This is our first time featuring a third-party video. Occasionally we come across memorable content that we feel embodies the ethos of our members and the Evergreen movement. We’d like to share these ideas with our broader community with the hope that you, too, will find it valuable.

What made Frozen the highest-grossing animated movie of all time? If you ask Ed Catmull, the president of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, he’ll tell you it’s all about Pixar’s fabled Braintrust, a nonhierarchical group of passionate storytellers who meet every few months to hold a frank discussion of films under development. In this video, Catmull explains what makes the Braintrust so successful, including its members’ willingness to talk about any idea without fear of embarrassment, and the fact that it has no actual authority. Creatives who don’t feel pressured by their peers are much more likely to embrace their suggestions.

WATCH NOW