Laika Entertainment House
Encyclopedia
LAIKA, Inc. is an American animation studio specializing in feature film
s, commercial
s, music video
s, broadcast graphics and short films. The studio is best known for its stop-motion feature film Coraline
, released in 2009.
Laika is owned by Nike
co-founder and Chairman Philip H. Knight, and is located in Portland, Oregon
; Knight's son Travis acts as its President and CEO. The company has two divisions, 'Laika Entertainment' for feature films and 'Laika/house' for commercial work such as advertisements and music videos.
and Frosted Mini-Wheats
, both with redesigned retro characters, and spots for Apple, Starbucks
, Arby's
, Honda
, and Lay's
/Netherlands (Smith's Food Group). Their work have appeared at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival
. Working with director Michael Cahill, Laika/house created a 40-second animated dream sequence
for King of California
.
Studios, known for its stop-motion films and commercials, sought funds for more feature length films, and brought in outside investors, which included Nike, Inc.
owner Phil Knight
. In 1998, Knight made his initial investment and son Travis started work at the studio as an animator.
In 2002, Phil Knight acquired financially struggling Will Vinton Studios to pursue feature-length productions. Next year, Henry Selick
, director of The Nightmare Before Christmas
, joined the studio as a supervising director. In July 2005, the studio was renamed to Laika, and opened two divisions: 'Laika Entertainment' for feature films and 'Laika/house' for commercial work such as advertisements and music videos. They also announced their first projects, a stop-motion film Coraline and CGI animated film Jack and Ben’s Animated Adventure.
The studio laid off a significant portion of its staff in 2008, when the studio's second planned feature Jack & Ben's Animated Adventure was cancelled. Next year, the studio released its first feature film, Coraline. After directing Moongirl and Coraline, and unsuccessfully renegotiating his contract, Henry Selick departed Laika in 2009. At the end of the year the studio laid off more staff in its computer animation department to focus exclusively on an stop-motion.
Currently in production are a stop-motion film ParaNorman
slated for an August 17, 2012 release, and an unnamed production for 2014.
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
s, commercial
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
s, music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s, broadcast graphics and short films. The studio is best known for its stop-motion feature film Coraline
Coraline (film)
Coraline is a 2009 stop-motion 3D fantasy/horror children's film based on Neil Gaiman's 2002 novel of the same name. It was produced by Laika and distributed by Focus Features. Written and directed by Henry Selick, it was released widely in US theaters on February 6, 2009, after a world premiere at...
, released in 2009.
Laika is owned by Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
co-founder and Chairman Philip H. Knight, and is located in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
; Knight's son Travis acts as its President and CEO. The company has two divisions, 'Laika Entertainment' for feature films and 'Laika/house' for commercial work such as advertisements and music videos.
Operations
The commercial animation studio, LAIKA/house, is composed of filmmakers, designers and animators who produce commercials and characters in most types of animation in most media. The division produces professional CG, 2D/3D, motion graphics, and stop-motion animation at one location and with the expertise of veteran artists. Past projects include the Ben & Jerry’s stop-motion campaign; the second year of the globally recognized Coca-Cola Rivalries series of commercials which aired throughout South America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East during the 2006 World Cup, new campaigns for both Kellogg's EggoEggo
Eggo is a brand of frozen waffles in the United States, Canada and Mexico, which is owned by the Kellogg Company. Several varieties are available, including Homestyle, blueberry, and chocolate chip....
and Frosted Mini-Wheats
Frosted Mini-Wheats
Frosted Mini-Wheats is a breakfast cereal manufactured by Kellogg's consisting of shredded wheat cereal pieces and frosting.-History:Kelloggs introduced Frosted Mini-Wheats in the United States...
, both with redesigned retro characters, and spots for Apple, Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
, Arby's
Arby's
Arby's is a fast food restaurant chain in the United States and Canada. Roark Capital Group owns 81.5% of the company, with Wendy's Company owning the other 18.5%. It is primarily known for selling roast beef sandwiches and curly fries. The Arby's menu also includes chicken sandwiches, appetizers,...
, Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
, and Lay's
Lay's
Lay's is the brand name for a number of potato chip varieties as well as the name of the company that founded the chip brand in 1932. Lay's chips has been marketed as a division of Frito-Lay, a company owned by PepsiCo since 1965...
/Netherlands (Smith's Food Group). Their work have appeared at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
. Working with director Michael Cahill, Laika/house created a 40-second animated dream sequence
Dream sequence
A dream sequence is a technique used in storytelling, particularly in television and film, to set apart a brief interlude from the main story. The interlude may consist of a flashback, a flashforward, a fantasy, a vision, a dream, or some other element. Commonly, dream sequences appear in many...
for King of California
King of California
King of California is a 2007 comedy-drama film directed by Mike Cahill. It is his debut as a screenwriter and director. The film premiered on January 24, 2007 at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and opened in limited release in North America on September 14, 2007...
.
History
In the late 1990s, Will VintonWill Vinton
Will Vinton is an American director and producer of animated films. He was born in McMinnville, Oregon, near Portland. He has won an Oscar for his work, and several Emmy Awards and Clio Awards for the work of his studio.- Education :...
Studios, known for its stop-motion films and commercials, sought funds for more feature length films, and brought in outside investors, which included Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
owner Phil Knight
Phil Knight
Philip Hampson "Phil" Knight is an American business magnate. He is the co-founder and Chairman of Nike, Inc. He resigned as the company's chief executive officer in 2004, while retaining the position of chairman of the board...
. In 1998, Knight made his initial investment and son Travis started work at the studio as an animator.
In 2002, Phil Knight acquired financially struggling Will Vinton Studios to pursue feature-length productions. Next year, Henry Selick
Henry Selick
Henry Selick is an American stop motion director, producer and writer who is best known for directing The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach and Coraline...
, director of The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Nightmare Before Christmas, often promoted as Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, is a 1993 stop motion musical fantasy film directed by Henry Selick and produced/co-written by Tim Burton. It tells the story of Jack Skellington, a being from "Halloween Town" who opens a portal to...
, joined the studio as a supervising director. In July 2005, the studio was renamed to Laika, and opened two divisions: 'Laika Entertainment' for feature films and 'Laika/house' for commercial work such as advertisements and music videos. They also announced their first projects, a stop-motion film Coraline and CGI animated film Jack and Ben’s Animated Adventure.
The studio laid off a significant portion of its staff in 2008, when the studio's second planned feature Jack & Ben's Animated Adventure was cancelled. Next year, the studio released its first feature film, Coraline. After directing Moongirl and Coraline, and unsuccessfully renegotiating his contract, Henry Selick departed Laika in 2009. At the end of the year the studio laid off more staff in its computer animation department to focus exclusively on an stop-motion.
Currently in production are a stop-motion film ParaNorman
ParaNorman
ParaNorman is an upcoming 3D stop-motion animated comedy thriller film produced by Laika, distributed by Focus Features and set for international release on August 17, 2012...
slated for an August 17, 2012 release, and an unnamed production for 2014.
Feature films
- CoralineCoraline (film)Coraline is a 2009 stop-motion 3D fantasy/horror children's film based on Neil Gaiman's 2002 novel of the same name. It was produced by Laika and distributed by Focus Features. Written and directed by Henry Selick, it was released widely in US theaters on February 6, 2009, after a world premiere at...
(2009) - ParaNormanParaNormanParaNorman is an upcoming 3D stop-motion animated comedy thriller film produced by Laika, distributed by Focus Features and set for international release on August 17, 2012...
(2012) - Untitled Film (2014)
Commercials
- Domino's PizzaDomino's PizzaDomino's Pizza, Inc. is an international pizza delivery corporation headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America. Founded in 1960, Domino's is the second-largest pizza chain in the United States and has over 9,000 corporate and franchised stores in 60 countries and all 50 U.S....
"Noid" (1986) - Nick Jr.Nick Jr.Nick Jr. was a programming block on the Nickelodeon television channel, seen on Nickelodeon weekday mornings. It was aimed at a preschool-age audience ages 6 and under. On September 28, 2009, Nick Jr. became its own official channel, replacing Noggin...
"Tricky Trousers" (1992) - M&M'sM&M'sM&M's are dragée-like "colorful button-shaped candies" produced by Mars, Incorporated...
"Campaign" (1995-1999) - MicrosoftMicrosoftMicrosoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
"Windows 95Windows 95Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented graphical user interface-based operating system. It was released on August 24, 1995 by Microsoft, and was a significant progression from the company's previous Windows products...
" (1995) - Coca-ColaCoca-ColaCoca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
"Heartland" (1996) - ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
"Ow" (1996) - UPSUPS- Science, technology and medicine :* Uninterruptible power supply* Ubiquitin proteasome system* Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy* Universal Polar Stereographic coordinate system* Ups * Medically "unexplained physical symptoms"...
"Joyride" (1998) - NintendoNintendois a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
"Smash" (2002) - TridentTridentA trident , also called a trishul or leister or gig, is a three-pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and was also a military weapon. Tridents are featured widely in mythical, historical and modern culture. The major Hindu god, Shiva the Destroyer and the sea god Poseidon or Neptune are...
"Cars" - NikeNikeNike may refer to:* Nike , Greek goddess who personifies victory**The Nike of Samothrace, an ancient statue of the goddess Nike* Nike, Inc., major U.S. manufacturer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment...
"Pig Dreams" (2007) - McDonald'sMcDonald'sMcDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
"Drawings" (2009) - M&M'sM&M'sM&M's are dragée-like "colorful button-shaped candies" produced by Mars, Incorporated...
"Pretzel" (2010) - M&M'sM&M'sM&M's are dragée-like "colorful button-shaped candies" produced by Mars, Incorporated...
"Eat Gary" (2011)