Jay Shuster

Jay Shuster has worked on some of the world's most beloved films. He is known for his work on WALL·E, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, and Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones. On stage, Shuster shares his journey from childhood obsession with planes, trains, and automobiles to a career in design for Lucasfilm and now Pixar. He offers powerful lessons on creativity, collaboration, and innovation, and draws the path of a great idea from genesis to commercial success.

Shuster joined Pixar Animation Studios as a concept designer on the Golden Globe-winning Cars, where he translated the ideas of director John Lasseter into characters and environments for the film. Most recently, he's worked on Incredibles 2 and Soul.

As the son of a car designer, Shuster’s childhood bedroom was filled with blue prints, drawings, posters, machines, and models of all things related to almost every mode of mechanized transportation. When he saw the original Star Wars, he made the connection between his passions and a possible future in the film industry. Before finding his place at Pixar, Shuster began his film career at Lucasfilm, where he worked as a concept artist and designed a variety of vehicles and environments for Star Wars Episodes I and II. He is a graduate of the Industrial Design program at College for Creative Studies in Detroit.