The Art of Storytelling: How to Tell An Inspiring Story (feat. David Bossert)
Humans have been telling stories for tens of thousands of years.
That’s because our brains are hardwired to engage with the narratives we read and hear. This makes storytelling extremely effective when used with purpose and direction.
It can inspire people to want to change, but only if it connects with them emotionally. To tell us more about what it takes to tell compelling stories, I invited David Bossert.
David Bossert is an award-winning artist, filmmaker, and author. He was a long-time animator at Walt Disney Animation Studios, who worked on iconic films such as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and The Nightmare Before Christmas. He’s also written several books such as “Remembering Roy E. Disney,” “Dali & Disney Destino,” and “Oswald the Lucky Rabbit: The Search For Lost Cartoons.”
David shares his creative process and what he learned about the key elements of storytelling while working for Disney, one of the world's most renowned storytelling companies. He also talks about the power of stories to evoke emotion and how to apply it in our own projects.
Interview time stamps:
02:32 ︳David shares his creative process and the roles he played while working at Disney
08:04 ︳The importance of teamwork and how to transition to working solo
11:02 ︳What it was like working as animator during Disney’s golden age of animation in the 90s
16:22 ︳The cyclic nature of success
20:29 ︳David shares his experience working with Roy E. Disney (Walt Disney’s nephew)
21:32 ︳Disney’s secret sauce for telling compelling and timeless stories
25:20 ︳David shares his thoughts on the recent Disney live action remakes and the strategy behind it
31:54 ︳How Disney’s change in leadership over the years affected the company’s work culture and creativity
34:08 ︳The elements of a great story
41:38 ︳David’s involvement in the Disney theme parks
44:02 ︳David discusses his books and the process he followed to write and market them
54:18 ︳Why it’s important to take action on our dreams and deal with naysayers
57:56 ︳David shows an original copy of the uniquely designed “Dali & Disney Destino” book (and how it demonstrates the importance of making a stand for our ideas and out-of-the-box thinking.)
01:02:20 ︳Why we should “Just Do It” and overcome limitations
Learn more about David Bossert and his books at his website.