Laika: The Magic Behind a Stop-Motion Dream Factory

Screenwriter Inguanzo (Ghostbusters) celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Portland, Ore.-based Laika Studios with an eye-catching accoount of the making of its stop-motion films, including the upcoming Wildwood. Founded by Travis Knight, a former animator seeking “a new way forward” for the declining industry, the studio gained recognition with the 2009 film Coraline, which earned Oscar and BAFTA nominations. Readers are treated to the concept art and storyboards that typically feature in books about animated movies. But Inguanzo also unpacks in fascinating detail the complicated production process of Laika films, including creating the right props: convincingly faded photos in ParaNorman, flowers filling a night garden in Coraline, an adventurer’s collection of exotic oddities in Missing Link. Elsewhere, he explores the studio’s technical innovations, such as the Rapid Prototype 3D printing system, which animators use to create facial expressions for stop-motion models. Interspersed with vivid photos of the production process and interviews with editors, animators, model-makers, and designers, it makes for an intriguing love letter to an arduous but rewarding artistic medium. This is a treasure trove for animation buffs. (Mar.)