JUST THIS PAST WEDNESDAY, I LITERALLY FELL OUT OF BED WITH A CASE OF VERTIGO. I’VE NEVER EXPERIENCED IT BEFORE. I SAT UP IN BED, FLOPPED MY FEET ON THE FLOOR AND AWAY I WENT. MY BRAIN WAS SUDDENLY BOMBARDED BY A KALEIDOSCOPE OF OPAC TUBES, KIND OF LIKE YOU’RE FALLING THROUGH A NARROW ICE CAVE.

TALKING ABOUT AN ALTERED REALITY. THE ROOM WHIRLED AROUND AND I WAS GRASPED FOR THE BED SPREAD LIKE IT WAS ROPE DANGLING OFF A CLIFF TO ARREST MY FALL.

MIND BLOWN!

LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO GET INTO MY DOCTOR THAT MORNING. SHE SAID MY VERTIGO WAS CAUSED BY A MILD CASE OF RHINO VIRUS. NOW I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT DESCRIBING ANYTHING BY THE NAME OF “RHINO” AS “MILD” SEEMS A LITTLE UNDERSTATED, AT LEAST IT DID TO ME IN MY CURRENT STATE.

AFTER SOME STEROIDS TO TAME MY MILD RHINO VIRUS, AND A COUPLE VISITS TO MY PHYSICAL THERAPIST, COLLEEN, WHO IS TRAINED IN HEAD MANIPULATION MANEUVERS THAT ROUND UP THE FREE-RANGE CHRYSTALS GALAVANTING ABOUT IN MY INNER EAR THAT CAUSED THE VERTIGO, AND I’M FEELING MUCH BETTER.

BY THE WAY, HERE’S A LITTLE PUBLIC SERVICE FOR YOU SHOULD YOU OR SOMEONE YOU LOVE FALL PREY TO VERTIGO – THERE IS THIS GREAT VIDEO ON YOUTUBE BY DOCTOR CAROL FOSTER THAT DEMONSTRATES A SIMPLE EXERCISE YOU CAN DO AT HOME  – ESSENTIALLY THE SAME KIND OF TREATMENT I RECEIVED FROM MY THERAPIST– THAT I FOUND EXTRAORDINARILY HELPFUL. WE’LL HAVE A LINK TO IT IN OUR SHOW NOTES IF YOU’RE CURIOUS.

WHICH BRINGS TODAY’S SHOW INTO A LITTLE MORE FOCUS. ON USING VIRTUAL REALITY WITH YOUR BUSINESS STORIES AND BRANDED CONTENT.

HAVE YOU EVER PUT ON A VIRTUAL REALITY HEADSET? WHEN I USE ONE, I CAN SOMETIMES EXPERIENCE THE SAME SYMPTOMS OF VERTIGO, ALTHOUGH NOT AS EXTREME. VIRTUAL REALITY – OR V.R. – IS THE MOST VISCERAL WAY TO EXPERIENCE A STORY THROUGH VIDEO.

THAT’S WHY I’M EXCITED TO HAVE ON TODAY’S SHOW ONE OF THE PIONEERS OF NARRATIVE VIRTUAL REALITY STORYTELLING, BRYN MOOSER. MOOSER IS CEO AND CO-FOUNDER OF RYOT, THE LEADING IMMERSIVE MEDIA COMPANY IN THE WORLD SPECIALIZING IN VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY.

HE AND HIS TEAM AT RYOT LAUNCHED THE FIRST-EVER VIRTUAL REALITY GLOBAL NEWS SHOW AND COMEDY SERIES. HE IS A TWICE-OSCAR NOMINATED FILMMAKER WHO HAS OVERSEEN THE PRODUCTION OF MORE THAN 200 LINEAR AND IMMERSIVE FILMS RYOT WAS ALSO A FINALIST IN THE 2016 EMMY AWARDS, AS WELL AS A PEABODY AWARD FINALIST.

ADWEEK JUST RECOGNIZED MOOSER AS ONE ITS 100 MOST CREATIVE PEOPLE, AND IN RECOGNITION OF THE PURPOSE-DRIVEN MISSION OF RYOT, HE ALSO RECEIVED THE NELSON MANDELA CHANGEMAKER AWARD.

RYOT HAS BEEN IN THE NEWS LATELY WITH ITS PURCHASE BY VERIZON’S AOL AND IS NOW PART OF THE HUFFINGTON POST’S GLOBAL VIDEO OPERATIONS.

ON TODAY’S SHOW YOU LEARN:

THE ELEMENTS OF GREAT STORYTELLING FROM MOOSER’S VR POINT OF VIEW

HOW THE RESILIENCE OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT IS A FUNDAMENTAL THEME IN STORYTELLING

AND FOR ME, ONE OF MY BIG TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR CONVERSATION, IS HOW WE CAN ALL BE OPEN TO NEW IDEAS, LIKE STORYTELLING WITH VIRTUAL REALITY, EVEN AS THE MEDIUM AND INDUSTRY IS STILL TRYING TO FIND ITSELF.

SO, LET’S GET INTO OUR SHOW THAT MAY MAKE YOUR HEAD SPIN A BIT, WITH VR PIONEER, BRYN MOOSER.  

In This Show, You’ll Learn:

• In the West, we’re so removed from community
• You’re empowering people through the power of their phone and that’s a revolution
• Democratization of storytelling leads to freedom for the majority
• There’s always an agenda
• People are losing a sense of community

Key Quotes

• “Storytelling is everything” - Bryn Mooser
• “The two lessons that you learn in the Peace Corp are the following:
  • You learn how to fail
  • You learn how to be resilient” - Bryn Mooser
• “We’re at our best when we’re in service to the greater community” - Bryn Mooser
• “It’s up to all of us to try to make sure that we do it (i.e.our work) for good rather than for evil” - Bryn Mooser
• “If people are distributing their content through social media then we all have equal opportunity to get our messages out.” - Bryn Mooser

Mentioned in this episode

• Bryn Mooser’s twitter account here
• Check out the Peace Corp here
• Check out Artists for Peace and Justice here
• Check out the book: “The Master Switch”
• Check out Oath here
• Check out the media company, Ryot

Business Story Strategist, Keynote Speaker, and Brand Raconteur

Park Howell is a trusted brand story strategist and sought-after keynote speaker on story marketing. He has helped international brands, including Coca-Cola, Beyer Pharmaceutical, Cummins Diesel, American Express, and United States Air Force.

The widely popular Business of Story podcast helps leaders of purpose-driven organizations clarify their stories to grow revenue and amplify their impact. Each episode brings you the brightest content creators, advertising creatives, authors, screenwriters, makers, marketers, and brand raconteurs that show you how to craft and tell compelling brand stories that sell.

Learn more about working with Park Howell and getting your brand story straight on our website.