From its humble beginnings as Will Vinton Studios in the 1970's, Portland's Laika Entertainment has become one of the top studios in the world for stop-motion animation, producing the feature films Coraline, Paranorman, The Boxtrolls, and Kubo and the Two Strings. Now, the Portland Art Museum is offering an inside look at the creative process behind the screen with its exhibition Animating Life: The Art, Science, and Wonder of Laika.
S.W. Conser is joined at the museum by several Laika creatives and show participants, including Curatorial Advisor Rose Bond, Production Designer Nelson Lowry, Visual Effects Supervisor Steve Emerson, Head of Puppet Fabrication Georgina Hayns, Director of Rapid Prototype Brian McLean, Stratasys President Rich Garrity. and CFO & Head of Business Operations Brad Wald.
Whether you're a casual filmgoer, an animation buff, or a traditional art aficionado, there's much to learn about Portland filmmaking history, stop-motion technology, and the confluence of art and craft from these creative voices.
An expanded version of this episode, with additional web-only content, is available at this link.
- KBOO