The Art of Animation: A Deep Dive into Laika Studios' Internship Program and Beyond
Laika Studios, a name synonymous with groundbreaking stop-motion animation, consistently pushes the boundaries of visual storytelling. Beyond their critically acclaimed films like Coraline, Kubo and the Two Strings, and The Boxtrolls, the studio fosters a unique culture that values bravery, innovation, community, and storytelling. This ethos extends to their highly sought-after internship program, offering aspiring artists and creative individuals an unparalleled opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of stop-motion magic. This article will explore the intricacies of the Laika Studios internship program, drawing upon firsthand accounts and studio insights, while also delving into the core principles and practical techniques that define Laika's distinctive approach to animation.
Unpacking the Laika Internship Experience
Laika Studios provides exceptional internship opportunities for aspiring artists and creative individuals, offering a unique and immersive experience. These programs allow interns to work alongside industry professionals on groundbreaking projects, providing invaluable hands-on experience in a professional work environment. Participating in Laika internships offers numerous benefits, chief among them the chance to gain practical skills and build connections that can pave the way for future job opportunities. The studio's commitment to mentorship and hands-on learning is a hallmark of its internship offerings, encouraging interns to take an active role in the creation and development of projects.
Laika offers a range of internships across various departments, including Animation, Art, Production, Story, and Technology. Each internship provides a unique experience tailored to the specific area of interest, ensuring that interns can focus on their passion. The studio's internship programs are renowned for their emphasis on creativity and innovation, mirroring the very qualities that define Laika's films.
The application process for Laika internships is generally straightforward. Applicants are typically required to submit a resume, portfolio, and a brief cover letter detailing their interest in the internship. The selection process involves a thorough review of applications and, in some cases, an interview. While specific application windows may vary, for instance, applications for the 2025 Summer Internship Program were open with a deadline of March 28th to be considered. It's worth noting that the program is a paid internship, and crucially, there are no GPA requirements. This inclusivity is a significant advantage, making the program accessible to a wider variety of students and helping to eliminate financial barriers that some talented individuals might face. This approach underscores Laika's commitment to diversity and accessibility within the creative industries.
The Pillars of Laika's Creative Philosophy
At Laika, the approach to filmmaking is guided by a distinct set of core values: bravery, innovation, community, and storytelling. These priorities are not mere buzzwords; they actively shape the studio's films and its overarching culture. The belief that "everyone has a story to tell" is central to this philosophy, encouraging a diverse range of voices and perspectives to contribute to the creative process. This commitment to storytelling is evident in the rich narratives and relatable characters that populate Laika's cinematic universe.
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The studio's dedication to innovation is apparent in its pioneering use of stop-motion techniques, constantly seeking new ways to push the medium's technical and artistic potential. This drive for innovation is complemented by a strong sense of community. Regular events are organized to foster connection and team building in inclusive social settings, ensuring that the collaborative spirit is maintained throughout the demanding production cycles.
Mastering the Craft: Practical Insights from a Stop Motion Animator
Firsthand accounts from individuals who have experienced internships at Laika provide invaluable practical insights into the day-to-day realities and specialized techniques of stop-motion animation. While emphasizing that they are not an expert and that some interpretations may vary, these accounts offer concrete tips for aspiring animators.
Precision in Movement: The Surface Gauge and BeyondA fundamental tool for ensuring consistent movement is the surface gauge. After shooting a frame, animators line up the point of the surface gauge to a trackable point on the puppet, such as a pin inserted into it or a distinct feature like a pointy hat. As the puppet is moved for the next frame, the surface gauge allows for precise measurement of displacement in any direction. This is particularly crucial for slow, subtle animation where minimal movement between frames is desired. The surface gauge aids in saving time by quickly returning a puppet to its correct area if it has been moved too far, avoiding the trial-and-error of comparing it to the previous frame on software like Dragonframe. It is especially effective for tracking Z-axis movement (towards or away from the camera), which can otherwise lead to unintended changes in the puppet's perceived size. The process involves: taking a shot, aligning the surface gauge, moving the puppet, removing the gauge, taking another shot, and repeating. This method is also highly beneficial for maintaining a puppet in a consistent spot during walk or run cycles, minimizing unintended left-to-right drift.
Delicate Details: Tweezers and Sculpting ToolsAnimating small, intricate details like fingers and hair strands requires specialized tools due to the limitations of human hands. Laika animators frequently employ tweezers or loop/ribbon sculpting tools for this purpose. For finger animation, the edge of rubber-tipped tweezers (to avoid damaging silicone) or the metal of a loop sculpting tool is aligned with the crease where the finger should bend, and then the finger is gently manipulated. The loop sculpting tool is often preferred for fingers as it is less invasive than tweezers. Tweezers are also heavily utilized for animating hair and cloth.
The Art of Tie-Downs: Precision DrillingWhen a puppet needs to be secured with a tie-down for a step or other movement, precision is key. The animator positions the puppet, traces around the foot where the tie-down will be, and notes the required drill hole location. The old tie-down is then unscrewed just enough to rotate the puppet (while maintaining its pose) away from the drilling spot. After drilling, the puppet is rotated back, aligned with the foot markings, and the tie-down is screwed in. Tracing the entire foot can ensure accurate repositioning. If a drill hole is slightly off, resulting in a shifted foot position, some animators create templates of the foot's bottom for precise alignment. Utilizing a slightly wider drill bit can also allow for minor shifts to achieve the correct placement. Wide drill bits and wider holes are also advantageous for facilitating very subtle foot adjustments.
Tensioning: The Key to Controlled MovementTensioning refers to the tightness or looseness of a puppet's joints, particularly on ball-and-socket armatures. Each animator has their preferences, and different shots may demand varying tension settings. Incorrect tensioning can significantly impede workflow. For instance, if the hips are looser than the chest, animating the upper body might inadvertently cause the legs to move. Similarly, a loose wrist joint might cause the elbow to move when only the wrist is intended to be animated. This creates extra work as previously positioned elements may need constant readjustment. While personal preferences evolve, a general principle is to avoid extremes where extremities (like the head and hands) unnecessarily affect the core body, or intermediate joints. For a walk cycle requiring a puppet to be tied down on one leg, tighter leg and hip joints might be beneficial. Conversely, for a weight shift where feet remain planted or shift minimally, looser hips can facilitate easier hip animation and weight transfer between feet. Tensioning also extends to eyelids and eyeballs, ensuring that animating an eyelid doesn't move the eyeball, or that replacing a face doesn't inadvertently displace the eyeball. For wire puppets, a hierarchy of wire strength is typically employed: strongest for the spine and legs, medium for the neck and arms, and lowest for fingers and hands.
Facial Animation: Prioritizing Face ReplacementWhen working with a facial replacement system, it is crucial to replace the face first before moving any part of the body. This allows for immediate detection of any accidental displacement of eyeballs or other head elements. It also helps identify if the magnetic pull of the face has subtly shifted the head. Addressing these issues before body movement simplifies the process and ensures accuracy. A common sequence at Laika is to place brows first, followed by mouths.
Body Mechanics: Hips and Torso FirstA fundamental principle for efficient animation is to animate the hips and torso before other body parts. If the arm or head is animated first, subsequent torso movements can render that animation obsolete, requiring constant tweaking. This rule of thumb significantly speeds up the workflow by establishing the core movement before detailing extremities.
Dragonframe Workflow: Observation and RefinementWhen working with animation software like Dragonframe, several habits are common among animators. A universal practice is to constantly press play to review the animation, ensuring that new frames flow naturally and do not disrupt established arcs or create jarring jumps. Animators often isolate playback to specific body parts (head, arms, hands, waist, feet) or watch the entire movement to gauge its overall flow. For longer sequences, playback length can be shortened to focus on recent frames. Flicking between the last few frames and the new frame using arrow keys allows for slower, more detailed observation of movement and arcs. Zooming in on specific areas, such as the face, is useful for detailed animation. Occasionally flipping the image horizontally and playing the animation can reveal mistakes more easily, though this should not be overused to avoid becoming accustomed to the reversed view.
Muscle Memory and FamiliarityAs animators gain experience, they develop a "muscle memory" in their hands and fingers, enabling them to pose puppets more quickly and accurately. This intuitive understanding of how much force is required to manipulate the puppet allows for a good initial position before fine-tuning. Familiarity with the puppet and its tensioning is integral to developing this muscle memory.
Leveraging Live-Action Video ReferenceMost animators at Laika utilize live-action video reference to inform their animation. This often involves acting out a sequence themselves or having someone else perform it. Video reference is invaluable for quickly grasping timing and discovering natural gestures that might not be immediately apparent. It is particularly useful for achieving the naturalistic and smooth style for which Laika is known. Animators might extract poses and gestures from the video or use it as a lineup layer within Dragonframe for frame-by-frame guidance. While direct rotoscoping is not feasible due to differing puppet and actor proportions, the reference can be interpreted. Key elements to observe include negative shapes, joint angles (knee, elbow, wrist, ankle), eyeline angles, rotations (visible face/chest portions), and arcs of movement. Watching the reference video in its entirety before animating helps to understand the mechanics, timing, and gestures. However, over-reliance on video reference can be a pitfall; animators should be able to adjust animation without it. Self-awareness is important, as personal acting choices in reference material might not always translate well. Furthermore, puppet proportions may necessitate adapting poses from reference material. Testing extreme poses before animating is advisable to determine if adjustments are needed.
Nuances of Eye AnimationSpecific guidelines exist for animating eyes and eyelids. Bottom eyelids should generally extend no more than one-third up the eye and should always be less visible than the top lid. The curve of the eyelid should ideally match the curve of the brow, with higher eyebrows correlating to higher eyelids.
Maintaining Eye Line ConsistencyTo prevent characters from appearing cross-eyed or wall-eyed, animators check the eye line by covering each eye individually and observing its perceived direction. When a character looks at a specific point, looks away, and then returns, maintaining a consistent eye line is crucial. This can be achieved by toggling between the frame where the character was looking at the spot and the current frame to ensure the direction remains the same.
The Art of the Walk CycleWhile walk cycles are highly individual, several breakthroughs can significantly improve their quality. Stride length is often longer than initially perceived, and insufficient length can result in a "tip-toe" effect. To convey a strong stride, the front and back legs should be straight simultaneously for 2-3 frames around the "kick pose," creating an "A" shape. Pacing this correctly can be challenging, as the front leg needs to bend the frame after contacting the ground. A common approach involves a straight-legged kick, holding it straight for a frame as the foot lands, maintaining straightness on contact, and then bending the front leg as the foot rotates onto its heel. Failing to achieve truly straight legs (sometimes requiring a slight backward bend at the knee) can lead to an unwanted tip-toe feel. Video reference may sometimes be misleading here, as human legs are not always straight for extended periods. For naturalistic walks, controlling and containing the up-and-down motion and overlaps is essential. Observation of real walking reveals that the torso and head largely remain in a consistent position, reflecting the efficiency of natural locomotion.
Laika's Cinematic Landscape: A Glimpse into Their Films
Laika's commitment to storytelling and innovation is vividly showcased in their filmography:
- Wildwood: Laika's upcoming stop-motion fantasy film, set to release in theaters, is described as a love letter to the studio's home near Portland, Oregon, promising magic, wonder, and danger.
- Missing Link: This vibrant, witty tale of friendship, discovery, and belonging follows Mr. Link, the worldâs most endearing and hairy adventurer, on a globe-trotting quest to find his long-lost relatives.
- Kubo and the Two Strings: Set in ancient Japan, this breathtaking epic blends magic, myth, and memory. Kubo embarks on a quest to unravel his family's legacy, armed with a magical shamisen and a mysterious past.
- The Boxtrolls: In the quirky underground world of Cheesebridge, a young boy raised by mischievous trolls must fight to protect his adopted family, exploring themes of identity, kindness, and breaking free from constraints.
- ParaNorman: This film blends ghoulish thrills with heartfelt humor in a spooky adventure about courage, acceptance, and empathy, centering on a misunderstood boy who can speak to the dead and must save his town.
Employee Benefits: Supporting the Creative Engine
Laika Studios recognizes that its employees are the driving force behind its success and offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support their well-being:
- Comprehensive Health & Wellness: This includes inclusive medical, dental, and vision insurance, with the option for 100% employer-paid premiums. Additional programs for cancer, diabetes management, and family-forming/fertility are also provided.
- Financial Wellness: A competitive 401(k) plan features an immediately vested company match (50% on the first 6% of contributions). Employees also receive employer-paid access to legal and financial planning experts, along with assisted tax filing services.
- On-Site Services: The studio provides a range of on-site services, including primary and mental health care, laboratory services, nutrition counseling, yoga, massage, physical therapy, acupuncture, a gym, and a fully subsidized coffee shop, promoting a holistic approach to employee health.
- Career Development: An educational and career development program invests in the continued professional growth of employees, offering Udemy Business memberships and regular on-site and virtual learning opportunities.
- Community: Regular events are organized to foster connection, team building, and a strong sense of community in inclusive social settings.
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