If you’ve seen Coraline or ParaNorman, you’re probably familiar with the work of LAIKA Studios.

For more than two decades, the Oregon-based animation studio has made films using stop-motion. This painstaking process involves building physical sets and puppets, then moving them frame by frame to bring their stories to life.

It’s an expensive, time-consuming way to make movies... and LAIKA has no plans to abandon it.

The studio’s latest film, Wildwood, arrived in theaters on October 23 with a reported production budget of $100 million. More than 1,000 artists contributed to the production, which took five years to complete. Whether it can earn back that investment remains to be seen.

But LAIKA operates differently from most studios.

Backed by Nike co-founder Phil Knight, whose son, Travis, runs the company, LAIKA has the financial freedom to take creative risks without the same pressure to turn an immediate profit. It’s an unusual form of modern-day patronage that allows the studio to pursue its artistic vision, even when financial returns are uncertain.

That’s especially interesting at a time when artificial intelligence promises to make filmmaking faster and less expensive.

Travis Knight, who also directed Wildwood, has been outspoken about his opposition to generative AI in the arts. In a recent interview with The Verge, he called it “antithetical to everything that we are at this studio.”

His objection isn’t to technology itself. LAIKA uses sophisticated digital tools throughout its productions. For Knight, the distinction is whether technology helps an artist create something or replaces the artist.

It’s a conviction worth considering, particularly for independent filmmakers who don’t have LAIKA’s financial resources. New technology can make ambitious projects more achievable, but how much of the creative process should we be willing to hand over?

— Ian Max Eyre, Editor-in-Chief

When a flock of crows carries her baby brother away, Prue McKeel sets out to rescue him from a mysterious forest outside Portland, Oregon. Based on musician/writer Colin Meloy’s bestselling novel, Wildwood follows Prue into a strange world of talking animals, warring factions, and secrets hidden deep in the woods. Directed by Travis Knight, LAIKA’s latest stop-motion film blends fantasy, adventure, and a little danger into a story about family, friendship, and finding courage when it matters most.

WHERE TO WATCH →

Before becoming one of Hollywood’s most beloved actors, Jimmy Stewart served as a combat pilot during World War II. Jimmy, which opened nationwide November 6, follows his military service and difficult return to Hollywood. To recreate that period, director Aaron Burns and his team built a full-size B-24 bomber replica, a military airbase, and sets from It’s a Wonderful Life. In an age when AI can recreate almost anything, there’s something worth appreciating about filmmakers who still choose to build the world in front of the camera.

WHERE TO WATCH →

On October 23, China’s first fully AI-generated theatrical feature, Sanxingdui: Future Past, arrived in theaters with more than 10,000 screenings scheduled for opening day. Produced for a reported $1.5 million, the science-fiction film was meant to show what generative AI could make possible. But audiences didn’t exactly rush to see it.

The technology helped make a feature film. Getting people to watch it was another matter.

That doesn’t necessarily mean audiences won’t pay for AI-generated movies. But it does raise an interesting question about what people value in the stories they choose to watch.

It’s also an interesting contrast to LAIKA’s approach. While the studio continues to invest enormous amounts of time and money in handcrafted animation, other filmmakers are exploring how much of the production process AI can handle.

Filmmaker, author, and communication strategist CJ Powers has spent years exploring the importance of human connection in an increasingly automated world. Through his work with Irreplaceably Human, Powers helps people embrace AI’s benefits without losing sight of the qualities that make their contributions valuable. He offers complimentary access through January 31, 2027 to the first 50 Plumb News subscribers

His approach centers on three principles: communication, connection, and collaboration. AI can help simplify repetitive tasks, save time, and open up creative possibilities. But Powers believes our experiences, perspectives, and relationships are what give the work its character.

Earlier this year, we explored a similar perspective with producer Christina Lee Storm, who emphasized the importance of understanding emerging technology without allowing it to replace creative intent.

In his writing about AI and creativity, Powers also considers the imperfections that make human-made art personal. Those imperfections aren't always flaws to be fixed. Sometimes they're part of what makes the work worth experiencing.

For independent filmmakers, there’s a practical side to all of this.

New technology may make it possible to produce a film with fewer resources, but it doesn’t automatically give that film an audience. People still have to care about the story, connect with the characters, and find a reason to spend their time watching it.

AI may change what's possible to produce, but it can't guarantee that what we make will resonate.

The results are in! 67% of you voted for “attending a live preview event” in last week’s poll: What would make you feel more connected to a film before its release?

Filmmaker Jamien Sills is a friend of mine who recently screened a three-hour rough cut of an ethical AI-generated feature film in Memphis, called The Order of Herus, Dawn of the Heru. He promoted it with just one Facebook post, expecting mostly family and friends. Instead, 80 people requested seats in a 61-seat theater, and nearly half the audience were people he didn’t know. And, this audience was transfixed by the story!

Jamien believes AI can’t replace a great story, but it can help filmmakers bring ambitious ideas to life without traditional studio backing. He’d love to make his Marvel-style epic adventure in live action, but estimates it could cost $200 million. Instead, he used OpenArt and other AI tools to bring his vision to the screen in just six months, for a fraction of that cost.

He’s now using feedback from the screening to refine the film and build a case for potential investors. Here’s how his approach fits the P.R.O.V.E. Method™:

The takeaway? AI may help you get your story made, but it’s the audience that helps you understand whether it's working.

For more on Jamien’s process and the tools he used, visit IndieFilmROI.com.

“and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs…” – Exodus 31:3-4 (ESV)

When God instructed Moses to build the tabernacle, He chose Bezalel to help carry out the work. That meant everything from shaping precious metals to carving wood and setting stones. Each task called for a different skill, along with patience and a steady hand.

Some details would be admired by everyone. Others might go unnoticed. But the care put into the work didn’t depend on who would see it.

It’s easy to rush through the smaller things when there’s a deadline to meet or another project waiting. Sometimes we focus so much on finishing that we pay less attention to how we do it.

Of course, that doesn’t mean every detail needs to be perfect or that taking longer makes the work better. There’s a difference between being meticulous for its own sake and taking pride in doing something well.

As you go about your week, think about where a little more attention might make a difference, even if no one else notices.

Until next time,

THE PLUMB NEWS TEAM

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