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Max and the Mutants

Watch a show get made.

We document everything and share it through our course.

Watch the latest episode →Meet the studio
Max and the Mutants

Learn from the Wizards

Our team includes veterans of Pixar, ILM, Aardman, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Saloon

Past credits of our artists. No affiliation or endorsement implied. Details →

Learn from the Wizards

Our team includes veterans of Pixar, ILM, Aardman, and Nickelodeon.

Matthew Luhn

Matthew Luhn

Writer · Animator · Director · Author

  • Pixar
  • The Simpsons

Writer, animator, director, sought-after speaker, and author of The Best Story Wins, Luhn draws upon his 30-year career working on The Simpsons and Disney/Pixar films including Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Toy Story 3, Monsters, Inc., and Ratatouille to create stories that inspire the world and help audiences sharpen their storytelling skills.

Ricky Nierva

Ricky Nierva

Production Designer · Annie Award Winner

  • Pixar

Storyboard artist, character designer, and production designer for Pixar Animation Studios films including Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, Up, and Monsters University. TEDx speaker, visual development artist, and longtime Pixar creative leader known for shaping the design and storytelling of award-winning animated features.

Colin Brady

Colin Brady

Director · Writer · Animator

  • Pixar
  • ILM

Director, writer, and creative executive, Brady contributed to landmark films including Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bug’s Life, and Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. He continues to pioneer new approaches to animation and visual storytelling, blending cutting-edge technology with a passion for character-driven stories that inspire audiences across generations.

Dirk Van Dulmen

Dirk Van Dulmen

Storyboard Artist

  • Aardman
  • Apple TV+

Storyboarded for Aardman (Shaun the Sheep Series 5), Blender Studio (Sprite Fright), and Passion Pictures among others, and storyboard artist on Peabody Award–winning Stillwater (Apple TV+). Guest tutor and storyboard coach for Playgrounds’ Next Talent Hub, Avans Master of Animation, and The Animation Workshop among others.

Tod Polson

Tod Polson

Color Designer · Visual Development · Author

  • Nickelodeon
  • Cartoon Saloon

Trained under Chuck Jones & Maurice Noble. Background color stylist on Daytime Emmy–winning series El Tigre (Nickelodeon). Color script on Oscar-nominated The Secret of Kells, and concept design on Golden Globe–nominated The Book of Life. Most recently, Polson directed The 21, the award-winning animated film honoring the 21 Coptic Christian martyrs, continuing his passion for powerful storytelling that resonates across cultures and generations.

Adam Bush

Adam Bush

Writer · Storyteller · Comedian

  • Dry Bar Comedy

Adam Bush is a writer, storyteller, and stand-up comedian. Creator/director, Pete & Penelope (Yippee; streaming on Prime Video). Adam’s storytelling has also led to a career in stand-up comedy, with appearances on Dry Bar Comedy and his one-man show Who Brought the Kid?, streaming on Prime Video and Tubi; rent/buy on Apple TV. He also co-hosts the Dad & Lu Podcast with his seven-year-old daughter, Luna, exclusively on YouTube.

Membership

Learn how a show gets made.

An online community for making good stories and art, behind the scenes with the artists.

$14.99/ monthJoin
  1. 01Idea
  2. 02Script
  3. 03Boards
  4. 04Character design
  5. 05Animatic
Course 1

Every episode.

From idea to animatic, one stage at a time.

Behind the scenes

Watch it get made.

Follow the artists as Max and the Mutants™ takes shape.

Tod Polson
CourseComing soon

Color design
with Tod Polson.

A new class, coming soon to ELFLÄND™.

Included with your membership.

Meet Tod

THE STUDIO

Who we are.
What we believe.

Everything you want to know about ELFLÄND — including our stance on AI.

What is ELFLÄND?
+

ELFLÄND is a distributed animation studio — a global team of artists making original animated productions together over Zoom. Our team includes veterans of Pixar, ILM, Aardman, and Nickelodeon. We currently have one production in development: Max and the Mutants, an animated TV series. We believe the future of filmmaking has no borders, no single headquarters, and no shortcuts.

What is your stance on AI?
+

We are artists first. Full stop. AI is a tool — and like every tool in the history of animation, it belongs in the hands of the people who use it responsibly. We've developed a human first approach to every step of our filmmaking process. That means every creative decision — story, character, design, color, performance — is made by a human being. AI does not replace our artists; it only serves them.

What does "Human First" mean in practice?
+

It means the artist is always the author. Our storyboards are drawn by hand. Our characters are designed by designers. Our stories are written by writers. If a new technology touches any part of our process, a human being is directing it, editing it, and taking responsibility for the result. The craft looks the way it has for 100 years — the tools are just newer.

Why does this matter right now?
+

Because the industry is at a crossroads. Several members of our team were part of making the first computer-animated feature film. They've seen technology transform this industry before. The lesson isn't to fear new tools. It's to make sure artists stay in control of them.

Who are the people behind ELFLÄND?
+

Our team includes animators, story artists, character designers, directors, and color designers who have spent careers at the top studios in the world. Credits across the team include films from Pixar, ILM, Aardman, and Nickelodeon.

How is ELFLÄND different from other studios?
+

Three things. First, we're fully distributed — our team works across four time zones with no central office. Second, we document everything and share it through our course. Third, we've built our entire process around a human first commitment to AI.

We also believe that you — yes, you — can make great shows and films. The tools exist. The talent is out there. What people often lack is a real look at how it's actually done. That's exactly why we're sharing our course: so you can follow along, learn from our process, and take those lessons into your own work.

Terms of Use

Last updated: November 5, 2026. We renamed the "Production Blog" to "The Course" and added Section 11 (Third-Party Names and Credits). Nothing else about your rights changed.

1. Acceptance By creating an account on elfland.tv you agree to these terms.

2. Who we are ELFLÄND is a distributed animation studio producing original animated content.

3. The Course "The Course" means the members-only Elfländ content on elfland.tv, including lessons and posts, worksheets, the behind-the-scenes production diary and video, and other members-only content we make available. It is not an accredited program and does not lead to a certificate or credential. Access to The Course requires a paid subscription. Content is for personal viewing only and may not be shared, downloaded, or redistributed.

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5. Your account You are responsible for keeping your login credentials secure. Do not share your account with others.

6. Comments By posting a comment on elfland.tv you grant ELFLÄND a non-exclusive license to display that content on the site. You agree not to post content that is offensive, defamatory, or violates any third party rights. We reserve the right to remove any comment at any time.

7. Termination We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms.

8. Disclaimer elfland.tv is provided as is without warranties of any kind. ELFLÄND is not liable for any damages arising from your use of the site.

9. Changes We may update these terms at any time. Continued use of the site constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

10. Intellectual Property & Content Ownership

All content on elfland.tv is the exclusive property of ELFLÄND and is protected by United States and international copyright law. Third-party names, trademarks and materials belong to their owners; see Section 11. This includes but is not limited to:

  • All video content, posts and lessons in The Course, worksheets, and behind-the-scenes footage
  • All artwork, character designs, storyboards, concept art, and illustrations
  • The ELFLÄND name, logo, and all associated branding
  • All written content including scripts, story outlines, and show materials
  • All music, sound design, and audio content

You may not, without prior written permission from ELFLÄND:

  • Copy, reproduce, download, or store any content from this site
  • Share, distribute, or transmit any content to third parties
  • Use any content for commercial purposes
  • Create derivative works based on any content
  • Screen record, screenshot, or capture any video content
  • Remove or alter any copyright notices

Membership access is granted for personal viewing only. Sharing your account credentials or providing others with access to member content is strictly prohibited and will result in immediate account termination without refund.

Any unauthorized use of ELFLÄND content may result in legal action.

For licensing or permission inquiries contact chase@elfland.tv.

11. Third-Party Names and Credits Studio and film names on elfland.tv identify past credits of our artists. They are trademarks of their respective owners. Elfländ is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Pixar, ILM/Lucasfilm, Disney, Aardman, Nickelodeon/Paramount, or Cartoon Saloon.

12. Contact chase@elfland.tv

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Privacy Policy

Last updated: November 5, 2026. We renamed the "Production Blog" to "The Course". Nothing else about your rights changed.

ELFLÄND is a distributed animation studio. Our website is elfland.tv.

What data we collect

  • Name and email address when you create an account
  • Payment information processed securely by Stripe — we never store your card details
  • Profile photo if you choose to upload one
  • Comments you post in The Course

How we use your data

  • To provide access to The Course
  • To process your subscription payments
  • To send transactional emails related to your account
  • To display your name and photo in comments

Third party services

  • Stripe — payment processing
  • Memberstack — member authentication and account management
  • Wistia — video hosting
  • Webflow — website hosting

Data retention We keep your data as long as your account is active. You can request deletion by emailing us at chase@elfland.tv.

Your rights You can update or delete your account information at any time from your account page. For any other requests contact chase@elfland.tv.

Cookies We use cookies for authentication and analytics. By using our site you consent to this.

Contact chase@elfland.tv

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