Every week, I shine the spotlight on some of the best storytelling in the business and offer my comments. “3 Great Stories of the Week” will post every Monday at 8 AM.
Terry Crews: How to have, do, and be all you want (12/10/17, Tim Ferriss Show): I spent much of December catching up on podcasts, and I couldn’t stop listening to this one.
The Tim Ferriss Show often features engaging guests, but actor/former NFLer/furniture designer (?) Terry Crews captivates from Minute 1 to Minute 100. Ferriss knows how to prod a guest into a revealing story, but in this case he recognizes when to sit back and let Crews dominate. The guest provides piles of anecdotes about his childhood in Michigan, struggles with family and Hollywood, and words of inspiration for anyone needing a boost.
StartupBus: Days 1-5 (12/11-12/15/17, Startup Podcast): Gimlet Media has become an integral voice in the podcasting landscape. The Startup podcast, its first big hit, remains a revealing listen into its namesake culture.
Witness its five-day presentation of StartupBus, an annual event that asks unrelated contestants to form their own brands in three days while on a cramped bus to New Orleans. Gimlet’s Eric Mennel followed 22 participants from New York and reported in a serial structure, devoting an episode to each of the competition’s five days. An assignment like this presents a myriad of challenges: figuring out common threads, determining important characters, and editing a full day of experiences into a coherent 30-minute show. Mennel succeeds on all fronts.
Watching an honor flight return to DIA (12/28/17, KUSA-TV): What an inventive way to present a familiar tale.
Many of us have received the chance to cover honor flights for World War II veterans. Those experiences always produce beautiful moments. But photographer Chris Hansen of KUSA-TV in Denver zeroed in on one moment: a surprise upon the veterans’ return, shot with a 360-degree camera. Anchor Kyle Clark voiced the piece, both weaving in and playing up the novelty of the full range of view.
Have a suggestion for “3 Great Stories”? E-mail me at matt@tellingthestoryblog.com.
Matt Pearl is the author of the Telling the Story blog and podcast. Feel free to comment below or e-mail Matt at matt@tellingthestoryblog.com. You can also follow Matt on Facebook and Twitter.