Jay Shuster – Keynote Speaker

Jay Shuster is a celebrated production designer, art-director and part of Pixar’s award-winning creative team since 2002. He described himself as both a product and a genuine contributor to a culture that seems to effortlessly balance unrestrained creativity with commercial success.

Of course, the task of blending leading edge technology, traditional design skills & the art of storytelling to create a Pixar blockbuster requires immense effort. But the effort is clearly not in vain: since Toy Story (1995), each Pixar movie has grossed an average of more than $500.000.000 dollars in world-wide box office sales.

As a true insider, Jay Shuster knows exactly what goes on behind the gates of Pixar’s Emeryville HQ. Guided by his personal anecdotes and first-hand experiences, his speeches are a gripping tour of the ingredients that allow Pixar to consistently deliver ground-breaking entertainment.

Currently, Jay Shuster is an Art Director at Pixar and continues to work on their upcoming projects. He is Production Designer for the short film, The Blue Umbrella, which premiered in February 2013 at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival. The short received a wide release in front of Pixar’s feature Monsters University, was accepted into the Animated Shorts Competition at the 2013 South By Southwest festival, and was hailed as one of the most realistic animated films.