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: @curt…

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.Von Curt Mega

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 des…

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…

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 …

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 you…

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 podca…

Von Curt Mega

Von Curt Mega

Von Curt Mega

Von Curt Mega

Von Curt Mega

Von Curt Mega

Von Curt Mega

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…

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@gm…

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 th…

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 st…

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 …

In the wake of spoiler leaks surrounding Avengers: End Game, Game of Thrones and even Star Wars, does science actually prove that spoilers are a good thing in helping the audience better appreciate the story?! In this episode of the podcast, Curt, Mike and Kim dive into the world of spoilers to examine their impact on the viewing experience and the…

As the final season of Game of Thrones begins to roll, we ask the question; Does the show mark the end of the water cooler conversation as we know it? Has the binge-watching model changed the way we engage with stories? We'd love to hear from you! Email us your thoughts at storymatterspodcast@gmail.com. You can find all episodes of the podcast at w…

Corey Lubowich (Tin Can Brothers, Starkid) joins us to talk about how internet criticism affects the creative process and shares some personal insights on how fandom and audience interaction has impacted the way he creates and collaborates with other artists and storytellers. You can find all episodes of the podcast at www.storymatterspodcast.com a…

Are expectations ruining the way we watch movies? In this episode of the podcast, we explore what sort of films were impacted by negative reviews but have come to be fan favorites in hindsight, despite an initially poor critical reception. Then we take a deep dive into Jordan Peel's newest nightmare with a spoiler-filled roundtable discussion about…

We wade into the controversial waters of the recent J.K. Rowling backlash and examine what sort of authority creators have over their own work once it’s released out into the world. Should they be allowed to explain their intentions with a character or story when those elements are seemingly missing from the text? Does the demand for a creator to s…

Each episode of Imagined Life takes you on an immersive journey into the life of a world-famous person. It’ll be someone you may think you know, or even admire. You’ll get clues to your identity along the way. But only in the final moments will you find out who “you” really are. So sit back, let go, and -- imagine your life. Subscribe now at wonder…

Curt, Kim and Mike brave the sea of internet trolls to examine the function of movie review sites like Rotten Tomatoes and explore their impact on the filmgoing experience. We also explore the validity of "hot takes" for the sake of clickbait and the nature of toxic criticism.Von Curt Mega

Story Matters alum Joey Richter returns for the 3rd year to take a deep dive into THE ACADEMY AWARDS! We break down the wins and losses, the snubs and successes, and we ask the question... what sort of impact will this year's awards have on future generation of filmmakers and artists? You can find all episodes of the podcast at www.storymatterspodc…

We break down the ups and downs of the 2019 Academy Awards as we ask the question... In the age of the streaming video and niche fandom, do the Academy Awards still hold the power and relevance they once did? You can find all episodes of the podcast at www.storymatterspodcast.com and leave us a review and rating on Apple Podcasts! We'd love to hear…

In this episode of the podcast, we react to the 2019 SAG Awards and explore what it could mean for the current Oscar race. Then we continue our exploration of awards season by asking the question... what is the IMPACT of winning The Oscar? We continue our film retrospectives on recent Best Picture winners Spotlight, Moonlight and The Shape of Water…

In this episode of the podcast, we react to the 2019 Oscar nominations and then take a deep dive into recent Best-Picture winners with film retrospectives on Spotlight, Moonlight, and The Shape of Water as we ask the question… what makes for a best-picture winning film? You can find all episodes of the podcast at www.storymatterspodcast.com and lea…

In this episode of the podcast, Curt, Kim and Mike tackle the age-old question of... DO AWARDS EVEN MATTER?! We break down the differences between some of the major awards shows and begin our exploration of how awards season impact storytelling, the creative process and culture as a whole. You can find all episodes of the podcast at www.storymatter…

In this first episode of 2019, we talk resolutions, setting creative intentions for the new year, the films that most impacted us in 2018 and we finish off our exploration of the Disney Remake with a double feature retrospective on 1977 Pete’s Dragon and the 2016 remake directed by David Lowery! Curt’s favorite films of 2018: You Were Never Really …

In our third entry of our Disney December, we take a look at the 1964 classic Mary Poppins starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke and compare it to 2018’s Mary Poppins Returns starring Emily Blunt and Lin Manuel Miranda in a spoiler filled roundtable discussion on the film! Where does this film fall on the sequel/remake spectrum? Does the newest …

We continue Disney December on the podcast with a Disney double feature, exploring the 1950 animated classic Cinderella compared to the 2015 live action remake directed by Kenneth Branagh and starring Lily James and the 1967 classic film The Jungle Book up against the 2016 live action remake directed by Jon Favreau. You can find all episodes of Sto…

We kick off DISNEY DECEMBER with an in depth exploration of the 1991 animated classic Beauty and the Beast and compare and contrast it to the 2017 live action remake starring Emma Watson. Along the way we ask the question of what defines a good remake? What does this trend of Disney remaking all of its animated classics add to the conversation? Doe…

Jon Cozart joins the show to take a deep dive with us into the world of Amadeus, the 1984 Academy Award winning musical biopic directed by Milos Forman about the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as we cap off our exploration of the musical biopic genre with what is considered by many as the greatest biopic of all time! We also examine how this film …

We've all been there. The crowds. The grabbing hands. The pushing. The shoving. It's the most American of all the holidays... yep, it's BLACK FRIDAY!Von Curt Mega

In episode 48 of the podcast, we have an honest and candid conversation about the struggle to prioritize creativity when life and work seem to constantly to get in the way. Then, we continue our exploration of the musical biopic with a retrospective on the 2004 film Ray starring Jamie Foxx in an Oscar winning performance. How does the film hold up …

Curt, Kim, and Mike, along with special guest Eric Carroll, continue their exploration of the MUSICAL BIOPIC with an in-depth retrospective on the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. We compare and contrast this 2005 biopic classic alongside last week’s film focus of Bohemian Rhapsody and examine the sim…

We launch our November exploration of the MUSICAL BIOPIC genre by taking a deep dive into Bohemian Rhapsody, the Freddie Mercury/Queen biopic from 20th Century Fox. We also ask the question of what makes a good biopic? What is the moral responsibility the storyteller has to tell the story exactly as it happened versus creating under the banner of “…

We are OVERHAULING THE SHOW in a major way and are very excited to share the details about this new format with you in this episode. We also discuss our ongoing creative projects, examine the the value of reprioritizing and simplifying your life to better achieve your creative goals and talk about the power and freedom that comes from learning to F…

In this episode of the podcast, we take a look back on the summer movies of 2018 and the films that most impacted us, disappointed us, excited us and made us fall in love with the cinema all over again. We also take a hard look at the trend of sequels and prequels and the fact that the top 10 grossing films of 2018 are ALL tied directly to a previo…

In this episode, Curt, Mike and Kim sit down with actor Wesam Keesh (MTV's Awkward, ABC's For the People and more) to tackle the recent headline news of The Cosby Show's Geoffrey Owens' candid discussions on the realities of the jobs we take to pay our bills while trying to pursue a career in the arts. In this roundtable episode, we talk openly abo…

It's the 10 year anniversary of Christopher Nolan's genre changing super hero crime drama The Dark Knight! In this episode, Curt, Kim, Mike and Eric take a deep dive into the 2nd installment of Nolan's Batman trilogy and examine the influence the film has had on the super hero genre as an art form, explore Heath Ledger's brilliant performance as Th…

We take a look at the life and legacy of Fred Rogers and break down our reactions and thoughts to Morgan Neville's latest documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor, an in depth look at the the life, philosophy and heart of Fred Rogers. We also talk about Mister Roger's Neighborhood and the impact it had on our lives as both children and adults and its c…

In this SUPER episode of the podcast, we take a look back at Pixar's groundbreaking 2004 film The Incredibles to discuss what influences it's had on the superhero genre as a whole and examine how it holds up 14 years later upon a rewatch. Then, we then delve into an in-depth, spoiler-filled roundtable conversation on Incredibles 2 to discuss our re…

In this SUPER-SIZED episode of the podcast, Eric Carroll joins Curt and Mike to remember the amazing storytelling that Anthony Bourdain brought to the world. We also talk about the incredible new horror/drama film Hereditary. Then we delve into the delicate and controversial waters of toxic tribalism, specifically in reference to the backlash of Th…

In this episode of the podcast, Curt, Kim and Mike reflect on their vacation travels throughout the Caribbean and South America and see what stories inspired/impacted them during their adventures! They also discuss the positive impact that rest and reflection can have on the creative process. Take a listen as they share with each other how travel i…

In this episode, the conversation continues with our "Story Matters Film Retrospective"! We take a look at Mike's film choice with LA Confidential and its examination of police corruption and institutionalized coverup and look how it mirrors so much of the real world that we see today. Then we delve into Curt's pick of The Social Network and its in…