100. Jeff Gomez, HaZ Dulull and Brian Newman: Building Stories that Last

In this special Future of Film conversation, Alex Stolz is joined by three leading voices exploring how storytellers can build work that sustains in a rapidly changing creative landscape: Jeff Gomez, pioneer in worldbuilding and transmedia storytelling HaZ Dulull, filmmaker and creator working across film, games and emerging technologies Brian Newman, strategist and producer focused on audience, creator sustainability and new creative models Together, they explore: • Why filmmakers can no longer think only in terms of single projects • The shift from “audience after” to “audience throughout” • How creators can build worlds that expand across formats and platforms • Ownership, IP and sustainable creative careers • AI, games and emerging storytelling tools • Why emotional resonance matters more than ever From Kickstarter and creator-funded IP to transmedia storytelling, audience feedback loops and the future of story worlds, this conversation explores how screen storytellers can adapt and thrive in an era of fragmented attention and rapidly evolving technology. A must-listen for filmmakers, writers, producers, worldbuilders and creators thinking about the future of storytelling. And if this resomates for where you are heading in your creative work, then you may want to consider applying to Story Founders. the new accelerator by Future of Film. Story Founder is designed to help storytellers build projects - and creative practices - that can endure. Applications are now open: 👉 futureoffilm.live/storyfounders/ About the Speakers Jeff Gomez Jeff Gomez is an architect of large-scale narrative systems, internationally recognized for designing the storyworld architectures and canon governance behind some of the most enduring global franchises of the modern era. For more than 25 years, Jeff has pioneered long-horizon narrative frameworks that enable intellectual properties to expand across platforms, cultures, and decades while maintaining coherent identity. His work has shaped global franchises including Pirates of the Caribbean, Avatar, Halo, Transformers, Spider-Man, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, contributing to billions in franchise value across media, licensing, and global markets. Brian Newman Brian Newman, founder of Sub-Genre, consults on content strategy, development, distribution and marketing for some of the top brands in the world. Current and former clients include: The Climate Pledge (Amazon), IBM, Keen, Merck KGaA, New York Times, Oatly, Patagonia, REI, Shopify Studios, Sonos, Stripe, Sundance, Unilever, Vulcan Productions, Yeti Coolers, and Zero Point Zero. Brian is also an independent film producer and has served as CEO of the Tribeca Film Institute, president of Renew Media (known for the Rockefeller Fellowships) and executive director of IMAGE Film & Video (producers of the Atlanta Film Festival & Out on Film). HaZ Dulull HaZ Dulull started his career in video games on titles such as Colin Mcrae Rally (Codemasters) and Battlion Wars (Nintendo) before moving to a VFX career on films like The Dark Knight before becoming a director / Producer known for merging cinematic storytelling with real-time technology. He made his debut with the live action indie sci-fi feature films The Beyond, and 2036 Origin Unknown (both licensed on Netflix), followed by Disney’s Fast Layne (where he served as Director + Exec Producer), Universal’s prequel animated short - 47 Ronin: The Samurai Spirit, and Disney’s Under the Sea: A Descendants Story. In 2024, he directed / Produced MAX BEYOND, an animated feature made entirely in Unreal Engine (with co-financing by Epic Games Mega Grant) before hired to be the cinematic’s director for Chapter 1 of the in-game cinematics for triple A game - Dune Awakening (Funcom / Tencent).