Story Matters With Curt Mega

Janaya Mahealani Jones, star of the newest Starkid musical 'VHS Christmas Carols', joins me to chat about the show! Check out the VHS Christmas Carols digital ticket, available now through the end of 2023! For live episodes, join me on Twitch at Twitch.TV/curtmega Join my Patreon.com/curtmega Follow me on IG, TikTok, Twitter (X), and Threads: @curtmega 

Director James Tolbert joins me to chat about directing the newest Starkid musical, VHS Christmas Carols!  Check out the VHS Christmas Carols digital ticket, available now through the end of 2023! For live episodes, join me on Twitch at Twitch.TV/curtmega Join my Patreon.com/curtmega Follow me on IG, TikTok, Twitter (X), and Threads: @curtmega   

Joey Richter joins me for our annual Oscars roundtable as we talk about the films that marked the surreal, bizarre and crazy year that was 2020. 

Every few months I host an interactive art collaboration called Project Create where Patrons from my Patreon create artwork based on a prompt that I share. This most recent prompt was Back on Track. As we attempt to figure out a new normal in the uncertain world of 2020, I felt compelled and inspired by the idea of getting my life back on track despite the difficulties in the way. I invited my Patrons to create as they were inspired and these are some of the amazing written submissions I received.  "Back on Track" poem by Emily Lettau  "Back on Track" music and lyrics by Vica Radziwon "On Track" poem by Anna Riots (also featuring her original music) "In a Courtyard That's Not Mine" poem by MSN "June's Revenge" short story by Jessica McQuillan "Maggie the Brave" short story by Emaley Rose "The Race of the Century" short story by RCT "On the Right Track" from Pippin Trombone Aarrangement by Emily McCulloch "Journal Entries" from anonymous "The Train is Coming" by Curt Mega Featuring the voices of Kim Whalen an

In this special installment of the podcast, my Warbler bros, Riker Lynch, Dominic Tracy, Jon Hall, Telly Leung, Eddy Martin, Brock Baker and Tim Davis join me to reflect on our time working on Glee, how the experience has impacted out lives and what we've been up to since then!  Find all episodes of the show at www.storymatterspodcast.com Follow the show on Instagram Follow the show on Twitter Email your feedback for the podcast by emailing storymatterspodcast@gmail.com

This week on the podcast, we discuss strategies to cope during this crazy and uncertain time. From baking, to watching dystopian films, to setting small, realistic and achievable goals, we have all been finding different ways to stay mentally sharp and emotionally stable. How do you battle the impulse to be constantly productive when you are stuck at home? Is there a healthy balance of goal setting without pushing yourself to an unrealistic and unhealthy level of expectation?  Find all episodes of the show at www.storymatterspodcast.com Follow the show on Instagram Follow the show on Twitter Email your feedback for the podcast by emailing storymatterspodcast@gmail.com

In this Advice Corner episode, we tackle the obstacle of CREATIVE ROADBLOCKS! How do you navigate around them before they become insurmountable? Then, a bonus radio-play sketch from my January Writer's Room... MURDER PLANE!  Find all episodes of the show at www.storymatterspodcast.com Follow the show on Instagram Follow the show on Twitter Email your feedback for the podcast by emailing storymatterspodcast@gmail.com

It's a strange, scary and chaotic time right now. This week, in the wake of the coronavirus that has engulfed every aspect of society and culture as we know it, we discuss strategies for coping as artists and storytellers to maximize creativity, stay motivated, and find the silver lining in the midst of chaos. You can find all episodes of the podcast at www.storymatterspodcast.com

In this month's ADVICE CORNER, we tackle the question: "How are you able to keep yourself focused on current projects and see them all the way through?". How do we overcome creative roadblocks while maintaining healthy life habits at the same time?! Join us as we share our insight into this question and more! Find all episodes of the show at www.storymatterspodcast.com Follow the show on Instagram Follow the show on Twitter Email your feedback for the podcast by emailing storymatterspodcast@gmail.com

Joey Richter (from Tin Can Brothers, Team Starkid, Jesse on Disney Channel and more) joins us for the 4th year in a row for our 2020 ACADEMY AWARDS OSCAR SPECTACULAR! We dive into each of the nominated films along with the main categories. So put on your best tux or gown, hop in a limo and join us on the RED CARPET for this year's STORY MATTERS OSCARS PODCAST! Find all episodes of the show at www.storymatterspodcast.com Follow the show on Instagram Follow the show on Twitter Email your feedback for the podcast by emailing storymatterspodcast@gmail.com

Vijay Nazareth, creator of Pixel Playhouse and AVbyte , joins us on this week's episode to talk about the FUTURE OF THEATRE! How does theatre adapt for the digital age in a way that's both accessible and relevant? Vijay's mission is to bring theatre TO THE INTERNET, to make it more accessible and break down the barrier between creator and audience. LINK: Check out Pixel Playhouse on Twitch! Find all episodes of the show at www.storymatterspodcast.com Follow the show on Instagram Follow the show on Twitter Email your feedback for the podcast by emailing storymatterspodcast@gmail.com

Where will the next decade of filmmaking take us? How will technology and A.I. affect the creative process and what will its impact be on storytellers and creators? In this episode, we take a look ahead at the next decade of filmmaking and storytelling and try to imagine what the future of storytelling will look like and how we can be prepared for it.  Article link: Warner Bros. Signs Deal for AI-Driven Film Management System Article link: How Will the Movies (As We Know Them) Survive the Next 10 Years? Find all episodes of the show at www.storymatterspodcast.com Follow the show on Instagram Follow the show on Twitter Email your feedback for the podcast by emailing storymatterspodcast@gmail.com  

In this month's ADVICE CORNER episode, we tackle the question;  How do you deal with feedback and criticism, both positive and negative, in a way that is useful to your own creative process? Then in part two of the episode, a special GROUP COLLAB radio-play titled The Wedding from Hell! 

We discuss the media, stories and events that defined the decade, both for us on a personal level and on a cultural and global level. From The Social Network, to Game of Thrones, to Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly, to the the impact of Netflix changing the streaming game with House of Cards, to the rise of the Disney Empire, to the Me Too Movement, the past decade has had a profound impact on the stories we tell and how we tell them.  Find all episodes of the show at www.storymatterspodcast.com Follow the show on Instagram Follow the show on Twitter Email your feedback for the podcast by emailing storymatterspodcast@gmail.com      

Curt and Kim react to the most recent Star Wars film, The Rise of Skywalker, and share their thoughts and perspective on whether or not the film is a worthy end to the Skywalker Saga. They also discuss the cultural discourse around the film and what it means for the future of Star Wars. NON-SPOILER section is 0:00-13:47! SPOILERS SECTION begins at 13:48! Find all episodes of the show at www.storymatterspodcast.com Follow the show on Instagram Follow the show on Twitter Email your feedback for the podcast by emailing storymatterspodcast@gmail.com  

We talk candidly about what lessons we've learned along the way as artists and storytellers over the past ten years in Los Angeles. For all three of us, the beginning of this decade marked a huge transition, leaving behind our lives in Texas for the glitz, the glamor and the rude awakening that is Hollywood. We've experienced a lot of ups and downs along the way and in this episode, we share our perspectives as we look back at this last chapter of our creative lives.  Link: Mike Tobias's poetry collection Find all episodes of the show at www.storymatterspodcast.com Follow the show on Instagram Follow the show on Twitter Email your feedback for the podcast by emailing storymatterspodcast@gmail.com  

In this episode, we explore the definition of poetry, duality in storytelling and examine four different approaches to revisionism in creating historical fiction. Find all episodes of the show at www.storymatterspodcast.com Follow the show on Instagram Follow the show on Twitter Email your feedback for the podcast by emailing storymatterspodcast@gmail.com

Curt, Mike and Kim dive into the world of revisionist storytelling, starting with Quentin Tarantino's newest film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. What is the moral responsibility of the storyteller to get the facts right when dealing with an actual historical event in their story? Can they play fast and loose with history? What sort of impact can this have on not only the audience but also the memory of the historical figures in question? Join them for this new, in-depth exploration of this fascinating aspect of the creative process of storytelling.    Find all episodes of the show at www.storymatterspodcast.com Follow the show on Instagram Follow the show on Twitter Email your feedback for the podcast by emailing storymatterspodcast@gmail.com

Ty Simpkins (Avengers: Endgame, Iron Man 3, Jurassic World, Insidious, The Nice Guys and more) joins us to talk about his experience as a young actor working in a slew of major franchises and creating characters that are part of a global phenomenon. We also talk spoiler culture, water-cooler conversations, and what it's like to know the end of a story years before the world gets a chance to see it. You can listen to all episodes of Story Matters at www.storymatterspodcast.com! 

How do you make a character death really count? In the wake of Avengers: Endgame and Game of Thrones: The Long Night, we break down the question of how to go about sticking the landing of a character's final chapter and fate with a NON-spoiler conversation reacting to Marvel's epic conclusion to their 22 film Infinity Saga and the much anticipated Fire vs. Ice battle for Winterfell! Then, at the 31:15 minute mark, we move into an IN-DEPTH SPOILER-FILLED discussion about both the film and the episode. Enjoy!   You can email us at storymatterspodcast@gmail.com and you can listen to all episodes of the podcast at www.storymatterspodcast.com!