Get ready to dive into the minds of XR innovators creating new ways of storytelling and making the virtual a reality with a brand new podcast.

Hosted by Shehani Fernando, Immersive Director of StoryFutures Academy, run by Royal Holloway and the National Film and Television School, the podcast gives listeners practical insights into how narrative-led VR, AR and MR experiences actually get made.

From the studio behind Pokémon Go to the makers of Dr Who: The Runaway, many of the industry's leading XR innovators have joined forces, such as Niantic’s Alex Fleetwood, Katie Grayson and renowned artist and futurist Karen Palmer.

Case studies will also be explored, like the making of ‘The Big Fix Up’ - Wallace and Gromit’s latest AR adventure and the new Peaky Blinders VR experience.

Shehani Fernando, StoryFutures Academy Immersive Director and podcast host, said: “The StoryFutures Academy podcast is aimed at people who want to get started in the immersive sector or get an overview of what's going on at the cutting edge of storytelling.

“It also features great case studies of recent projects by some of the leading studios like Nexus, Passion Pictures and Niantic Inc. that are really useful for people already working in this area.

“The eight episodes are packed full of insight from our guests who explore everything from early prototyping to audience research.”

This eight-part series will be released weekly on all streaming platforms where you listen to your podcasts. Episodes 1 and 2 are available now:

Episode 1. Making Immersive Stories: What is the future of storytelling?

In this episode, Rebecca Gregory-Clarke and Professor James Bennett, both from StoryFutures explore the growth of the UK’s immersive economy and StoryFutures Academy's mission in supporting talent development. Darren Emerson talks about his journey from filmmaker to award-winning XR director and what he learned with his acclaimed project, ‘Common Ground’.

Episode 2. Making Immersive Stories: Getting started

Immersive director Shehani Fernando is joined by Kim-Leigh Pontin, Creative Director at Nexus Studios, and Verity Mcintosh, Senior Lecturer in Virtual and Extended Realities at the University of the West of England.

For those wondering where to start in this new world of storytelling, Verity and Kim-Leigh share their thoughts on what to think about and how to equip yourself as you launch into making.