As it gears up to release its first feature film, Coraline, Portland-based animation studio LAIKA has standardized on Foundry Networks Inc.’s high-performance, 10-gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) switches and network management solution. Using Foundry’s BigIron RX, FastIron SX, FastIron GS, IronPoint Wireless and IronView Network Manager end-to-end, LAIKA is able to produce high-definition, computer generated motion graphics and stop-motion animation at one location with improved speed.
Owned by Nike co-founder Phil Knight, LAIKA is currently in production on Coraline, a stop-motion adaptation of the international best-selling children’s novel by Neil Gaiman. Adapted for the screen and directed by Henry Selick, the film is being shot in stereoscopic 3-D and will feature the voices of Dakota Fanning and Teri Hatcher. Films in development at th studio include Jack & Ben and an animated take on U.K writer/illustrator Alan Snow’s best-selling children’s novel Here Be Monsters.
We consulted with several of the leading animation studios and were immediately directed towards Foundry Networks as their networking vendor of choice,” says Alvaro Cubillas, VP and head of technology for LAIKA. ‘After evaluating Foundry’s switching capabilities in our testing facility, it was clear that their 10 gigabit Ethernet BigIron RX backbone and FastIron switches should become the cornerstone of our networking infrastructure. The reliability and scalability Foundry delivers allows our artists and animators to focus on what is important: the stories and character performance.’
‘With the addition of LAIKA to our ever growing roster of animation and special effects studios, Foundry has established itself as the de facto standard for high-end computer generated image creation,’ boasts Bob Schiff, VP and general manager for Foundry’s Enterprise Business Unit. Foundry Network’s other clients include Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) and Avid Technology Inc.
