Shows
Cosmic Streetcorner13. Counterculture & the Culture WarsStranger Things and Top Gun Maverick are cool, but when are we going to get something brand new that blows us away? What’s happened to creativity? Where is the counterculture and what is its relationship to “woke” content and confrontational strategies by celebrities and the big studios? Is waging war with your customer, the Mandalorian Way? Jeff and Alan dive back into the tumultuous change of previous pop culture eras and youth behavior today to puzzle through the answers.2023-01-1357 min
Cosmic Streetcorner12. We Don't Need an Instruction Manual — Navigating MCU & Transmedia UniversesJeff and Alan talk about the complexity of building out a transmedia universe through the lens of the latest Dr. Strange movie and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Bottom line: an instruction manual ought not to be required to navigate a mass media story world! Apologies for the delay getting this one out. 2022-09-2057 min
Cosmic Streetcorner11. Warner Bros. Discovery and legacy baggage, career advice, and the monumental importance of putting things in writingBuilding on their streaming discussion, this is amazing: CABLE CHANNELS are now considered LEGACY BAGGAGE….in some ways more than the three networks. We are watching an entire platform, possibly two in cable and network channels, vanish before our eyes! Also, a great exploration of the contrasts in expectations for success that Jeff and Alan were brought up in. And the extraordinary value of writing something down. Have questions or want to suggest a topic? Email alan@thecosmicstreetcorner.com or jeff@thecosmicstreetcorner.com 2022-06-2748 min
Cosmic Streetcorner10. Innovating Baseball Broadcasts, Cataloging Streaming Services, & Some Career AdviceThis week Jeff and Alan discuss streaming services and ask the pointed questions: why is it so hard to find the content you're looking for and why can't we stream EVERYTHING? There is still nothing near a comprehensive streaming curation service — 5 years into the age of streaming and we still have no TV Guide, no way to set appointment TV, no public facing way to tell what’s good or what’s popular!!! The answer as to why is dark and cynical —but is also an opportunity that no entrepreneur has leveraged. In addition, they also follow up on th...2022-04-1958 min
Cosmic Streetcorner9. Guest Mike Sargent on Breaking New Ground In EntertainmentJeff and Alan are joined this week by producer, director, and entertainment pioneer Mike Sargent. We talk about the challenges of breaking new ground without role models, and the artist’s journey. Also discussed is how Mike grappled with show business as a person of color in the 1980s and ‘90s, and how to find – and be – a good mentor. And we dig into the latest extension of the Halo franchise! Our guest, Mike Sargent, is a film critic/maker, award winning Radio/TV/Podcast host-producer and pioneering Afrofuturist. If you can't find him in media, you're really not...2022-04-141h 10
Cosmic Streetcorner8. Embracing The Narrative ReversalOn this week's episode we answer a listener question, talk about an important concept called Embracing the Narrative Reversal, and dig into the Culture Jamming – multilateral narrative -- through the lens of Arnold Schwarzenegger's plea to the Russian people. All while navigating through our own (ok, Jeff’s) technical difficulties. Embracing the narrative reversal https://blog.collectivejourney.com/story-can-assert-control-over-the-masses-a739e6c103cd Geoffrey Colon – Culture Jamming https://djgeoffe.medium.com/what-is-information-jamming-ea0391c362e6 How Big Tech Has Reshaped Modern Warfare in Ukraine https://www.thewrap.c...2022-04-051h 01
Cosmic Streetcorner7. Anatomy of an Evergreen FranchiseJeff and Alan have mentioned the concept of "evergreen" in terms of franchises and story worlds. Alan reached into his archives and found this fascinating conversation where Jeff reveals—for the first time—why some brands and entertainment properties stand the test of time and others don't. Have questions or want to suggest a topic? Email alan@thecosmicstreetcorner.com or jeff@thecosmicstreetcorner.com 2022-03-1456 min
Cosmic Streetcorner6. Simon Pulman on Transmedia, Streaming Models & Web3This week on the show Jeff and I welcome out first guest, Simon Pulman, an entertainment and IP attorney. Simon’s got some rare experience having spent time on the entertainment creation side before starting his practice in law, which gives him some unique insights as we explore: The early days of transmedia storytellingWhat it takes to make a deal in a Web3 / metaverse world or What do we do when the term ‘NFT’ doesn’t exist in the original contract? Binge vs serialization model (“Drop and drip”) for streaming service content Building native content and models for Web3 content Ar...2022-03-071h 05
Cosmic Streetcorner5. Netflix, and Viacom, and Metaverses, Oh My!This week on the show Jeff breaks out a t-shirt (which you can’t see but you can find on social media) and we dig into streaming services, media companies and the metaverse. Also: Why would we tell this story to millions of people? What are they gonna leave with that’s different from what they came in with? One-shots vs. franchise development (transmedia storyworld development) Why it takes an elevated vision and a true dedication to NOT become a dinosaur And why do visions of the metaverse look like 1990’s video games? Further reading for this week...2022-02-281h 01
Cosmic Streetcorner4. Creativity and Adjacent PossibleJeff and Alan explore a topic near and dear to both of them: creativity. It’s not just about a work of art, writing a book, or creating a cool TikTok video. They discuss how we all get “sand in our trackballs” and need to consider the "Adjacent Possible", as well as why people don’t finish things. Listen in and then tell us about your “sand in the trackball” and “Adjacent Possible” experiences. Have questions or want to suggest a topic? Email alan@thecosmicstreetcorner.com or jeff@thecosmicstreetcorner.com2022-02-211h 03Cosmic Streetcorner3. Planning Your Storyworld for the Next 100 Years?It's a cold day on the Cosmic Streetcorner, at least in the Northeast. Jeff and Alan warm up with some discussion on: Disney's new CEO Bob Chapek announced a striking vision for the 2nd century of Disney — Jeff weighs in on what it all meansNew narratives: streaming services, storyworlds, and metaversesArchitecture for Dialogue — successful storyworlds must include the audienceFor further reading:Bob Chapek’s Memo to Staff: Disney Has Three “Strategic Pillars” Moving Forwardhttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/bob-chapek-2022-memo-storytelling-1235072324/Superpositioning and the Collective Journey2022-02-141h 08Cosmic Streetcorner2. Fan Participation In Your StoryworldJeff and Alan discuss a bit of the creator economy, reinvigorating dusty but at one time successful franchises, and finding ways to embrace fans and fan-generated content in your story world. As with everything Cosmic Streetcorner, it all goes back to Dungeons & Dragons. 2022-02-0854 minCosmic Streetcorner1. The Cosmic StruggleJeff and Alan give an introduction and some framework for what's going on in the world today: the Cosmic Struggle. They also introduce the Collective Journey modality, an emerging model for storytelling. It doesn't replace Hero's Journey. Tune in to hear why. They then go into a bit of who's doing things well and who's doing things not so well in the entertainment biz2022-01-241h 08
Cosmic StreetcornerTrailer: Introducing The Cosmic Streetcorner - The origin storyJeff Gomez and Alan Berkson talk about what they've been talking about since college -- storytelling! The Cosmic Streetcorner is a place where we can all hang out and explore topics about media, entertainment, trends, and historical context for entertainment creators and consumers.2022-01-0711 min