Meet our Interns (1 of 2)

By Britt Appleton

Our winter interns are a hard-working and talented bunch. We're so proud, and we want to show them off.

First up: Prasad, Kristy, and Siddhant.

Prasad Narse is from Mumbai, India. He is an animation intern in our CG department. Prasad has been a fan of animation since he was little, when his dad would take him to the theater to watch animated movies. He preferred 2D animation as a kid, but once he saw Kung Fu Panda and Wall-E, he decided to make a career in 3D animation.

In 10 years, Prasad hopes to be directing feature-length animated films. If he were an animated character he would be Master Po Ping.

"I mostly like him because he shows us how to enjoy each and every part of our lives." More than anything in the world Prasad hates smoking. "Eat healthy, be stronger!" He could live on tea, wheat bread and butter.

To see more of Prasad's work, visit his website his Facebook page, or his twitter.

Kristy Kay is a Concept/Storyboard intern from the Bay Area. She was first drawn to animation by James and the Giant Peach. When she saw that movie she knew she wanted to become a visual development artist.

In 10 years Kristy hopes to be traveling and creating beautiful artwork, with close friends by her side. If she were an animated character, she would be Dory from Finding Nemo because she loves that positive outlook. Just keep swimming! More than anything Kristy hates spiders and the dentist. She could live on Flaming Hot Cheetos and coffee. Bonus fact: Kristy is a twin, and her sister is also very creative.

For more from Kristy, visit her website.

Siddhant Sakoskar is a Compositor Intern from Mumbai, India. Sidd loves animation for its ability to tell stories. In 10 years he'd like to be on the forefront of an animated film or animated short. If he were any animated character he would be Olaf from Frozen. Just like Olaf, he enjoys all kinds of crazy weather.

More than anything, Sidd hates hate. "We all need to learn to like everything and everyone or just ignore, if we can't like them." He could live on his mom's home-cooked Shrimp Biryani. Fun facts: He's got Bollywood dance moves, loves mimicking accents, is a huge comedy fan and a Cricket enthusiast. Also, he loves rain.

You can see more from Sidd on his website, on twitter, Instagram, and Soundcloud.

Meet our Interns (2 of 2)

Last week you met Kristy, Prasad, and Siddhant. Now we'd like to introduce you to Diamond, Emma, and Joyce.

Diamond Wheeler grew up in St. Louis, and moved to Oklahoma after college to work as a motion graphics artist. He has always been interested in cartoons. He made flip books as a kid, but moved digital when he got older. In 10 years he hopes to be in a studio working on anything related to VFX. His love for FX is only growing. If Diamond were an animated character, he would be Johnny Bravo minus the blond hair. "That guy's a stud." More than anything, Diamond hates selfies and Bieber. He could live on coffee supplemented with pizza, sushi, and gyros. Fun facts: Diamond got married in August. His wife, Candace, and their Westie, Murdoch, are back in Oklahoma. He loves sports, barbecuing, and brewing beer. For more from Diamond check out his demo reel, his website, and his twitter.

Emma Van Halsema is from Charlotte, North Carolina. She's here because she loves making very tiny things. Officially, she's here as the Set Fabrication Intern. She loves stop motion animation for it's being handmade. "You're transported to a completely different world! I think the painstaking work it takes to actually make the film really shows. It's very rewarding." In 10 years she hopes to be making so many things with her hands that her fingerprints have worn off. If she were an animated character she would be in Fantastic Mr. Fox because she loves the little houses they live in. More than anything she hates boredom and she could live on sweet potatoes. Fun facts: Emma loves folk music from the 1920s. For more from Emma, visit her website.

Joyce Lee is a Visual Development Intern from LA. She loves Portland and is excited to be here at LAIKA/house expanding her industry knowledge. She loves animation for the way it brings so many talented artists together to create a film. In 10 years she hopes to be working as a visual development artist for feature animation. If Joyce were an animated character she would be Edna Mode from The Incredibles. More than anything she hates being cold and not having a sweater. Fun facts: Joyce could live on french fries and has a pet rabbit named Kiwi. Kiwi is a lionhead rabbit, so it has a mane like a lion.

Meet our INTERNS (2 of 2)

Last week you met Jared, Michelle, and Brandon. This week we'd like to introduce you to Lisa, Luke, and Andres:

Lisa Chung is from Los Angeles, and is interning as a Stop Motion Art Fabricator. She was attracted to animation by Alvin and the Chipmunks, and the Rankin/Bass holiday specials. In 10 years she hopes to be in a creative place where she juggles work in animation, fabrication, and cooking, all while having time to play with the people she loves. If Lisa were an animated character she would be Bessie Higgenbottom from The Mighty B! More than anything, Lisa hates peeling Zap A Gap off her fingers, and the feeling of microfiber cloth. She could live on Spam with rice. Lisa wants the world to know that she loves Master Chef Junior. See more of Lisa's work on her website.

Luke Lee is from Korea and has loved animation since he was a kid. He is interning in Lighting/Look Development.  He worked as a 2D Cartoonist, but he prefers animation for the movement. He came to the US to learn VFX at Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Luke hates war, bugs, and anything that has many legs. You can view more of Luke's work on his website

Andres Galeano is from Colombia, and is interning in Motion Graphics. He loves animation because you can create whatever is in your head. In 10 years, Andres hopes to be directing projects, features and commercials. If he could be any animated character he would be Russell from UP. More than anything, Andres hates the fact that the world can be unfair to those who think outside the box. Andres could live on pizza, and he wants everyone to know that he is pursuing his dreams, and thinks we all need to fight for what we believe in. You can see more from Andres on his website and you can see his final thesis project here.

Meet our INTERNS (1 of 2)

This fall we welcomed six interns into the fold. They are fantastically talented and we can't wait for you to meet them. First up: Jared, Michelle, and Brandon.

Jared Broddle is from Lenexa, Kansas. He loves animation for being a seamless blend of art and technology that results in something truly beautiful. In 10 years he hopes to be working as a lead at one of his favorite studios. If Jared were an animated character, he would be Shinji from Neon Genesis Evangelion. More than anything, he hates bad driving and low fidelity music. Jared could live on Taco Bell and wants everyone to know that he loves KU basketball, building computers, and listening to vinyl records. See more from Jared on his website.

Michelle Lin is a Concept/Storyboard intern from Texas. She loves animation because it combines everything she loves about art: filmmaking, storytelling, characters, music, and more. In 10 years, Michelle hopes to be adventuring. If she were an animated character she would be Mei from Totoro so that she could ride the Catbus. Michelle hates the dentist, and could live on waffles and fish tacos. She would like the world to know that she is overly fond of bad puns and cat GIFs, and she loves the color teal. Find out more about Michelle on her blog, her Instagram, her twitter, and her portfolio.

Brandon Lake was born and raised in Los Angeles, but he left the sunshine to come be a Stage intern. He has always been into storytelling - movies, books, story-time at the library, he couldn't get enough. In school he sought to recapture some of that excitement through his own work, and found animation to be the place where he felt the most creative freedom and inspiration. In 10 years he hopes to own a home and be working in animation, directing his own shorts on the side. "Don't stop my dreaming with your foolish 'reality' and the 'crippling debt of my student loans," he says. Brandon has modeled his life off of Skeeter Valentine. More than anything in the world, Brandon hates the suffering and exploitation of children. He could live on bread and bread products. "Carbs are my bread and butter." Brandon wants everyone to know that he loves music in all its forms, and he believes you should dance no matter how stupid you look. "A finger-pointing, hip-shaking twist, with a firm overbite, is a sign of someone who knows how to have a good time." You can see more of Brandon on his website and his vimeo.

Meet our INTERNS (2 of 3)

Part 2 of 3 - Read the first post and the third post This week, meet Siran, Lindsay and Jose - three of the 10 interns for Summer 2013.

Siran Liu is from Beijing, China. He is interning in Lighting and Look Development. Seeing characters change from a 2D design to 3D render is one of his favorite things. In 10 years he hopes to be working in an animation studio doing lighting or look development. If Siran were an animated character he would be Dori, from Finding Nemo, because of her optimistic attitude. Siran hates prejudice, and could live on Chinese food and watermelon. You can see his demo reel here.

Lindsay Gilmour is from Las Vegas. She was inspired to pursue animation as a career by The Man Who Planted Trees. It was then that she glimpsed the minds behind the drawings she loved. In ten years, Lindsay hopes to be drinking a beer someplace she can comfortably call home. If Lindsay hates anything, it's pumping gas. She could live on vegetarian burritos, and she loves indoor rock climbing.

Jose Diaz is from Panama City, Panamá. He is interning in Motion Design & Compositing. He is passionate about storytelling, and chose animation because it's his favorite to watch. In ten years he hopes to be in a directorial or art direction position. If Jose could be any animated character, he would be Otto from Rocket Power. He hates when he has to work in a file whose layers haven't been named. He could live on Thai food alone, and he loves playing soccer.

Estrif | Senior Thesis from Jose Diaz on Vimeo.

Photos by Jedidiah Fugle

Meet our INTERNS (3 of 3)

Part 3 of 3 - Read the first post, and the second post. This week, meet Simon, Michelle, Brian, and Jon - four of the ten interns for Summer 2013.

Simon Thelning is from Queanbeyan, Australia. He loves animation because it's, as he says, "the perfect fusion of drawing, coming up with stories, watching movies, having serious arguments about imaginary stuff, reading about history, observing the world, talking about art, making sound effects with your mouth..." If Simon was an animated character, he would be some sort of benign object turned into a sidekick, like an enchanted bike or a wise-cracking catheter. He hates when books get reprinted with the movie poster as its cover. He could live on cereal, or Vegemite on toast. He wants everyone to know that he loves to use the phrase, "crème de la crème." But he can't pronounce it. Check out Simon's work here.

Michelle Kwon is from Seoul, South Korea and then Virginia. She is here to learn and make friends. Dragon Ball Z got her interested in animation. In 10 years she imagines she'll be lying in a hammock near a beach, playing her ukelele. If Michelle were an animated character, she'd be Russell, from UP. She hates negativity (and insects.) She could live on rice, and she wants you to know that she was NOT named after the ice skater. Check out Michelle's blog here.

Brian Aebi is a local, from Salem, Oregon. He is interning in Motion Design/Compositing. He will be happy with wherever he is in 10 years as long as he has a Winnebago. If he were an animated character he would be Hobbes. Brian hates being bound by time, peanut butter, and hashtags that include the word "vibes." He could live on popcorn or strawberries, and he wants everyone to know that he can milk goats. Check out his blog here, and his demo reel and website here.

Jon Upton is from Western New York. in 10 years he hopes to be an art director or production designer. Or an actor or writer. If he were an animated character he would be Edna Mode from The Incredibles. He hates when strangers on the sidewalk touch him. He could live on bubble tea, naan, or peanut butter toast. Check out his blog here.

Meet our INTERNS (1 of 3)

Part 1 of 3

For the last four years, LAIKA/house has hosted young talent from around the globe and invited them to play with our established artists in CG, stop motion and 2D.  Meet the 10 members of this year's Class of Interns and see where the future of animation is headed... to a good place.

Read part 2 of 3 - Siran, Lindsay and Jose.

First up: Sharon Huang, Quay Mims and Gang Maria Yi.

Sharon Huang is from Taoyuan, Taiwan. She's interning in the Concept/Storyboarding department to improve her design skills and learn from industry professionals, and because if she wasn't working, she would be laying on her couch eating Cheetos in front of the TV all summer. In 10 years she plans to be on vacation with her family in Europe. She hates Shiitake mushrooms, and could live on red curry. Sharon is proud to be Taiwanese Canadian! Check out her blog here, and a great comic she drew about working at LAIKA/house here.

Quay Mims is from Texas. He is a Lighting/Look Development intern. He always wanted to draw for animated films but Toy Story pushed him into 3D animation. In 10 years he hopes to have achieved world domination. He could live on pizza, and went to school at Brigham Young University in Utah. Check out his blog here.

Gang Maria Yi is from Korea. She's interning as a CG modeler. In ten years she plans to be a big nerd who works at the studio 24/7. Rude people stay away; she can't stand you. She could live forever on an endless bowl of white rice. She would like everyone to know, "You can talk to me. I am not harmful; it's just my eyes." Check out Maria's blog here.

Photos by Jedidiah Fugle