The Campfire Project

The state of television is always changing. From standard to high def to widescreen to 4k, and now web integration. Most of these are gimmicks. But the latest change may be set to change things forever, and it’s the topic of this week’s episode of The Campfire Project.

President-elect Trump. These are words I didn’t imagine we’d be saying on the show, and yet here we are. As people grapple with a reality television star living in the White House, this week we take a look at the fall-out. In particular, how did storytelling factor into this election?

New worlds are here. With Oculus, Vive, and Playstation VR among the first to bring virtual reality to the mainstream. In previous episodes, we’ve explored what this new tech could mean when it comes to telling new stories and playing games. This week, on Episode 107 of The Campfire Project, we go further into these new realities.

In case you hadn’t noticed, it’s an election year in the States – one of the most rocky and chaotic in living memory, in fact. News seems to break not just daily, but nearly hourly, thanks to social media in general, and Twitter in particular. The years-long campaign has shown the intrinsic value of the service. But the company? Not so much. as it continues to struggle to find solid footing or a suitor. Twitter’s story is of a company so valuable while at the same time, not worth it. And that’s worth exploring today, on Episode 106 of The Campfire Project.

Throughout the entirety of this US Presidential election, when all bets are off and the rules no longer seem to apply, one maxim seems to hold true: whoever is in the headlines is losing. Between always-on television cameras and Twitter, the race to the White House has been marred by what is perhaps the most shocking cycle in modern history. And all that reached a boiling point this week, with the revelation of the Trump Tapes, followed by the second presidential debate. So this week, on episode 105 of the Campfire Project, we look at how cameras and connectivity are shaping the story of American political discourse.

It's been more than 2 years since the world first unveiled its first post-Jobs product, the Apple Watch, to the world. And although it hasn't become an essential daily device way the iPhone has, the wrist wearable is arguably Apple's clearest example of how it sees the future, a world of micro interactions between many devices throughout the day. So with a new set of Watches and a new operating system just released this month, it's time to revisit the story of the Apple Watch. And this week we have a special guest to help us unpack it.

We already knew what Apple was going to show us when Tim Cook took the stage this past Wednesday: new iPhone, new Watch, new accessories for the fall. There weren't many surprises, when it came to products. The story was already written. Maybe that's why then that the focus following the technology company's keynote has been on one thing: courage, or rather, its use of it when it comes to a headphone jack. This week, on Episode 103 of The Campfire Project, a look at Apple's tone-deaf approach and the media fallout.

Social media is a versatile tool. Through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the rest, millions of people keep up with loved ones and learn about the world through their daily feeds. Since their inception though, speculation has run rampant on how continued use of these networks effects people's lives, treating them less like a tool and more like a drug. So, for one month this summer, I stopped using. Today, on Episode 102 of The Campfire Project, a decidedly anti-social story.

Back on episode 94, we discussed Gawker Media, the gossip-y website that had been embroiled in legal troubles lately. A few weeks later and Gawker has been sued, sold and will soon be taken down. So today on Episode 101 of the Campfire Project, a return to one of the web’s most fascinating stories.

Chris and Matt discuss the past, present, and future of The Campfire Project.