expect

The first, foundational book on the next media renaissance, from one of the foremost thought leaders at the intersection of storytelling and technology. 

These days we don’t want to just watch our media—we want to be a part of it. To touch, feel, and test our surroundings, to make decisions that directly affect the story’s outcome. Immersive events—such as the Stranger Things Experience and productions like Punchdrunk’s Sleep No More—are growing at such a staggering rate that their revenue will soon outpace film and television combined. Investors, creators, and technology leaders from the likes of Apple, Facebook, and Netflix have quietly invested billions of dollars in this new medium.

But what makes immersive experiences so appealing, and why? What does it say about us as a culture? And who is behind this revolution in entertainment? For more than ten years, Charles Melcher, founder and director of Future of StoryTelling (FoST), has been invited into the studios, garages, offices, and academic corridors where the rules of storytelling are being rewritten. And in this eye-opening book, he has curated a selection of the very best immersive experiences from around the world—Meow Wolf in the United States, teamLab in Japan, Hobbiton in New Zealand, and many more. It’s a celebration of both the projects themselves and the extraordinarily creative people who have brought them to life, and a clarion call to better understand and appreciate this paradigm-shifting moment and the opportunities immersive entertainment offers for the next generation of creators, businesspeople, and audiences.

Critics Review

“a richly illustrated, deeply informed exploration of how immersive, interactive, and participatory media are redefining human expression… celebrates the return of storytelling to its communal, participatory roots." 
 —Forbes
"'Let’s play make-believe!' I remember as a child saying this to my friends. It was so easy to do. All that was needed was a pencil and paper and a willing imagination. I’ve spent my career as an animator using the power of storytelling to transport people to other worlds. While the 'paper' has evolved, imagination is still the key ingredient. Charles Melcher has become the friend who understands this better than anyone, and he invites us all to come along with him into a new and exciting future for storytellers.” —GLEN KEANE, director, animator, illustrator, and author
"In The Future of Storytelling, Charles Melcher reveals how technology is revolutionizing storytelling, making it a visceral, transformative force. For tech leaders, marketers, creators, and visionaries, this is a wake-up call: Immersive storytelling isn’t just about entertainment—it’s the future of engagement, education, brand loyalty, and human connection.”—ANGELA AHRENDTS DBE, former SVP, Apple Retail, and former CEO, Burberry
“Clear, purposeful, and visionary. A guide for creators who believe stories should do more than entertain—they should move us forward.”—AJAZ AHMED, founder and CEO, Studio.One, and founder and former nCEO, AKQA
Author Charles Melcher
Narrator Charles Melcher, Rama Vallury
Duration 9 hours and 30 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781668660416
Format Audiobook
Publisher Hachette Audio
Genre History of art, Media studies, Popular culture, Product design
Availability US

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