Episodes

  • The Impossible Road of LAIKA's Wildwood with Travis Knight and Caleb Deschanel

    The Impossible Road of LAIKA's Wildwood with Travis Knight and Caleb Deschanel
    Oct 15 2026
    How did the impossibly complex film Wildwood actually get made? LAIKA CEO and Director of Wildwood Travis Knight sits with Wildwood's Director of Photography Caleb Deschanel to discuss all the challenges, obstacles and blood, sweat and tears it took to make magic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    34 mins
  • An Insider’s View on How Practical Effects Are Made with Oliver Jones and Kevin Parry

    An Insider’s View on How Practical Effects Are Made with Oliver Jones and Kevin Parry
    Sep 30 2026
    What makes practical effects so magical? LAIKA's Head of Character and Practical Effects Oliver Jones sits down with former LAIKA animator and now solo superstar digital creator Kevin Parry to discuss the world of practical effects and how that feels different in a team of hundreds vs going it alone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    56 mins
  • Why Stop Motion Animation Matters in the Digital Age with Keith McQueen and Phil Tippett

    Why Stop Motion Animation Matters in the Digital Age with Keith McQueen and Phil Tippett
    Sep 25 2026
    Why make models in the digital age? LAIKA's Head of Model Shop Keith McQueen and legendary stop motion pioneer Phil Tippett explain why the human crafted still matters. #MadeByHumans #Podcast #Animation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    37 mins
  • The Power of Costume Design and Storytelling with Deborah Cook and Sandy Powell

    The Power of Costume Design and Storytelling with Deborah Cook and Sandy Powell
    Sep 23 2026
    Costume design is the one cinematic element that touches story, character, history, psychology, and visuals all at once. When it’s working, you don’t notice it consciously… but you feel it immediately. LAIKA's Deborah Cook sits down with legendary costume designer Sandy Powell to deconstruct the subtle storytelling powers of costume. From stop-motion miniatures to live-action icons, discover how the clothes we wear on screen tell the stories we feel in our hearts. #MadeByHumans #Podcast #Animation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    47 mins
  • Using Visual Effects in the World of Stop Motion Animation

    Using Visual Effects in the World of Stop Motion Animation
    Sep 18 2026
    With a wealth of technology tools to deliver fascinating films, less is more is often the edict when it comes to special effects in this conversation with LAIKA’s Visual Effects Supervisor Steve Emerson and ILM veteran visual effects filmmaker Jeff Mann. #MadeByHumans #Podcast #Animation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    48 mins
  • Wildwood: Building a Character From Page to Puppet

    Wildwood: Building a Character From Page to Puppet
    Sep 11 2026
    Bringing a single character to life takes a village: an actor's voice, an animator's physical performance, designers, cinematographers, and a screenwriter, all converging on one emotional truth. This episode explores that rare collaboration through Wildwood, LAIKA's upcoming adaptation of the beloved Portland-set book. Wildwood screenwriter Chris Butler is joined by the film's stars Peyton Elizabeth Lee and Jacob Tremblay to revisit these characters years after first encountering them; they discuss the joys of telling a proudly local story and unpack the challenges of adapting such a beloved, sprawling book. LAIKA Art Director Cassie Lopez also takes Peyton Elizabeth and Jacob behind the scenes to see two striking sets from the upcoming film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    39 mins
  • Two Forms of Puppetry: From Project Hail Mary to Wildwood

    Two Forms of Puppetry: From Project Hail Mary to Wildwood
    Sep 9 2026
    Puppetry takes wildly different forms on screen: from small stop-motion puppets animated frame by frame to massive creatures operated by multiple puppeteers and Brad Schiff and James Ortiz perfectly encapsulate this spectrum. LAIKA's Head of Animation Brad Schiff has spent his career bringing puppets to life one frame at a time, while James Ortiz built and performed Project Hail Mary's beloved Rocky. Two experts on the medium trade notes on where creativity actually happens, why rigorous preparation fuels real improvisation, and how craft becomes something unmistakably human. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    50 mins
  • Filmmaking Magic with Special Guest Zach King: From Coraline to Viral Illusions

    Filmmaking Magic with Special Guest Zach King: From Coraline to Viral Illusions
    Sep 9 2026
    From Coraline's sets to viral TikTok illusions, two masters of practical effects swap secrets:. Brian McLean, LAIKA's Director of Rapid Prototype, has spent 20 years pushing stop motion forward with groundbreaking innovation. And Zach King, one of the world's biggest creators, brings his own signature magic touch to the table. LAIKA's pioneering use of 3D printing collides with the optical trickery behind social media's biggest illusions, in a conversation about what it really takes to inspire awe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    49 mins