Advertise on podcast: The Story Lens

In mobile gaming, you can't necessarily throw pages of narrative at someone who might only play for five minutes. But that doesn't mean there isn't a story. There can be a character. A purpose. A reason to come back. A sense of progression. A thread connecting one experience to the next. The player might never consciously notice it. But they feel it. Candy Crush is a great example. The story isn't necessarily something you're sitting down to read. It's built into the progression, the seasons, the events and the anticipation of what comes next. For Rachael Grant, ex King, Ubisoft and Activision. Good storytelling isn't always about telling people a story. Sometimes it's about giving everything a story to belong to. Rachael Grant https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachael-grant-8a8b4220/ Adam Ferguson https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-ferguson-b614b924/ The Story Lens https://thestorylens.co.uk/ GRAPHENTICA https://graphentica.com/

According to Mike Reed, co-founder and Executive Creative Director of Reed Words. The best storytelling doesn’t tell you what to feel. It gives you enough detail to feel it yourself. For example. Don’t tell someone a house is spooky. Show them the creaking door. The strange light. The thing you notice in the corner of the room. Don’t tell someone a problem affects millions of people. Tell them about one person. Because once something becomes specific, it becomes real. Hear more about Mike's storytelling and his thoughts on AI as a storyteller... Mike Reed https://www.reedwords.com/ Haydon Perrior https://www.haydonperrior.com/ The Story Lens https://thestorylens.co.uk/ Graphentica https://graphentica.com/

"Who owns that data? Who owns that relationship?" In this episode, Michael sits down with Adam Ferguson, ex-Global Head of Product Marketing at HMD and the leader of Better Phone Project, to talk about where AI is really taking us. From kids and smartphones to the rise of personal AI assistants, Adam unpacks why the next 18–24 months will decide who these technologies actually work for: you, or the companies building them. A conversation about trust, data, authenticity, and what it really means to let AI into our lives. Adam Ferguson https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-ferguson-b614b924/ Michael Leckie https://www.michaelleckie.co.uk/ The Story Lens https://www.youtube.com/@TheRealStoryLens

"... it's never been more important to be able to know if something's real or not, especially in that kind of world. And I'd be happy for everything to be labelled, everything to show the process of what's been done to it, or if anything's been done to it, to be able to give clarity." Joe Howard at Haydon's mic. Joe Howard https://www.instagram.com/jwhowardphoto/ https://www.instagram.com/joewhoward/ https://www.jwhowardphotography.com/ Haydon Perrior https://www.haydonperrior.com/ https://www.instagram.com/haydonperrior/ The Story Lens https://www.instagram.com/the_real_story_lens/

AI can write. We've all seen it. It can draft emails, knock out blog posts, and even produce an entire book in a few minutes. Which sounds impressive...until you actually read it. That was one of the most interesting parts of our chat with ghostwriter Ginny Carter on The Story Lens Podcast. Ginny has written more than 25 books for entrepreneurs, founders and business leaders. So if anyone has a front row seat to how AI is changing creativity, it's her. She uses AI. Just not in the way most people expect. She'll use it to challenge an idea. Spot gaps in an argument. Help her think differently. "As a ghostwriter, you're working from a person. With AI, you're working from words." A conversation gives you tone. Personality. Hesitation. Excitement. The little details that make someone sound like themselves. AI can't do that. Because it hasn't sat across the table from someone. It hasn't listened. It hasn't noticed what they care about. That's why this conversation isn't really about AI replacing writers. It's about AI and creativity. It's about creative thinking with AI instead of handing creativity over to AI. The best AI tools for creators aren't replacing human creativity. They're helping people spend more time on the parts only humans can do. Connection. Curiosity. Story. That's where creative authenticity still lives. And maybe that's what human-centred creativity looks like now. Not rejecting AI. Knowing where it belongs. Ginny Carter https://marketingtwentyone.co.uk/ https://mybook.to/HTWASHB Michael Leckie https://www.michaelleckie.co.uk/ The Story Lens https://www.instagram.com/the_real_story_lens/ https://www.youtube.com/@TheRealStoryLens

The tricky part, commercially, with AI is all in licensing. I think, fortunately, at the moment, whilst it's difficult to license or litigate, it's important to get that bit right for clients; then we can still work with it rather than it doing our jobs. I think when we get to a point, if we get to a point where it can all be licensed, or clients don't care and they'll just use it anyway, that's probably the point where we all need to worry a little more about.  Simon Thorpe and Haydon Perrior get into creativity, authorship, AI, rejection, collaboration, and why the work that matters most is often the work nobody sees. Simon Thorpe https://www.instagram.com/simonbrannthorpe/ https://www.simonbrannthorpe.com/film Haydon Perrior https://www.instagram.com/haydonperrior/ https://www.haydonperrior.com/ The Story Lens https://www.instagram.com/the_real_story_lens/ https://www.youtube.com/@TheRealStoryLens

"I've noticed many more people saying, "Tim, is that real?" I didn't get that when I photographed it, say 10 years earlier. Because it wasn't even a consideration. So we've got a situation where the real is being doubted. It's not just the synthetic. And that, as a consequence." Tim Flach talking about animals, authenticity, storytelling and empathy with Haydon Perrior. Tim Flach https://timflach.com/ Haydon Perrior https://www.haydonperrior.com/ The Story Lens https://www.instagram.com/the_real_story_lens/ https://www.youtube.com/@TheRealStoryLens

"... Sunday Times or the Guardian.. I don't think they can go anywhere near AI because once they start to, if they ever get caught using an image that is fake, that's their whole business model is blown wide open… the trust will disappear, won't it?" David Vintiner's story at Michael Leckie, The Story Lens mic. David Vintiner https://davidvintiner.com/ Michael Leckie https://www.michaelleckie.co.uk/ The Story Lens https://thestorylens.co.uk/

"I think we’re all still learning with AI, but I feel positive about it. Some brands are experimenting with it, then coming back to more authentic, human-made content. Real photography still has something tangible and genuine that AI can’t replicate." New episode with Chris Day from Kintzing Licensing and Haydon Perrior. Chris Day https://www.instagram.com/christopheday/ Kintzing https://archive.kintzing.com/ https://www.instagram.com/kintzing_licensing_/ Haydon Perrior https://www.haydonperrior.com/ The Story Lens https://www.youtube.com/@TheRealStoryLens https://www.instagram.com/the_real_story_lens/

“There will be a point at which you'll look at two photos, a photo which you or I have taken and a photo which has been created on AI, that on looking at can generate an emotional reaction but the backstory of one will be rich and there'll be more to talk about, we'll be able to chat about it for long time and understand more and I think that's what matters, the other one will just remain a picture.” Rory Langdon-Down https://rorylangdondown.co.uk/ Haydon Perrior https://www.haydonperrior.com/ The Story Lens https://thestorylens.co.uk/

"I couldn't have written these stories back then when I was younger, in my 30s. I hadn't lived enough. I hadn't suffered heartbreak. I hadn't lost anyone close to me. hadn't, you know, I didn't have friends that felt ill." Author Jo Lyons tells The Story Lens how she uses life experience in every book! Joanna Lyons https://jolyonsauthor.com/ Michael Leckie https://www.michaelleckie.co.uk/ The Story Lens https://thestorylens.co.uk/

Michael Leckie talks with artist Heath Kane about art, identity, and creativity in today’s world of AI. Heath discusses the inspiration for his bold, thought-provoking work, touching on topics like branding, wealth, politics, and authenticity, and explains why imagination is still so important. Heath Kane https://www.heathkane.co.uk/ Michael Leckie https://www.michaelleckie.co.uk/ The Story Lens https://thestorylens.co.uk/

Matt Gentleman is still finding joy in his greatest hits and rightly so - he discusses this, his passion for film and the need to protect human creativity. Matt Gentleman https://www.mattgentleman.com/work Michael Leckie https://www.michaelleckie.co.uk/ The Story Lens https://thestorylens.co.uk/

From Apprentice to Sorcerer Ben Taylor joins The Story Lens Podcast to talk editing and film production, as well as his apprenticeship at Weber Shandwick, to Head of Production at BCW, and now creating his own production company. Ben Taylor https://www.tailoredstudios.media/ Michael Leckie https://www.michaelleckie.co.uk/ The Story Lens https://thestorylens.co.uk/

“I need art to be human beings trying to express something to other human beings. If there's not a human behind this, it leaves me cold.” We welcome Klaus Silbernauer, digital guru and user journey expert, to the podcast to chat althings AI, the future of tech and what's next for creativity. Klaus Silbernauer - Aetheon https://aetheon.consulting/ Michael Leckie https://www.michaelleckie.co.uk/ The Story Lens https://thestorylens.co.uk/