storytelling: Last News

Disney CEO Bob Chapek called Disney+ a “lifestyle portal for Disney fandom” and streaming the nexus of a “reengineered” company that would never have survived and thrived for a century if it didn’t take bold swings.  

A one-man Christmas show will see a weel-kent Ayrshire actor step into the shoes of Charles Dickens to retell a festive favourite.

William Earl A new study from nonprofit environmental firm Good Energy and the USC Norman Lear Center found few references to climate change and environmental crises in a survey of more than 37,000 scripts from 2016 to 2020. The study aimed to track the level of “climate change representation” in mainstream scripted entertainment. The data showed that only 2.8% of 37,453 scripts analyzed used any “climate change keywords,” while only 0.6% featured the words “climate change.” Only 10% of stories that depicted “extreme weather events” tied the occurance to any form of climate change, while a mere 12% of those tied the problem to the use of fossil fuels.

Carole Horst From “The Shrink Next Door” to “We Crashed” to “Slow Burn,” the stock of podcasts as IP have soared over the past several years, with the most popular making the transition from audio stories to on-screen smash hits. But where podcast source material can and does serve as creative inspiration for successful TV and film adaptations —Amanda Seyfried nabbed an Emmy for her lead turn as Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes in Hulu’s “The Dropout,” which was based on a podcast — there remains intrinsic educational, artistic and pop-cultural value in podcasts for podcasts’ sake.  At Boston-based audio-first media company Double Elvis, run by chairman and CCO Jake Brennan and co-founder and CEO Brady Sadler, chairman and CCO and co-founder and CEO, respectively, of Double Elvis — “Disgraceland,” “Blood on the Tracks” and “Badlands” are among its popular podcasts centered on the bad behavior of rock stars and Hollywood denizens — podcasts are not just a means to an end, but a vessel through which to relay compelling, nuanced, entertaining tales about humanity. 

Rebecca Souw Korean film and TV story-telling has expanded and adapted under the influence of both COVID and streaming video. As a result, screenwriting today may be more in touch with audience needs, media executives in Busan heard. A panel discussion on Saturday, organized by the Busan Story Market, a new wing of the Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM) sought to define Korean story telling and analyze why it is currently so successful. One explanation offered by Hwang Hyejung, chief content officer at Korean streamer TVing, was that writers have broadened their outlook to include more current and realistic topics. Romantic comedies and melodramas are no longer the defining genres.

Mike Flanagan is as sentimental about storytelling as he is about horror, for better and for worse. Sometimes that has led to a unique heartbeat in his work—the aching pain in his landmark Shirley Jackson adaptation “The Haunting of Hill House,” or his dedication to making us see the demons of “The Shining” in a different light with his unfairly maligned feature “Doctor Sleep.” But his latest project, co-created with Leah Fong, shows that affinity getting the better of him.

GLAAD has hired Julian J. Walker as associate director, Communities of Color & Media.

Jennie Punter As Toronto director Clement Virgo and the cast of “Brother” took the stage at the Princess of Wales Theatre on the night of Sept. 9 to soak in the hometown standing ovation after film’s world premiere, a delegation of Black producers from across Canada was settling in for a week of networking ops curated by the Black Screen Office (BSO).   This year has seen Black-led CBC and BET+ historical drama series “The Porter” (recently renewed for Season two) connect with audiences and critical kudos beyond Canada; Black talent empowerment and training organizations extend their reach; and the BSO forge platforms and alliances to strengthen and amplify its advocacy, research and funding development work. 

Children were treated to a special storytelling session at Polkemmet Country Park in Whitburn from lovable Road Safety Scotland character Ziggy.

Cherien Dabis When I was offered the opportunity to direct the “Only Murders in the Building” episode “The Boy From 6B,” which focuses on the story of a deaf character, I knew instantly that I had to do it. It was precisely the kind of story that excites me, a story told from a point of view we rarely get to see, portraying a character from a community that’s underrepresented and misrepresented. I’ve built my career upon telling stories about marginalized communities, and by doing so, I’ve attempted to push us all out of the margins and into the center.

It’s been nine months since then-head of TriStar Television Kathryn Busby was named President Of Original Programming for Starz. In her first nine months on the job, Busby has embraced and expanded the network’s existing programming commitment to narratives by, about and for women and underrepresented audiences as well as its #TakeTheLead Initiative to amplify diverse voices.

Whitney Friedlander While saltier reality shows including Bravo’s “Real Housewives” franchise and HBO Max’s “FBoy Island” are still very much a thing — and very popular — there has also been a bumper crop of “nice” reality programming infiltrating the arena.And, it turns out, Television Academy voters are fans. A look at the reality categories in this year’s Emmys race include Netflix’s A-for-effort baking competition series “Nailed It!,” the long-running, pride-focused VH1 series “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and both NBC’s mentorship musician series “The Voice” and its goofysweet crafts program “Making It.” Even the vibe of perennial Emmy nominee, Bravo’s “Top Chef,” comes with a message of respect for the artistry of cooking.

Cynthia Littleton Business EditorWhen he was fresh out of USC’s School of Dramatic Arts in the mid-1990s, Danny Strong’s goals were modest. The future multihyphenate just wanted to be able to pay his rent with his earnings as an actor.It took about 18 months, but he got there.

explore further some of the many great minds who have pondered its wider and deeper meanings. The role I’m singing is the old knight Gurnemanz. Bizarrely, despite being the longest role of the opera by a clear hour, in terms of notes sung, he is not one of the main characters of the story.

Johnny Lin I work in the film industry, so storytelling is in my nature. There is an invaluable power to storytelling; stories are what allow us to connect. They are a tool that can be used to inspire others and provide them with an entirely different perspective — an ability that has always been critical, and this has become even more apparent in today’s social climate.

MTV Entertainment Studios today announced that USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative will become the long-term home of the Mental Health Storytelling Initiative. The effort was spearheaded last year by MTVE, who brought together a coalition of over 60 entertainment media companies and mental health expert organizations to raise awareness and change the narrative on mental health.

As if unleashing all the pent-up narrative impulses tamped down for the hard-bitten minimalism of “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Australia’s proudest son George Miller returns to Cannes’ out-of-Competition section with a sumptuous banquet of storytelling in service of storytelling. “Three Thousand Years of Longing” compresses eons of heartbreak, happenstance, and hope into a hotel room tête-à-tête that then re-blooms to the size of the universe, a parable both titanic and intimate in scale as it negotiates one woman’s complacent solitude against the welfare of mythologies dating back to the cradle of civilization.

Peter Bart and Mike Fleming Jr. worked together for two decades at Daily Variety. In this occasional column, two old friends get together and grind their axes, mostly on the movie business.

For a brand that touts its genius at “storytelling,” the Magic Kingdom faces ever-growing problems in telling its own story.

Livingston will be home to tall tales, fabulous fiction, and amazing anecdotes this summer with the launch of a new storytelling festival organised by local social enterprise, Spark.

Holly Jones In collaboration with Hot Docs 2022, Chiledoc announced that the Toronto-based festival will showcase seven Chilean documentaries as part of its Made In Chile strand. Screening from April 29, the selections highlight the burgeoning global impact of Chile’s spirited documentary film initiative, encompassing diverse and bold perspectives from new voices nationwide.As North America’s largest documentary film festival, conference and market, Hot Docs strives to forge essential relationships that lead to production opportunities for documentary filmmakers with a keen eye on the global market.“We are excited to celebrate and spotlight this new movement of documentary filmmakers from Chile,” shares Shane Smith, director of programming for Hot Docs. “Their bold and daring approach to reexamining their country’s multifaceted history while crafting powerful and distinctively Chilean stories is making the documentary industry, and the world, take notice.” Made in Chile bows, indeed, just days after “My Imaginary Country,” from Patricio Guzmán, the doyen of Chilean documentary filmmakers, was selected for a special screening at the Cannes Festival.Paula Ossandón, director of Chiledoc, the sectorial brand for Chilean documentary, elaborates on the state of documentary filmmaking in Chile: “The production of documentaries in Chile is prolific.