Expert Storyteller
Youngest Animator on The Simpsons
Matthew Luhn is a writer, story branding consultant and keynote speaker with over 25 years’ experience creating stories and characters at Pixar Animation Studios and beyond. Alongside his story work in Hollywood, Matthew also trains CEOs, marketing teams, directors and other professionals how to craft and tell stories for Fortune 500 companies, Academy Award-winning movies and corporate brands grossing billions of dollars worldwide. Matthew speaks to diverse audiences around the world within a variety of industries. His clients include Adidas, Facebook, Target, BBC, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Warner Brothers, Apple, Google, and many more. Matthew’s story credits include Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Toy Story 3, Monsters Inc., Monsters University, Finding Nemo, Up, Cars, Ratatouille and other films and TV shows currently in development.
Matthew attended the world-renowned Character Animation department at Cal Arts in Los Angeles, and holds a BFA in Illustration from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. As the youngest animator on the Simpsons TV series, Matthew worked on the 3rd season at 19 years old. His animation credits include Kamp Krusty, Lisa’s Pony, Homer Alone, Colonel Homer, Homer Defined, and Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk
Along with crafting and writing stories at Pixar, Matthew was also one of the first 12 CG animators chosen to work on the original Toy Story movie.
What got Matthew into children’s animation? For one thing, his great-grandfather, grandfather, and father all owned toy stores.
TOPICS
Storyselling
Storytelling is the #1 business skill necessary to connect, motivate, and lead people in today’s world. Stories compel us to engage in experiences, learn lessons, and define our values and ourselves within our organization. Matthew Luhn, a 20-year Pixar story veteran, brings his experience creating and developing 10 blockbuster films at Pixar, and provides practical strategies that teach and inspire people and teams to connect more effectively with audiences. Matthew uses the power of storytelling to bridge the gap between business and heart, driving your story toward one unforgettable selling point.
Big Data and Storytelling
Big data is changing everything from content development to culture itself. Matthew Luhn, a 20 year Pixar story veteran will share how big data is being used to create great stories and characters in films like Toy Story 3, Inside Out and beyond. Matthew’s experience and insight will empower and inspire publishers, advertisers and innovators on how to forge stronger, more meaningful connections with consumers.
Inspiring Creativity in the Workplace
As one of the original story creators at Pixar Animation Studios, Matthew Luhn participated in building and sustaining the creative culture at Pixar from startup to the most successful filmmaking group in the history of Hollywood. Matthew’s engaging and action-oriented talk will provide strategies on how to create a culture that encourages and nurtures new ideas, and embraces fear and failing as a necessary part of the creative process. He demonstrates how to empower relationships and build trust through authentic communication.
Becoming an Effective Leader, as Told by Pixar Heroes
In film and in the business world, every story needs a great hero. In this unique session, Matthew Luhn shares his tips and techniques to creating authentic, inspirational, and memorable heroes that are relatable to leadership and business. Exploring and analyzing the character traits of Pixar heroes and other great story protagonists can provide a model for outstanding leadership that will leave your audience inspired and empowered.
