74. Houston Howard: Crafting Expansive Universes, the 5 Ps of World Building and more!

Future of Film Podcast with Alex Stolz

In this episode we are delighted to welcome back to the podcast, the Super Story Architect himself, Houston Howard. An expert in franchise development and transmedia incubation, Houston demystifies the practice of world building with his customary passion and pragmatism. In this conversation, recorded as part of Future of Film incubator 2023, we explore the key elements of creating expansive narrative universes, providing practical advice, checklists, and relatable examples for all genres. Houston shares the wisdom of literary legends like Tolkien, Lewis, Lucas, and Rowling, and explains why focusing solely on a single character or story could be limiting your creative potential. He also also shares the 'five Ps' of world building: premise, place, people, practices, and past, discussing how these elements can help bring your vision to life. The discussion extends to the business aspect of world building, examining how to present creative ideas and their revenue potential. Houston sheds light on how AI tools can super charge the world-building process. This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking to broaden their understanding of world building and its potential in the entertainment industry. Houston Howard is the Executive Vice President, Content Incubation and Transmedia Development at Gramarye Media and Chief Storyteller and Co-Founder of One 3 Creative. Houston has been a recognized thought leader in the entertainment and branding communities because of his unique and proprietary transmedia approach to story. Advising entities such as Mattel, Disney Imagineering, Reliance Media Works, West Coast Customs, Samuel Goldwyn Films and Harper Collins Publishing, as well as designing a number of transmedia-focused projects for Fox, the CW, TNT, Slinky and the writers of Toy Story, Houston has an impressive amount of experience designing projects that are primed for the 21st Century. When he’s not outlining a new slate of transmedia design books, setting up international co-productions for current transmedia projects or leading a wildly diverse creative team, Houston is educating professionals on how to adapt to an ever-changing entertainment landscape. This has included leading workshops for the Producers Guild of America, the National Association of Broadcasters, Act One, Storyworld USA, The Greater Los Angeles Writers Conference and the Swedish Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, Houston led a series of international transmedia masterclasses across both Brazil and Africa throughout 2016. His latest book, Make Your Story Really Stinkin’ Big: How to Go From Concept to Franchise and Make Your Story Last For Generations, has been a go-to manual for creative professionals on how to leverage a variety of media platforms, maximizes revenue potential and engages audiences in new and innovative ways. Learn more about how Houston builds projects that exist at the intersection of branding and entertainment at http://superstory.works/.