What if presentations were more like Toy Story than PowerPoint?
Imagine if your next one starts with “Once upon a time…”?
In recent years, I’ve helped many people tell their ideas better. I design stories for a living, but most of all, I listen to them. And I’ve realised that many of the problems I see in presentations (too much text, unclear messages, rigid structures) are the same challenges storytellers face every day.
So I decided to revisit Pixar’s famous 22 storytelling rules (originally shared by former storyboard artist Emma Coats) and translate them into tools for presentation design. To help you communicate with more clarity, authenticity, and impact.
These aren’t tricks. They’re small lenses that help you look at your slides differently. And maybe discover that behind every good presentation… there’s already a good story.
1. “Admire the one who tries, not the one who wins”
In presentations, we often focus on showing the final result. But what moves the audience is the journey, not the finish line. Make room for struggles, doubts and mistakes. Show the before and after. That’s where empathy happens.
🎬 Like Woody in Toy Story. He’s not perfect, but he does his best. That’s exactly why we love him.
🎯 Try this: add a slide that shows a moment of uncertainty in the project. It won’t weaken your proposal. It’ll make it more human.
2. “What’s interesting to you isn’t automatically interesting to others”
We grow attached to certain details because we’ve lived them closely. But the audience doesn’t have that context. Ask yourself: Why should they care? If the answer isn’t clear, that content can go.
🎬 In Cars, Lightning McQueen thinks the audience is there to see him win. But what really matters is the transformation he goes through.
🎯 Try this: pick three random slides and ask, “What changes for my audience if I tell them this?” If the answer is “nothing,” cut or reframe.
3. “You only figure out what it’s really about at the end. Then rewrite.”
We often think we know what we want to say, but the real message emerges only after the pieces are in place. That’s when you need to rewrite the intro and maybe the ending too.
🎬 In Inside Out, we think Joy is the main character. But in the end, we understand it’s about emotional balance. And everything shifts.
🎯 Try this: once the presentation is done, ask yourself, “What’s really at the heart of all this?” Use that answer to revise your first and last slide.
4. “Once upon a time…”
This is the Pixar story spine structure:
Once upon a time…
Every day…
Until one day…
Because of that…
And then…
Until finally…
It may sound like a nursery rhyme, but it helps build a logical, narrative sequence. Used well, it can turn even a technical report into a mini journey.
🎬 It’s the backbone of Up, Ratatouille, and Finding Nemo. All stories with a before, a shift, and a transformation.
🎯 Try this: take a project you’ve worked on and rewrite it using this structure. It’ll help you craft a more engaging intro and highlight the transformation.
5. “Simplify. Focus. Remove what doesn’t matter.”
If you try to say everything, nothing sticks. Simplicity is a bold choice: trimming slides, shortening text and allowing space.
A good presentation is like a hallway with no unnecessary doors: it takes you exactly where you need to go.
🎬 In Wall•E, most of the story unfolds without a single word. And it’s crystal clear.
🎯 Try this: take a cluttered slide and ask, “What can I remove without losing meaning?” Then remove one more thing.
6. “Put characters in tough situations.”
Stories with only linear success are unconvincing. Show when something went wrong. A crossroads. A challenge. That’s where your audience leans in.
🎬 In Monsters Inc., Sulley has to choose between his career and his conscience. That’s the moment we fall for him.
🎯 Try this: add a short “crisis” slide. A tough choice, a problem, a turning point.
7. “Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle”
Clarity comes from knowing where you're going. When you know your destination, you can build a stronger, more intentional path.
🎬 In Brave, Merida’s arc is clear from the start, even if her journey is full of unexpected turns.
🎯 Try this: write the last sentence of your presentation first. Then build backwards.
8. “Finish your story, let go even if it’s not perfect”
Perfectionism is the enemy of completion. Sometimes, good enough is the goal, especially when it allows your message to reach the audience.
🎬 Like in The Incredibles. Bob wants everything under control, but it’s when he accepts help that the real power emerges.
🎯 Try this: set a time limit to finish your presentation. Respect it.
9. “When you’re stuck, make a list of what wouldn’t happen next”
Creative constraints open doors. Knowing what you don’t want to say often reveals what matters most.
🎬 In Finding Nemo, Marlin is a cautious fish. The plot unfolds as he’s forced into situations that go against his nature.
🎯 Try this: if you're stuck on a slide, list three things you won’t say. Then build from what’s left.
10. “Pull apart the stories you like. What makes them work?”
Reverse-engineering great presentations teaches more than any template. Break down what resonated with you and figure out why.
🎬 Coco blends theme, emotion, visuals, and pace seamlessly. Why does it hit you in the heart?
🎯 Try this: pick a TED Talk you love and map its structure. Then use a similar rhythm in your next deck.
11. “Putting it on paper lets you start fixing it”
Don’t wait for perfection before making slides. Start messy. Once ideas are out, you can shape them.
🎬 Like when Ratatouille tries out wild recipes. Some flop, some shine. But the act of trying is what leads to brilliance.
🎯 Try this: Draft slides before your script is ready. The visual process might reveal insights your outline missed.
12. “Discount the first few ideas: they’re obvious”
Your first thoughts often follow clichés. Dig deeper. Surprise yourself.
🎬 In Toy Story, the original draft didn’t include Buzz. But Buzz is what gave the story contrast and depth.
🎯 Try this: Brainstorm five different metaphors for your message. Toss the first three. Now work with what’s left.
13. “Give your characters opinions. Passive = boring”
A flat presenter sounds like a list of bullet points. But a clear point of view makes you memorable.
🎬 Think of The Good Dinosaur. The moments that stick are when characters act from belief, not neutrality.
🎯 Try this: Pick a slide and ask, “What’s my opinion here?” Then rewrite it to reflect it.
14. “Why must you tell this story?”
Make it personal. Why is this message important to you (and to them)?
🎬 In Luca, the story is rooted in the creators’ memories of growing up. That authenticity shows.
🎯 Try this: Write a short note (just for yourself) explaining why this presentation matters to you. Use that energy.
15. “If you were your character, how would you feel?”
Empathy creates connection. Step into your audience’s shoes.
🎬 In Finding Dory, the audience roots for her because we feel her confusion, fear and hope.
🎯 Try this: Imagine you're your audience, seeing your deck for the first time. What would confuse you? What would move you?
16. “What are the stakes? Give us a reason to care”
No stakes, no tension. Even in business presentations, we need to feel what’s at risk.
🎬 Soul explores something as abstract as purpose, but it’s urgent and deeply felt.
🎯 Try this: Add a slide that shows what’s lost if nothing changes. What’s at stake?
17. “No work is ever wasted”
Slides you cut or ideas you scrap aren’t useless. They teach you, and they might return later.
🎬 Like deleted scenes in Pixar movies: they didn’t make the cut, but they shaped the story.
🎯 Try this: Keep a “cut slides” folder. Review it for future inspiration.
18. “You have to know yourself: the difference between doing your best and being fussy”
There’s a line between excellence and overthinking. Know when you’re polishing vs. hiding.
🎬 Turning Red is unapologetically bold. It doesn’t sand its edges and that’s its power.
🎯 Try this: When tweaking a slide for the third time, stop and ask, “Am I making this clearer or just safer?”
19. “Coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; to get them out, are cheating”
Obstacles can be surprising. Solutions should feel earned.
🎬 In The Incredibles, setbacks come unexpectedly, but resolution comes through growth, not luck.
🎯 Try this: Don’t resolve challenges in your presentation with “and then it all worked out.” Show the path.
20. “Exercise: take the building blocks of a movie you dislike. Rebuild it into something you do like”
Critique by redesign. You learn more by improving what doesn’t work. Yes, it takes time but it's worth it.
🎬 Even Pixar reworked entire storylines mid-production to improve clarity or emotion.
🎯 Try this: Take a past presentation you didn’t love. Keep the goal, change everything else.
21. “You’ve got to identify with your situation and characters. What would make you act that way?”
If you wouldn’t act or react like that, your audience won’t buy it either. Authenticity matters.
🎬 Brave works because Merida’s reactions feel real, even if the world around her is magical.
🎯 Try this: Ask, “Would I believe this if someone told it to me?” If not, rethink the frame.
22. “What’s the essence of your story? If you know that, you can build out from there”
Boil it down. One sentence. That’s your compass.
🎬 Inside Out = Sometimes sadness saves us. Everything builds from that.
🎯 Try this: Write one sentence that captures your core message. Tape it above your screen while you design.
A practical exercise: Pick a presentation you're working on or one you’ve already given. Now answer these 3 questions on paper:
What was the moment when things got complicated?
What was the turning point or key decision?
What did you learn from the process?
Over to you. Have you already applied one of these Pixar rules, maybe without realising it? Or is there one you’d like to try to change how you present?
This article is part of From Page to Stage: a series exploring how the books we read can shape the way we think, communicate and design stories for the stage of business and life.
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