Matt Hullum

• 1. Introduction

  ›

  Matt Hullum grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, the son of a librarian and a sports journalist. By the time he was in his early twenties, he had already co-directed a film, voiced a military commander, and begun building one of the internet's most influential video production companies from the ground up. The full name on his birth certificate is Matthew Jay Hullum, and he was born on the 29th of September, 1974. What drove a kid from Atlanta to Austin, and from Austin to the front lines of online entertainment, is a story about creative freedom, long friendships, and a scrappy willingness to do every job at once.

• 2. College Station, No Gatekeepers

  ›

  Hullum found his footing at TSTV, the student television station at the University of Texas at Austin. It was there that he met Burnie Burns, the person who would become his most enduring creative partner. What Hullum remembered most about working at the station was the absence of gatekeepers: no executives, no approvals to seek, just people making things. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in film, and within a year of finishing his degree he and Burns had already shot their first film together. That debut, The Schedule, came out in 1997 and starred his own roommate, Joel Heyman, in the lead role.

• 3. Hollywood Pit Stop

  ›

  Before the internet era fully opened up, Hullum found work inside the Hollywood system as a visual effects specialist. He served as visual effects coordinator on The Faculty in 1998, and by 2001 he had moved up to visual effects producer on the racing film Driven. His filmography from this period also includes Scooby-Doo in 2002, Gods and Generals in 2003, and Clifford's Really Big Movie in 2004, where he worked as digital supervisor. These credits placed him in large productions, but his path would soon diverge sharply from the studio track.

• 4. Rooster Teeth and Red vs. Blue

  ›

  Hullum was one of five co-founders of Rooster Teeth, the Austin-based production company built around online video, animation, podcasts, and machinima, the technique of using game engines to produce films. Among his roles at the company he served as its CEO. His voice became the character Sarge in Red vs. Blue, the long-running Rooster Teeth series; he also directed, produced, and handled casting for the show. In 2023, it was announced that Hullum would return as director for Red vs. Blue's final season, with Burns returning as writer. Alongside his work on Red vs. Blue, he voiced or produced a wide range of other Rooster Teeth titles, including The Strangerhood, RWBY, Camp Camp, Day 5, and Death Battle.

• 5. Lazer Team and Feature Filmmaking

  ›

  In 2015, Hullum directed Lazer Team, a science fiction comedy feature that he described as his first full-length directorial effort in more than eighteen years. He co-wrote the screenplay with Burns, Chris Demarais, and Josh Flanagan, and also appeared on screen in the film as an army soldier. A sequel, Lazer Team 2, followed in 2017. On the production side, he went on to serve as executive producer on Blood Fest in 2018 and A Heist With Markiplier in 2019. His 2024 credit on Red vs. Blue Restoration listed him as director, executive producer, and voice of multiple characters including Sarge, Doc, Omega, and additional voices.

• 6. Music Videos and Barenaked Ladies

  ›

  Hullum directed four music videos for the Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies. The videos were for the singles "Odds Are" in 2013, "Did I Say That Out Loud?" in 2014, and "Say What You Want" in 2015, with a fourth video for "Lookin' Up" rounding out the series. In 2018, Variety named Hullum and Burns together among the top Digital Entertainment Execs to Watch, recognizing their standing in online media.

• 7. Personal Life and Austin Roots

  ›

  Hullum was born to Cheri Johnston, born in 1945 and working as a librarian, and Everett Hullum, a sports journalist and freelance writer who lived from 1942 to 2015. On the 26th of August, 2000, Hullum married lawyer and actress Anna Hurayt. The couple live in Austin, Texas with their two children. Austin has remained the fixed point in his professional life, from his student television days at UT through the building of Rooster Teeth into a multi-format studio. His Gen:Lock credit in 2019, playing Marc Holfcroft, added yet another voice role to a catalogue that now spans games, series, films, and music videos.