Laika Details Five-Year 'Crows' Sequence Ahead of 'Wildwood'
Ahead of Wildwood's October 23 opening, Laika says its Murder of the Crows sequence used 231 puppets and took over five years.
Laika has detailed the production of the "Murder of the Crows" sequence in its stop-motion animated film Wildwood, which opens on October 23, according to Variety. The sequence took more than five years to complete.
The film features 231 puppets, 54 hero characters and 136 locations. In the sequence, the crows were digitally designed, while main characters Prue and Mac were practical handmade puppets. Facial animations are created digitally, then 3D-printed and added frame by frame to the puppets. Benoit Dubuc is the facial animation lead at Laika, Brad Schiff is head of animation, Terrence Tornberg is CG supervisor and Nelson Lowry is production designer.
From first plates in May 2021 to final cut
Schiff received the first plates for the sequence in May 2021, and it was completed three weeks before this article. The film, directed and written by Travis Knight, follows 12-year-old Prue as she tries to rescue her baby brother Mac after he is abducted by a murder of crows. Its aerial shots include Portland landmarks such as Mount Hood and the St. John's Bridge.
Knight previously directed Kubo and the Two Strings.
Quick answers
When does Wildwood open?
Wildwood opens on October 23.
How long did the Murder of the Crows sequence take to complete?
The sequence took over five years to complete.
What is Wildwood about?
It follows 12-year-old Prue, who tries to rescue her baby brother Mac after he is abducted by a murder of crows.