Inspiration for Storytellers

Anyone working in film and video production is, at heart, a storyteller. We tell our stories through a visual medium with the goal of evoking some type of emotional response from the stories we share.

I enjoy watching, reading, and listening to good stories. By experiencing the works of other great storytellers I hope to improve the way in which I construct the stories that I produce.

One avenue of inspiration I lean on is podcasting. I listen to podcasts almost exclusively on my daily commute. There are some wonderful storytelling podcasts available. Each one provides creative inspiration on how to structure and tell a good story. 

Here are a few of my favorites:

• Authentic South - a storytelling podcast about Southern culture; produced by a college friend of mine, Tanner Latham.

• The Story Collider - a storytelling podcast about how Science has affected people's lives.

• Strangers - This podcast from the Independent Producer Project centers on the strangers that we come in contact with and how those encounters can evolve into great stories.

• Here Be Monsters - a storytelling podcast about "the unknown;" this podcast covers a wide variety of subject, from religion, science, lifestyle, etc.

• This American Life - Each week, this radio show from WBEZ in Chicago produces stories from around the country, centered on a specific theme.

• The Tobolowsky Files - a storytelling podcast about life, love, and acting as told by character actor Stephen Tobolowsky

• Radiolab - a storytelling podcast about science

• The Moth - true stories told live by the people that experienced them

And there you have it - the podcasts in my Playlist that revolve around storytelling and documentary themes. Feel free to add your recommendations in the comments section.