AI-generated illustration; not a photograph of the reported event.
- calendar_today October 20, 2026
The Ambitious Creation of 'Wildwood'
LAIKA Studio, based in Hillsboro, has completed production on its newest stop-motion animation feature, Wildwood. The film marks another major undertaking for the renowned studio, known for its intricate puppet animation and commitment to handcrafted filmmaking.
Hundreds of Puppets and Unique Sets
The production of Wildwood spanned 231 weeks, involving a crew of about 1,000 people. The team brought an expansive fantasy world to life by building 236 puppets and dolls and designing 132 unique sets. This attention to detail exemplifies LAIKA's approach to handmade animation, where even the smallest elements contribute to the rich, tactile universe on screen.
The Animation Process: An Exercise in Patience
Animating a feature film with stop motion animation is labor-intensive. According to Brian McLean, LAIKA’s director of rapid prototyping, animators typically completed about three seconds of usable footage per week. Every frame demands trial, error, and constant problem-solving, all of which are intrinsic to the LAIKA culture. "There is this fear of failure," McLean explained, highlighting the learning-through-mistakes mentality at the studio. The team continually asked how things could be improved, rebuilt, or tried again, making the animation process essential to the final vision.
Adapting to Pandemic Production Challenges
Production began during a challenging period in March 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic forced much of the team to work remotely. For a studio grounded in physical and tactile work, this presented an immediate challenge. Artists adapted by sketching characters, developing storyboards, and even building prototype trees from cardboard in their garages. While much of this early, improvised work didn’t make it to the finished film, it allowed the team to experiment and refine their ideas.
A Story Woven With Local Landmarks
The wildwood film tells the story of Prue, a teenager navigating a magical forest on a quest to rescue her baby brother. Along her journey, she meets characters such as Owl Rex, Crown Prince of the Avian Principality. The film incorporates references to Portland landmarks like Powell’s Books and Voodoo Doughnut, subtly weaving the city’s culture into its fantasy adventure narrative. These local touches underscore the film’s roots, encapsulated in LAIKA’s slogan, "Handmade in Oregon."
A Love Letter to Portland and Beyond
For McLean and the LAIKA team, making Wildwood was more than just a technical undertaking—it was a deeply personal project connected to place and community. McLean described the film as "a love letter to Portland," while emphasizing its broader appeal to all fans of stop-motion animation, puppet animation, and fantasy storytelling. Every week, the team’s work came together when brief clips were screened, offering a sense of collective accomplishment.
Release and Anticipation
Wildwood arrives in theaters this Friday, inviting audiences into a world crafted through patience, experimentation, and a distinctly local perspective. As McLean said, "The story’s amazing. The visuals are really like nothing anyone’s ever seen before." For anyone interested in the animation process, the film stands as a testament to the unique possibilities of handcrafted filmmaking—even amid the disruptions of pandemic production.
Source: koin.com.
