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    LAIKA To Focus On Features; Commercial Division To Become Indie Studio

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments3059 Views
    A scene from LAIKA's "ParaNorman."

    New venture will be owned by LAIKA/house principals

    PORTLAND, Ore. --

    LAIKA, the animation studio based just outside Portland, is spinning off its advertising/commercial division LAIKA/house to concentrate exclusively on the feature film arena. Next up for LAIKA is The Boxtrolls, its third feature film, releasing domestically on September 26.

    LAIKA/house president Lourri Hammack, creative director Kirk Kelley and managing director of strategic operations Al Cubillas will lead a new studio specializing in short to mid-form animated content for the advertising and broadcast markets. LAIKA plans to continue operations under the LAIKA/house banner as it transitions work to the new studio over the summer months.

    “We’re very proud of the entire LAIKA/house team and its heritage of beautiful, industry-leading work,” said Travis Knight, LAIKA president & CEO. “But as LAIKA finishes our third film and is in the process of actively developing an ambitious range of future projects, it’s become clear that we need to devote all of our artistry, innovation, and resources towards our feature films in order to craft the distinctive and evocative stories for which LAIKA has become known.”

    Knight continued, “With Coraline and ParaNorman we set a high standard for ourselves and the entire animation industry. The Boxtrolls and our slate of upcoming films aspire to push the bar even higher. Our commitment to creating superlative works of art has been the force driving both of LAIKA’s divisions since our inception. We wish Lourri, Kirk and Al tremendous success as they carry on that tradition of excellence in their new venture.”

    Hammack related, “Animation isn’t just a storytelling medium–it’s our life force and our passion. In just a few short years, LAIKA has created groundbreaking works of feature-length animated art that continue to inspire and amaze. We are honored to be entrusted with LAIKA/house’s rich legacy as we build the next chapter of our longstanding advertising and commercial division.”

    Known for its storytelling and character animation in CG, stop motion and 2D, LAIKA/house has turned out work for such brands as Apple, Cuervo, Target, M&Ms, Honey Not Cheerios and FOX Sports, as well as agencies including 72andSunny, BBDO, TBWAChiatDay, Leo Burnett and Wieden+Kennedy.

    Category:News
    Tags:LAIKALAIKA/houseLourri Hammack



    Supreme Court Allows Multibillion-Dollar Class Action Lawsuit To Proceed Against Meta

    Friday, November 22, 2024

    The Supreme Court is allowing a multibillion-dollar class action investors' lawsuit to proceed against Facebook parent Meta, stemming from the privacy scandal involving the Cambridge Analytica political consulting firm.

    The justices heard arguments in November in Meta's bid to shut down the lawsuit. On Friday, they decided that they were wrong to take up the case in the first place.

    The high court dismissed the company's appeal, leaving in place an appellate ruling allowing the case to go forward.

    Investors allege that Meta did not fully disclose the risks that Facebook users' personal information would be misused by Cambridge Analytica, a firm that supported Donald Trump 's first successful Republican presidential campaign in 2016.

    Inadequacy of the disclosures led to two significant price drops in the price of the company's shares in 2018, after the public learned about the extent of the privacy scandal, the investors say.

    Meta spokesman Andy Stone said the company was disappointed by the court's action. "The plaintiff's claims are baseless and we will continue to defend ourselves as this case is considered by the District Court," Stone said in an emailed statement.

    Meta already has paid a $5.1 billion fine and reached a $725 million privacy settlement with users.

    Cambridge Analytica had ties to Trump political strategist Steve Bannon. It had paid a Facebook app developer for access to the personal information of about 87 million Facebook users. That data was then used to target U.S. voters during the 2016 campaign.

    The lawsuit is one of two high court cases involving class-action lawsuits against tech companies. The justices also are wrestling with whether to shut down a class action against Nvidia.... Read More

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