H-B Exec is New Laika VP
Former Lucasfilm VP Alan Keith Laika's New Chief Financial Officer
Sep 13, 2007
Laika Entertainment CEO Dale Wahl announced two new appointments for the Portland-based animation studio.
Former Lucasfilm and Hanna-Barbera executive Alan Keith joins Laika as their new vice-president of business operations and chief financial officer.
"Alan's diverse set of business and financial skills is critical to Laika at this time in our company's growth," said Wahl in his announcement on the company’s website. "He has excellent experience balancing creative and business perspectives, and he will make a significant contribution to Laika's advancement in the animation and commercial production businesses."
Seasoned New Brass in Portland-Based Studio
Keith has over 20 years of finance experience in both the corporate and movie studio worlds. Prior to joining Laika, he was the corporate finance director at biotech company Genentech Inc. Previous to that, he was the corporate vice-president of administration and secretary at Lucasfilm. He also oversaw financial and business operations for Industrial Light and Magic and Skywalker Sound, as well as administration for Singapore-based animation studio Lucasfilm Animation.
Long-time Laika animator Travis Knight becomes the studio’s new vice-president of animation.
He was formerly the studio’s head of animation, and continues to perform many of those same duties. He’s also the lead animator on Laika’s first feature film, the stop-motion Coraline.
"Over the past two years, Travis has played an increasingly active role in the studio's creative direction in his role as head of Laika's animation department," said Wahl. "His appointment as VP is a logical move for the studio, and allows us to continue to benefit from his considerable creative talent and valued leadership skills."
Produced Emmy-Award Winner with Eddie Murphy
Knight first joined Laika in 1998, back when it was still Will Vinton Studios. He was one of the animators for The PJ’s, the stop-motion television show starring the voice of Eddie Murphy. Vinton produced the Emmy-winning show along with Imagine Entertainment and Eddie Murphy Productions.
Knight also worked on Vinton’s Emmy award-winning series Gary & Mike for UPN, and was the supervising animator on the 2004 OIAF Jury Prize-winning CGI short Moongirl.
The director of Moongirl was Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas), who is also directing Coraline. The stop-motion movie, which was adapted from the best-selling children’s book by Neil Gaiman, stars the voices of Teri Hatcher, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders and Dakota Fanning. Quirky pop group They Might Be Giants is recording and performing the score. Focus Features (Brokeback Mountain, Lost in Translation) will distribute the film sometime in 2008.
After Coraline, Laika has two CGI projects in development. The first is Jack & Ben, an original script about brotherly love set in the animal kingdom. The second is Here Be Monsters, and adaptation of the best-selling children’s novel by writer/illustrator Alan Snow.
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