The Simple Story Framework That Built Pixar’s Greatest Hits

What if we told you that some of the best stories of all time—from Toy Story to Finding Nemo—were all built on the same simple 8-step framework?

In this episode of The Storytelling Lab, Rain breaks down the Story Spine, a storytelling structure originally developed by improv teacher Kenn Adams and later adopted by the storytelling giants at Pixar.

Rain takes us through the full arc of this framework, from its humble beginnings in a California improv class to its now-iconic place in Pixar’s creative process. He shares how this deceptively simple structure helps storytellers stay grounded while crafting emotional, impactful narratives.

You’ll also hear real movie examples (like The Goonies and Rocky) broken down with this method, and learn how to apply it to your own work—whether that’s a film, blog post, or Instagram caption. If you want to tell better stories with more clarity and impact, start with the spine.