How to Give Your Audience a Carnal Storytelling Experience

Published: April 20, 2022, 7 a.m.

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I\\u2019m texting back and forth with my oldest friend Jeff when he says, \\u201cWe saw a clip yesterday of The Blob. Do you remember us watching that as kids?\\u201d\\xa0

Boy, do I! Just the mere mention of the title and all of these emotions come flooding back. I was around 11 when I saw that movie, and it was so terrifying that it has stuck with me to this day.

Why can I remember that movie so vividly? I can remember the pictures, what I felt, and even exactly where I was sitting (or hiding) when I watched it.\\xa0

The ability to tell a story that evokes such strong emotions is what makes your story memorable. And my guest today is incredibly skilled at doing just that. Gus Krieger writes, produces, and directs and is here to talk about all the things!

What should you not do when describing moments or characters? What do a street vendor and Luke Skywalker have in common? Why do stories have the ability to drive others to action, both small and grand? In this episode, Gus and I discuss and answer these questions, his technique for battling the \\u201cblank page blues\\u201d, and much more!

What you will learn in this episode:

  • How to dramatize true life experience in storytelling
  • How to know if your protagonist is relatable to your audience
  • What insultingly common mistake new storytellers must avoid

Who is Gus?

Gus Krieger is a producer, director, screenplay writer, and author. His first original screenplay production The Killing Room stars Academy Award winner Timothy Hutton and nominee Chloe Sevigny. Directed by Jonathan Liebesman (Halo, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), it premiered in 2009 at the Sundance Film Festival.

Gus also wrote and directed the horror short \\u201cOl\\u2019 Stan Levid\\u201d which premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre for Screamfest. He also carried out rewrites on the feature film Operation Endgame which stars Bob Odenkirk and Zack Galifianakis. He went on to write, produce, and direct The Binding, a feature thriller starring Amy Gumenick (Arrow), Max Adler (Glee, Sully), and Leon Russom (True Grit, The Big Lebowski).

My Name is Myeisha, Gus\\u2019 sophomore feature film, received worldwide acclaim and took home Slamdance, Seattle, and Boston Underground awards, among others. Warner Bros. Entertainment plans to adapt his debut novel Superworld into a feature film directed by Jason Bateman.

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