Shaun MacGillivray

Shaun’s been on filming expeditions around the world since he was in diapers, but it wasn’t until a trip to Palau at the age of 13 that he realized that his dad’s passion for storytelling was in his blood. He was snorkeling on the “set” when he encountered a giant grouper (think the size of a refrigerator), then months later got to watch the fervent reaction of kids in the theatre who were watching The Living Sea—seeing on the giant screen what he was able to experience underwater first hand. It dawned on him: “A. My dad has a pretty cool job. And B. Maybe if I am lucky, I could do this when I grow up.”

Since then, Shaun has produced the award-winning 3D giant-screen films Journey To The South Pacific, To The Arctic and Grand Canyon Adventure, National Parks Adventure, America’s Musical Journey, Dream Big, We, the Marines and Into America’s Wild. Shaun leads the company’s Business Development and Partnership team working with fortune 500 companies, associations, and non-profit organizations to tell their stories from IMAX to iPhone, and has successfully raised more than $40 million in funding for IMAX educational films in the last 3 years. With a “lifelong learning” mindset and fervent entrepreneurial spirit, Shaun has expanded the possibilities of traditional media entertainment to use immersive storytelling to educate and foster positive behavior change.

Shaun is a charismatic speaker and thought leader on the entertainment industry when it comes to brand storytelling. He is a contributing columnist to AdWeek’s Columnist Network Series, which explores the tactical thoughts and actions from Adweek’s community of high-level experts.

Shaun received a BA from Emory University in Economics and an MFA degree in Film Production from the University of Southern California. He and his wife Katie live in Laguna Beach with their three children. He can’t wait to take them all on expeditions and show them the wonders of nature firsthand.

If you’d like to book Shaun for a speaking engagement, please contact smacgillivray@macfreefilms.com

Connect with Shaun on LinkedIn

Watch Shaun as a speaker:

• TedX – Why Storytelling Can Change the World and Save the Ocean
• Talks at Google
• Brand Storytelling: Huge Stories + Giant Screens = Immense Impact
• Brand Storytelling TV: America’s Musical Journey