Story First Podcast

This week’s episode is an archive edition featuring one of the great storytellers of American film and television: Carl Gottlieb.
Whether you know Carl by name or you’re discovering him for the first time, you’ve almost certainly felt his influence. He co-wrote Jaws, the film that forever changed the movie business and introduced the era of the summer blockbuster. He also co-wrote The Jerk with Steve Martin, directed Caveman, and was part of the creative explosion that reshaped American comedy in the late 1960s and ’70s.
Carl’s career began with The Committee, one of America’s pioneering improvisational theater companies, before he joined the writing staff of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, a groundbreaking television series that launched or nurtured the careers of writers like Steve Martin and Rob Reiner while changing what comedy on television could be.
When this conversation begins, I think Carl expects another interview about Jaws. But somewhere along the way, something changes. We stop talking about famous movies and begin talking about the craft itself. It becomes two storytellers comparing notes about writing, comedy, collaboration, and the work behind stories that last.
For me, that shift is what makes this episode special.

When Joel Madison and I sat down to record this conversation, we started somewhere I didn't expect: school.
Neither of us fit comfortably into traditional education. We talk about dyslexia, ADHD, and what it was like growing up before those things were widely understood. That becomes the jumping-off point for a much larger conversation about how creative people learn.
Joel went on to become a successful television writer and producer, but the path wasn't a straight line. We talk about his journey from stand-up comedy to the writers' room, the difference between writing jokes and telling stories, and why the best storytellers never stop paying attention to the world around them.
We also explore research, authenticity, dialogue, character, and the invisible work that makes stories resonate. Good storytelling isn't about showing the audience how clever you are. It's about understanding people well enough that they recognize themselves in the story.
Whether you're a writer, filmmaker, artist, or simply someone who's ever wondered if there was a different way to learn, I think you'll find something in this conversation.

This week’s episode is an archive edition from my old podcast, You Are a Storyteller, co-hosted by Jesse Bryan.In this conversation, Jesse and I explore a storytelling concept I call the outer boundaries.Every story teaches its audience how to watch it. Early on, a storyteller establishes the rules of the world—what’s possible, what’s impossible, and what kind of story they’re about to experience. Those expectations become a kind of promise between storyteller and audience.Break that promise, and you risk breaking the audience’s trust.Whether you’re writing fantasy, science fiction, comedy, or drama, understanding the outer boundaries of your story world is essential. Once the audience understands the rules, they will follow you almost anywhere—as long as you play fair.I hope you enjoy this look back at one of the ideas that has become a cornerstone of the way I think about storytelling.

When I first met Eddie Smith, he was a student in one of my storytelling classes.
Since then, he's built an impressive career as a concept artist and visual developer, contributing to projects including Halo 2, Halo 3, MechWarrior 4, Dungeons & Dragons, G.I. Joe, and many others. But what I've always appreciated about Eddie is that he's remained a student of the craft.
In this episode, we talk about storytelling, artistic growth, mentorship, and the importance of staying open to new ideas. One of the themes that emerges is the idea that learning often begins with letting go of assumptions and rethinking what you think you know.
That's where the title comes from: Learning to Unlearn.
I think there's a lot in this conversation for artists, writers, filmmakers, and anyone committed to getting better at what they do.

This week on the Story First Podcast, we're revisiting a conversation from the archives with director, production designer, visual development artist, and illustrator Jenn Ely.
Jenn has worked with some of the most respected storytellers in animation, including Henry Selick on Wendell & Wild and Guillermo del Toro on the Academy Award-winning Pinocchio. Her career has also included work with Laika, DreamWorks, Netflix, and numerous publishing and commercial projects.
What makes Jenn's story particularly interesting is that she didn't follow a traditional path into animation. She began as a fine artist and painter, found mentors, kept learning, and gradually built a career by following her curiosity and commitment to the work.
Brian and Jenn discuss storytelling, visual development, artistic growth, mentorship, and the dedication required to build a creative life.
A conversation about craft, persistence, and finding your own way.

This week on the Story First Podcast, Brian McDonald talks with artist, art director, mentor, and visual storyteller Taraneh Karimi.
Known for her work with Disney Animation, Netflix Animation, Disney Lorcana, games, publishing, and visual development, Taraneh has built a career helping shape stories through images.
In this thoughtful conversation, Taraneh and Brian discuss creativity, emotional truth, lifelong learning, and the role storytelling plays in helping us make sense of our lives. They explore the relationship between visual language and narrative, the challenges artists face as they grow, and why meaningful work often comes from a deeply personal place.
A conversation about art, storytelling, and learning to create from the inside out.

This week’s Story First Podcast is an archive episode from You Are a Storyteller, my old podcast co-hosted with Jesse Bryan.In this conversation, Jesse and I discuss the power of simplicity in storytelling and communication. We explore why people often mistake complexity for sophistication, why clarity matters, and why simplicity is usually much harder to achieve than clutter.One of the recurring ideas in my teaching is that strong storytelling is often about removing the unnecessary and communicating with precision.As Leonardo da Vinci said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

This week on the Story First Podcast, Emmy-nominated director, storyboard artist, and filmmaker Brian Kalin O’Connell joins me for a deeply personal conversation about storytelling, artistic growth, and what it means to keep showing up for the work.
Brian has worked at ILM, Lucasfilm, and Pixar, where he contributed to projects including The Clone Wars, Luca, Turning Red, Incredibles 2, and more. But this conversation isn’t really about credits. It’s about practice.
As often happens on this show, the subject of lifelong learning comes up. Brian and I talk about the difference between fans and practitioners, the danger of surface-level thinking, the emotional truth behind storytelling, and why the best artists remain students for life.
We also get into stop-motion animation, Ray Harryhausen, Charlie Chaplin, comic books, visual storytelling, style, vulnerability, fear, and the challenge of bringing your authentic self to the work.

This week’s episode is an archive conversation from my old podcast You Are a Storyteller, co-hosted with Jesse Bryan.
We recorded this discussion shortly before the release of my graphic novel Land of the Dead, illustrated by Toby Cypress.
In this episode, Jesse and I explore many of the ideas found in the book, including the journey into the underworld, transformation through hardship, and the separate but related idea of “angels from the sky” — figures who enter the land of the dead and help others see things differently.
We also discuss story structure in everyday life and the idea that storytelling begins not with books or movies, but with ordinary human conversation.
Land of the Dead was later praised by Gene Luen Yang as “Brilliant. Indispensable advice for writers in particular and humans in general,” and by Charles Johnson as “Magnificent. A pleasure to read.”
If you enjoy this episode, illustrator Toby Cypress has also been a guest on the podcast in a separate conversation about storytelling, comics, and art.

This week’s guest is author and illustrator Christy Mandin.
Christy and I talk about storytelling as a natural human behavior—something people do every day without realizing it. We discuss picture books, visual storytelling, knowing what you want to say, observation, creativity, reviews, craft, and the difference between what people like and what is actually good.
This ended up being a really thoughtful conversation about how stories work and why they matter.