LAIKA, Inc.

I found LAIKA's internship opportunity through LinkedIn. I had a Zoom interview with three supervisors in the camera team and they shared a little about the practices of LAIKA and the expectations of me as an intern, and that was to learn as much as I can during the time that I am there. My direct supervisor was in charge of all things that happened on stage. There was another camera intern along with myself. 

LAIKA specializes in stop motion feature films, and as a Camera Intern, my position was to assist the animators in getting the shots they needed. The program used the majority of the time was DragonFrame, a stop-motion animation program, and Kuper, a software that controls rigs for motion control. We helped in assisting animators in their testing units, taking images for puppets, props, and other landscape or miscellaneous items that were needed to be submitted for approval. 

As the internship progressed, they also spent time teaching us how to use the software Kuper, which was the main responsibility of an AC as they programmed motion control moves for the animators. We were also given the opportunity to be involved in a lighting exercise, where the other Camera intern and I had to match the lighting of a specific frame in one of their previously released movies. The DP of that film happened to be on this current film set, and he was able to come and give us notes and tips on how to improve our lighting.

One of the things I really appreciated about the team was that everyone really valued and uplifted each other's learning, never making one feel smaller for not knowing something. I found that really special, and being given this opportunity to be able to be in an environment like this really changed my perspective on work and how a healthy and uplifting work environment should be.

This internship has definitely opened more opportunities to pursue various other camera position roles that don’t just exist in the film and video industry, and I’m so grateful for that. I truly enjoyed being a part of the team in LAIKA for the time I was in and I am so excited to see what is in store next.