Story x Story

This week, Nigel and Tazziii dive deep into Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (starting at 31:40), with guests Sky Tunley-Stainton from Safe in our World and comic creator Pigeon.Del Toro's darker retelling of the classic tale brings stop-motion craftsmanship and new emotional depth to Carlo Collodi's original story. But how does it succeed as a narrative beyond great visuals and thematic ambition?We discuss the value of stop-motion animation, and how the film connects audiences to a character's Ghost. Plus powerful themes woven throughout every aspect of the narrative, what it means to be disobedient, and our favourite moments in this retelling of an old story with a del Toro twist. This week's storytelling tip is about implementing a rule-based system that is tied to the emotional core of your narrative.Other stories we're enjoying include: Witch's Egg (Graphic Novel), Bone Broth (Graphic Novel), Mother (Graphic Novel), BLOB (Graphic Novel) Tress of the Emerald Sea (Book), Wake Up Dead Man: Knives Out (Cinema), 2 Guys and a Girl (ITVX), Minx (ITVX), Artful Dodger (Disney+), Minor Arcana (Comic), A Game of Fate (Book), Animal Control (Channel 4), Running Man (Cinema), Two Black Boys in Paradise, Only a Child, Mental Roots and Meow or Never (Disrupting the Narrative screening), Dandadan (Netflix), Shinobi: Art of Vengeance (PS5), Klara and the Sun (Book), A Thousand Blows (Disney+)Connect with Pigeon online:Website: https://www.pigeonmakesart.co.ukInstagram: https://instagram.com/pigeonxpersonTwitter: https://twitter.com/yourlilpigeonBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/pigeonface.bsky.socialConnect with Sky online:Story x Story #138: A Yoshi Sized Easter Egg (Super Mario Bros. Movie) - https://podcasters.spotify.com/mayamada/episodes/Story-x-Story-138-A-Yoshi-Sized-Easter-Egg-Super-Mario-Bros--Movie-e236agmWebsite: https://safeinourworld.orgGood Game Playbook: https://safeinourworld.org/symptoms/good-game-playbookInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/pr3sident_kangTwitter: https://twitter.com/pr3sidentkangBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/presidentkang.bsky.social

This week, Nigel and Tazziii sit down with Martha Julian from Thought Bubble and Abi Wright from Festival of the Girl, two event organisers running national events at large scale. We explore what drives them to create these community spaces and the impact events can have on attendees across creative interests. From the logistics of planning and the realities of funding to the challenges of sustaining events year after year, we delve into what it takes to keep going in an increasingly digital age. This is a must listen for event organisers and packed with valuable insights and practical advice for those looking to understand the dedication behind the events they love.Connect with Martha online:Website: https://thoughtbubblefestival.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbubblefestivalTwitter: https://x.com/ThoughtBubbleUKBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thoughtbubbleuk.bsky.socialConnect with Abi online:Website: https://www.festivalofthegirl.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/festivalofthegirl

This week, Nigel and Tazziii dive deep into Pixar's Elio (starting at 26:45), with guests mayamada illustrator Pinali and Lao K, the other mayamada co-founder.Pixar's latest animation didn't receive the warm reception the studio might have hoped for. We explore the off-screen drama that impacted the on-screen narrative, why Elio felt disconnected and made it difficult to connect with certain characters, the Pixar "bean mouth" problem and what we expect from our animation today, as well as how well the film executed its themes of grief, loneliness and identity.Not everything can be a home run, and we look at which moments did work and what we want to see from Pixar animation in future. This week's storytelling tip is about getting your protagonist's Ghost right.Other stories we're enjoying include: Predator franchise (film series), Hazbin Hotel (Prime Video), Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein (Netflix), Sifu (Epic), Vinland Saga (Netflix), Moving Out (Steam), Howl's Moving Castle (Spotify), The Flight Attendant (HBO Max via ITVX), High Potential (ABC), Gardens of the Moon (book), A Thousand Blows (Disney+), Invincible (Prime Video), The Paper (Sky).Connect with Pinali online:Website: https://www.pinali.netTwitter: https://x.com/StudioPinaliStory x Story #185: We Second That Emotion (Inside Out 2) - https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mayamada/episodes/Story-x-Story-185-We-Second-That-Emotion-Inside-Out-2-e2mvrpi Connect with Lao online:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laokarunStory x Story #200: The Double Centurion Jass Club (Blue Giant) - https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/mayamada/episodes/Story-x-Story-200-The-Double-Centurion-Jass-Club-Blue-Giant-e2sip7p

This week, Nigel and Tazziii sit down with Chitra Soundar, an award-winning children's author and executive producer, to discuss her journey from telling stories in Chennai, India to producing them for UK television. We delve into the long process of bringing an idea to our screens in the form of animation, and how Chitra brought the Nikhil & Jay show to life on CBeebies. Chitra tells us why representation matters and how she is opening pathways for those from South Asian backgrounds and talent of colour in the industry, plus the preparation needed to ensure you are in the right position when opportunity comes - even if you have to create the opportunity yourself! This conversation is a must listen for anyone interested in the work and business moves behind bringing animation to our screens.Connect with Chitra online:Website: https://www.chitrasoundar.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/chitrasoundarYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChitraSoundar

This week, Nigel and Tazziii dive deep into The Last of Us Season 2 (from 19:36), with a special voice note from Mr Midas sharing his thoughts on the game for context.NOTE: Unfortunately, we experienced technical difficulties during recording which resulted in lost audio that we couldn't recover. This affected the Stories We're Enjoying segment and the start of the main story discussion. We apologise for any disruption this may cause.You'll hear Nigel and Tazziii's thoughts on the latest adapted season from the genre-defining game. We discuss how faithfully the game's most emotional moments were translated and explore the difficulties of adaptation when only half of the source material has been covered in season 2, with season 3 expected to adapt the rest of the game.We also examine narrative issues around Ellie and Abby's characters in the season, along with the television-specific moments that did impressed us. Other stories we're enjoying include: Witch Watch (Crunchyroll), Zenshu (Crunchyroll), The Great Cleric (Crunchyroll), Pass the Monster Meat (Crunchyroll), One Piece (Netflix), Chainsaw Man (Crunchyroll), Invincible (Prime Video), The Paper (Sky Max)