immersive storytelling

In this episode of The Truth in This Art, host Rob Lee interviews Ronald Young Jr., a critically acclaimed audio producer, host, storyteller, and pop culture enthusiast. They discuss Ronald's journey in storytelling, his early experiences with audio production, and his passion for vulnerable and impactful storytelling. 🎙📚🎧

Episode Highlights:

• Ronald's earliest memories of storytelling in church and his love for movies and television. [00:02:09-00:02:23] 🕰️📖🎥
• How Ronald's interest in audio storytelling developed through programs like Adventures in Odyssey and The Big Broadcast. [00:04:10-00:04:21] 📻🎙️
• Ronald's journey in audio production, from working in radio to starting his own podcasts. [00:05:27-00:05:48] 🎤🎧🎙️
• The importance of vulnerability and emotional growth in storytelling. [00:22:15-00:22:25] 💔💡
• Ronald's experience with live storytelling shows and the power of effective storytelling mechanics. [00:25:10-00:25:20] 🎤🎭
• The challenges and rewards of being an independent podcaster and the importance of staying true to your vision. [00:34:37-00:34:47] 🌟💼

Key Takeaways:

• Effective storytelling involves taking the audience on a journey of emotional growth and transformation. 🔄📈
• The power of audio storytelling lies in immersing the listener and allowing them to make their own connections and interpretations. 🎧💭
• It's important to stay true to your vision and not compromise your storytelling style for the sake of others' expectations. 🚀🎨

Check out Ronald Young Jr.'s podcasts, Leaving the Theater and Weight For It, for engaging and thought-provoking storytelling.

Social Media:
Website: ohitsbigron.com 🌐
Instagram: ohitsbigron 📸
Twitter: @OhitsBIGRON 🐦
LinkedIn: Ronald Young Jr. 👔

I hope you enjoyed this episode of The Truth in This Art. If you found value in our conversation and want to show your support, there are a couple of ways you can help us out. 🙌

🌟First, we would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to rate and review this episode. Your feedback and reviews not only help us improve, but they also help others discover the podcast and join our community of arts, culture, and community enthusiasts. 🌟📝

Secondly, if you're able and willing, we have a Patreon page where you can support the show financially. Your contributions will go towards covering production costs, improving the quality of the podcast, and bringing you even more engaging content. 💰🎙️

Thank you so much for being a part of our journey and for your continued support. We truly appreciate each and every one of you. Together, let's keep spreading the truth in art! 🌈🎨

This program is supported (in part) by a grant from the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation.

If you have a story about art, culture, or community, share it with us at rob@thetruthinthisart.com for a chance to be featured on 'The Truth In This Art' podcast.

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Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard.

Episode illustration by Alley Kid Art.

About "The Truth In This Art"

"The Truth In This Art," hosted by Rob Lee, is a podcast that explores the essence of creativity and its community impact, amplifying artists' voices and their profound stories.

Connect with me:

Website | Twitter | Instagram 

Support the show:

Merch from Redbubble | Make a Donation 

Don’t miss today’s takeaways! Scroll down for lessons from this episode. 

The episodes we discussed on today’s episode are History Daily: Silent Spring Sparks the Modern Environmental Movement and American History Tellers Season 61: Salem Witch Trials.

Takeaways from my conversation with Lindsay: 

1. In several of its shows, including American History Tellers, American Scandal, History Daily and Business Wars, Wondery employs a format that’s always been controversial. They call it “immersive storytelling.” It relies on a single narrator to voice all or most of the characters in an episode. It also employs fictionalized reenactments. As Lindsay says – some people hate this. “I can’t do anything about it,” he says, “cause that’s the show.” He also says, “I can’t help those people who want it to be different than it is.” And that’s the lesson: Choose what your show IS and lean into it. YOUR people will love it. If you do your job well, some people may, in fact, hate it. That’s OK. It’s not for them.
2. When they conduct historical research, Lindsay and his writers aren’t just cataloging facts. They’re on a treasure hunt to learn how the characters felt and how people in their lives felt about them. Those emotions make the historical world feel real, increase the stakes, and keep listeners glued to their headphones. This isn’t your father’s history class.
3. Here’s a tip for anyone leading a team: Create editorial guidelines and share them with everyone – writers, producers, sound designers, and engineers. Guidelines are great for onboarding newcomers. They also help make sure everyone is on the same page. Originally, Lindsay made a narrative podcast out of the American History Tellers guidelines; that’s a memorable way to get this information across. Whatever you do, remember that editorial guidelines are living documents – keep them up to date. 
4. Lindsay calls himself a champion thinker, but an “apprentice do-er.” Self-doubt and perfectionism gets in his way, as they did with his long-delayed introduction of the subscription service Into History. Once he stopped overthinking and started taking one step after another, introducing this new product turned out to be easier than he thought. Taking action brings confidence, and confidence, as Lindsay says, breeds more confidence. 
    

Visit Lindsay online:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsayagraham/

Twitter/X: @lindsayagraham

Improve your storytelling Check out our popular workshops on interviewing, story editing, story structure, longform narrative, audience engagement, scriptwriting and more. 

Hire Elaine to speak at your conference or company. Subjects include: Communicating for Leaders; Communicating about Change; Mastering the Art of the Interview; Storytelling Skills; How to Build Relationships through Storytelling, and more. 

Discover our strategic communication services and coaching for thought leaders using storytelling tools to make the world a better place. Serving writers, podcasters, public speakers, and others in journalism & public media, climate change, health care, policy, and higher education. Visit us at www.podcastallies.com.

Subscribe to Sound Judgment, the Newsletter, our twice-monthly newsletter about creative choices in audio storytelling. 

Connect:

Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram

✉️ Email Elaine at allies@podcastallies.com

💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts

🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify 

🗣️ Share the show by word of mouth and on your socials

Help us find and celebrate today’s best hosts
Who’s your Sound Judgment dream guest? Email me: allies@podcastallies.com. Because of you, that host may appear on Sound Judgment.

Credits 

Sound Judgment is a production of Podcast Allies, LLC. 

Host: Elaine Appleton Grant

Podcast Manager: Tina Bassir

Production Manager: Andrew Parrella

Audio Engineer: Kevin Kline

Production Assistant: Audrey Nelson

This holiday we’re celebrating our 25th episode of Zero to Start with a very special guest, Kent Bye, host of the Voices of VR podcast.

Since May 2014, Kent has published over 1,300 Voices of VR podcast interviews featuring the pioneering artists, storytellers, and technologists driving the resurgence of virtual & augmented reality.

Kent is an oral historian, experiential journalist, & philosopher, helping to define the patterns of immersive storytelling, experiential design, ethical frameworks, & the ultimate potential of XR. 

He travels the world to deliver in-depth coverage of the best from XR festivals, conferences and gatherings you can't find anywhere else.

Check out the link to Kent’s Patreon where you can support his groundbreaking work and gain access to the podcast's private Discord channel and more.  I've been a patron supporter of Voices of VR since 2021.

How will you think about presence in 2024?

Thanks for listening! Until next time, Peace on Earth! Goodwill to all.

CONNECT WITH KENT:

• Voices of VR Podcast
• Voices of VR on Patreon
• Kent on LinkedIn 

FEATURED LINKS:

• VIDEO: A Primer on Presence, Immersive Storytelling, & Experiential Design - Kent Bye's Storycon Keynote
•  VIDEO: Sensemaking Frameworks for the Metaverse & XR Ethics
• Voices of VR  #1320:  Plans for VisionDevCamp, an Apple Vision Pro Hackathon after Q1 2024 Launch

MORE SOURCES:

• Place illusion and plausibility can lead to realistic behaviour in immersive virtual environments - Mel Slater
• Reality+  David Chalmers
• VIDEO: Top 20 Oculus Rift VR Experiences of 2013 - Cymatic Bruce
• VIDEO: Descartes Meditation I - Of the things which may be brought into Doubt - Philosophy Vibe 

CONNECT WITH SICILIANA 

• sicilianatrevino.com 
• LinkedIn 

WHAT WE'RE PLAYING IN VR

• Gorilla Tag - holiday update! 
• Asgard's Wrath 2
• Black Pink a VR Encore - Meta Horizon Worlds (Dec. 26th)
• Wallace & Gromit in the Grand Getaway
• Liminal - Relax. Unwind. Engage. Explore.

This story represents the results of an interactive collaboration between Human Cognition and Artificial Intelligence.

Enjoy, think, share with others, and subscribe to the "Musing On Society & Technology" newsletter on LinkedIn.

Sincerely, Marco Ciappelli and TAPE3

________

Marco Ciappelli is the host of the Redefining Society Podcast, part of the ITSPmagazine Podcast Network—which he co-founded with his good friend Sean Martin—where you may just find some of these topics being discussed. Visit Marco on his personal website.

TAPE3 is the Artificial Intelligence for ITSPmagazine, created to function as a guide, writing assistant, researcher, and brainstorming partner to those who adventure at and beyond the Intersection Of Technology, Cybersecurity, And Society. Visit TAPE3 on ITSPmagazine.

This story represents the results of an interactive collaboration between Human Cognition and Artificial Intelligence.

Enjoy, think, share with others, and subscribe to the "Musing On Society & Technology" newsletter on LinkedIn.

Sincerely, Marco Ciappelli and TAPE3

________

Marco Ciappelli is the host of the Redefining Society Podcast, part of the ITSPmagazine Podcast Network—which he co-founded with his good friend Sean Martin—where you may just find some of these topics being discussed. Visit Marco on his personal website.

TAPE3 is the Artificial Intelligence for ITSPmagazine, created to function as a guide, writing assistant, researcher, and brainstorming partner to those who adventure at and beyond the Intersection Of Technology, Cybersecurity, And Society. Visit TAPE3 on ITSPmagazine.