Origin Stories

Nev Shulman on Catfish

Nev Schulman is a filmmaker, photographer, producer, and the creator and host of Catfish. What began as a deeply personal documentary about an online relationship gone wrong grew into a cultural phenomenon, helping introduce millions of people to the realities of online identity, deception, and connection in the digital age. In this episode, he talks to Matthew about the unlikely origins of the original Catfish documentary [https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/catfish], why audiences initially struggled to believe it was real, and how that experience eventually became one of MTV's most successful reality series. He also reflects on the challenge of building a show around real people's lives, learning to trust his instincts on camera, and what it means to have his identity become inseparable from the work he's best known for. “There are not a lot of things that I've done in my life that I really felt, in that moment, as I was doing them, like, ‘This is exactly right for me." To connect with the team and gain access to behind the scenes content, join our community at ⁠joincampside.com⁠ [https://join.campsidemedia.com/]. You can also find us on ⁠Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/originstoriespod?igsh=NnlqanphNW4xNHo0], ⁠TikTok⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@originstoriespod] & ⁠Youtube⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@OriginStoriesPod]. Have a question, guest recommendation or just want to say hi? Email us at Originstories@campsidemedia.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

David Owen on Where the Water Goes

David Owen is a longtime staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of numerous books about technology, infrastructure, and the hidden systems that shape everyday life. In Where the Water Goes [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/317824/where-the-water-goes-by-david-owen/], he follows the Colorado River from its headwaters in the Rocky Mountains to its overburdened terminus, using the river's journey to explore how water, politics, engineering, and geography have shaped the modern American West. In this episode, he talks to Matthew about the New Yorker article [https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/where-the-water-goes] that inspired the book, the challenge of turning water law and infrastructure into narrative, and why following the river gave him the perfect structure for telling a much larger story. Along the way, he reflects on the value of curiosity, the art of explaining complicated subjects, and the practical realities of making a living as a freelance writer. “The freelancer's rule is: use every part of the buffalo,” he says. “Write a story, and if there are leftovers, you try to turn that into a story.” To connect with the team and gain access to behind the scenes content, join our community at ⁠joincampside.com⁠ [https://join.campsidemedia.com/]. You can also find us on ⁠Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/originstoriespod?igsh=NnlqanphNW4xNHo0], ⁠TikTok⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@originstoriespod] & ⁠Youtube⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@OriginStoriesPod]. Have a question, guest recommendation or just want to say hi? Email us at Originstories@campsidemedia.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Josh Dean on The Impossible Factory

Josh Dean is a journalist and the author of The Impossible Factory, a sweeping history of Kelly Johnson, Lockheed’s legendary Skunk Works division, and the engineers who reshaped aviation during the Cold War. Before The Impossible Factory [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/609710/the-impossible-factory-by-josh-dean/], Dean wrote The Taking of K-129 [https://www.amazon.com/Taking-K-129-Russian-Operation-History/dp/1101984430] and co-founded Campside Media [https://www.campsidemedia.com/]. In this episode, he talks to Matthew about the origins of the Skunk Works, why Kelly Johnson’s philosophy of small teams and minimal bureaucracy still shapes Silicon Valley today, and the challenge of turning deeply technical research into compelling narrative. He also reflects on the realities of historical reporting, organizing massive archives, living inside years of research, and why writing a book often becomes an all-consuming process. “The most time-intensive part of writing a book is the reporting,” he says. “The writing part you can do at night. You can do on weekends. You can squeeze it around the edges.” To connect with the team and gain access to behind the scenes content, join our community at ⁠joincampside.com⁠ [https://join.campsidemedia.com/]. You can also find us on ⁠Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/originstoriespod?igsh=NnlqanphNW4xNHo0], ⁠TikTok⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@originstoriespod] & ⁠Youtube⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@OriginStoriesPod]. Have a question, guest recommendation or just want to say hi? Email us at Originstories@campsidemedia.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Ben Bradford on Are We Doomed?

Ben Bradford is a journalist and the creator of Are We Doomed?, a narrative podcast that explores existential threats through the lens of systems, history, science, and human decision-making. Before launching Are We Doomed? [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/are-we-doomed/id1893359212], Bradford worked as a reporter at Marketplace and produced narrative podcasts including Landslide [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/landslide/id1730567912] and Of the People [https://www.audible.com/podcast/Of-The-People/B09KW2Q476?srsltid=AfmBOorrTrHQKnahK0AbXvnqvPC9PnbKoeCjVGVhD3STKD1OlaACRWTJ]. In this episode, he talks to Matthew about the changing economics of podcasting, why heavily produced narrative limited series have become harder to sustain, and how those realities shaped the creation of Are We Doomed?. Along the way, he reflects on the practical realities of independent journalism, his approach to structuring episodes around narrative tension, and the challenge of balancing ambition, sustainability, and time when making narrative audio. “The story is never done,” he says. “You just run out of time.” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Introducing: No Such Thing

We’re excited to share a preview of a new podcast we think you’d enjoy: No Such Thing No Such Thing is a show where three best friends and journalists settle their dumb arguments — and yours — by actually doing the research. Hosts Manny Fidel, Noah Friedman, and Devan Joseph start each episode with an argument using just their gut feelings. Then they go out into the world, investigate, talk to experts, and conduct some experiments. Finally, the guys bring their findings back to the group to see if they can change minds, enlighten each other, and move past their emotional truths. Find No Such Thing on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts. New episodes out Wednesdays Listen here: No Such Thing [http://swap.fm/l/pOflsfOlWWiwgHY6IlKF] See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].