Emily Mills is a hair and fur fabricator at Laika. She is an alum of the college I currently attend – Florida State University! She is exceptionally talented, hard-working, and sweet, and was so kind to speak to me about her adventures in stop-mo fabrication, as well as give me some advice! It’s always exciting to hear from anyone working in the stop-motion industry, but to get some words of wisdom from someone like Emily who’s living the dream and actually attended my school is especially encouraging. Read ahead to hear about what it’s like to be a hair and fur fabricator at Laika!
Anisha: Tell me your story – how did you get started in film and animation, to how did you end up here? What inspired you to work in stop-motion?
Emily: Since I was younger, I’ve been into art. Painting, sculpting, all of that. I loved reading. I got out of the playing with dolls phase really late in life, I played a lot of Sims...who am I kidding? I still play with dolls! Haha!
I think Coraline is what really set me off on my stopmo journey. Then I saw The Nightmare Before Christmas. That’s when I thought, yup, that’s it, that’s what I’m doing! It was a combo of all the things I love.
My first attempt at stopmo was for a high school film class. It was very crude, very diy, whatever works! I built my set on my bedroom floor out of cardboard and popsicle sticks. I had real leaves on the ground. And wow my puppet, she was kind of scary looking haha. I found her buried in my parents’ closet a few years ago and she was so gross, just completely falling apart.
"Since I was younger, I’ve been into art. Painting, sculpting, all of that. I loved reading. I got out of the playing with dolls phase really late in life, I played a lot of Sims...who am I kidding? I still play with dolls!"
I started looking for schools where I could study animation. At first, I wanted to go to Ringling, they have a great animation reputation. The summer before my senior year of high school I ended up going to pre-college there, and honestly it was one of the worst experiences of my life. I’m a super introverted person, very shy, it takes me a while to warm up to new people and environments. Ringling was so many new things all at once. It was a month long program, where you lived on campus and took classes, you had real industry professionals as professors and all the art supplies/equipment you’d ever need. Should have been great, right? Truthfully it was incredibly intimidating being around such talented artists. I kind of lost my identity as the “art kid” since everyone there was. It was scary trying to make friends. The professors were intense, much harsher criticism than I had ever experienced in my life. It was good criticism but it was delivered in a way I had never experienced before, they were not afraid to hurt your feelings. It was rough, but it was a very eye opening experience for me. I think it gave me my first taste of the real world. I definitely grew up a lot that month.
After being thoroughly traumatized at Ringling, haha, I decided that it wasn’t the place for me. It also came with a huge price tag and frankly the number scared me. FSU’s film school was another contender on my college list so on the way back home from pre college, I stopped at FSU and immediately I thought that it felt so homey! I’d lived in the south when I was younger, maybe that was why? But everything about Tallahassee was very charming to me and FSU offered me a great deal. It felt right to go there.
Freshman year I did their First Year Abroad Program in Florence, Italy. If I studied abroad for a year I’d get in state tuition my remaining years. Sophomore year was the F1 and the Doc. Junior year was the F3, I finally got to throw myself into stop motion that year. Senior year was the thesis film, another stopmo endeavor for me. Somehow I won an award upon graduating which I wasn’t expecting at all. I was so shocked! I was not expecting that at all. I am so thankful for that award though, that money helped me a lot. It got me across the country to my first job in California, so I’m eternally grateful.
"To be honest, I kept knocking on all the stopmo doors, but no one was answering, it just wasn’t happening...I jumped on the first job I was offered that I thought I’d enjoy, which ended up being a Park Decorator at Disneyland."
After I graduated, I went back to my parents’ house for about a month and started applying for jobs. To be honest, I kept knocking on all the stopmo doors, but no one was answering, it just wasn’t happening. I didn’t want to live with my parents. My cats were not getting along with my parents’ dogs. I was just so sad being there, it hurt my ego, haha. I jumped on the first job I was offered that I thought I’d enjoy, which ended up being a Park Decorator at Disneyland. It was kind of funny, when I was little I wanted nothing more than to work at Disneyland. I wanted to be an Imagineer, so it was a good laugh for me that my first job was directly working with Imagineers. I packed up a Uhaul and drove myself and my two cats to California.
I worked at Disneyland for about 2 years. It was a good time! It was extremely hard work, working graveyard hours, very physically demanding, but it was fun to participate in the magic for a little while! But working at Disney ended up changing my life because that’s where I met my stopmo friend who introduced me to my current boss at Laika!
Anisha: What was your job at Disney?
I was a Park Decorator. I don’t know if you’ve ever watched making the magic shows, like the ABC family/Freeform specials, that sort of thing. We put up all the trees and all the decorations in Disneyland, California Adventure, Downtown Disney, and the hotels. People don’t realize how much work goes into making the magic of Disneyland. You work graveyard hours, up all night. There’s so much that goes into it besides just plopping a tree down and calling it good. It has to be safe. It has to be fireproof. It has to be earthquake proof. You have to learn all the quirks of Disneyland because it’s old, and it’s just been cobbled together over time. So there are some overpasses that you can’t drive the big trucks under, and you have to remember which ones you’ll fit through. And if there’s ever a zombie apocalypse Disneyland is the place to go because there are so many hiding spaces and shortcuts to places and stocked food. You’re set. I met a lot of awesome people there. They were honestly the best thing about working there, I loved my coworkers. But the work itself took its toll. People always are like, “Oh you’re young, you’re spry, you can’t have aches and pains yet!” But it was a very physically taxing job. You needed muscle and endurance to make it. I was the smallest person there, haha.
I was at the park daily. We had an offsite warehouse where we would fabricate in and do all of our work in and then we’d cart it all to the park in big trucks. It used to be that every maintenance department was on site, but the more they’ve built over the years, the more they’ve had to move departments out to make room for more attractions.
"I was at the park daily. We had an offsite warehouse where we would fabricate in and do all of our work in and then we’d cart it all to the park in big trucks."
Working there definitely takes away some of the enjoyment of the park. So if you’re really into Disney, don’t work there! *Laughs* It might spoil it a little bit. You can go into the park for free when you work there, but you don’t really want to be there in your free time. But let me tell you, the true luxury of working at the park is getting to see it without all of the crowds. It’s sort of magical having it be so quiet and having it all to yourself.
Anisha: Did you start with an internship or an actual job?
Emily: I started with an actual job. I met my friend at Disney, and she was previously a puppet fabricator over at Stoopid Buddy Stoodios. She gave me the email of the head of the hair and fur department at Laika and I sent an email. A very long winded novel of an email. *Laughs* And to my surprise she wrote me back! I just had a very real conversation with my now current boss, and I don’t know, I like to think that it was glaringly obvious that I was incredibly passionate about working for Laika, maybe borderline too passionate! haha But eventually I got an interview scheduled!
"She gave me the email of the head of the hair and fur department at Laika and I sent an email. A very long winded novel of an email. *Laughs* And to my surprise she wrote me back! I just had a very real conversation with my now current boss, and I don’t know, I like to think that it was glaringly obvious that I was incredibly passionate about working for Laika, maybe borderline too passionate!"
Oh my god, it was so chaotic! The day I was supposed to fly to Portland, I had to leave right when work at Disney ended to catch my flight. I walked outside to my car and saw that I had a flat tire. I panicked because I had never had a flat tire before, and I didn’t know what to do, and I needed to catch my plane! But everything ended up working out. I got there, did the interview. It was super cool just being there, I was very starstruck by everything. I wanted the job so badly.
Anisha: And you made it!
Emily: Yeah! After a decade of doggedly chasing after Laika I made it! The biggest piece of advice I can offer anyone is that you just need to be so incredibly stubborn and persistent.
Anisha: What’s your typical day like at Laika?
Emily: When I started, I didn’t know anything. All my puppet making methods were very crude compared to Laika. I came in as a Junior Hair and Fur Fabricator. They teach you everything, all their methods that they want you to know. They have hair bibles and past films you can look at to learn how things are made. I suppose the first few months were a lot of learning and trying to get muscle memory with all the different tools that we use.
"I came in as a Junior Hair and Fur Fabricator. They teach you everything, all their methods that they want you to know. They have hair bibles and past films you can look at to learn how things are made."
After you’re trained, they’ll give you a puppet wig cap and you start from there. You build all the wire mechanisms on it to make everything move. A lot of our supplies are either made and/or altered by hand. It’s a lot of just sitting at my desk and working on lots of very small things. But then a month passes, and you have this amazing gorgeous wig in front of you!
Anisha: Wow! Was it overwhelming when you first started working there?
Emily: I don’t think I was ever intimidated by the work or anything like that. I’m always the person who’s like, “Yup! Let’s do this! Let’s go!” I can say with confidence that I’m a dang good worker. But I definitely did, and still do, get starstruck by my coworkers, which they make me feel silly about. haha They’re like, “Emily, we’re your friends!” And I’m over here fanning myself being like, “Oh my god, they’re my friends!” *Laughs*
Anisha: What’s your favorite part of your job?
Emily: I like making things. I like all the tedious things that just add up. I just like being able to make art for a living, that’s pretty dang awesome! I also just really enjoy the people. They’re all so inspiring and nice. Sitting at our desks, we loudly converse with one another throughout the day, and while we’re definitely working we’re also keeping each other entertained.
"I like making things. I like all the tedious things that just add up. I just like being able to make art for a living, that’s pretty dang awesome! I also just really enjoy the people. They’re all so inspiring and nice."
Anisha: So the working environment is pretty fun?
Emily: Puppets is pretty fun! I’m in the best department possible in my opinion. The Hair Department and Puppets in general…we’re the most family type of group. We talk to each other about personal things and we hang out with each other in our free time. We try to do things like have little parties for everybody’s birthday. Sometimes we bring in treats in the morning just because! There’s a lot of love, respect, and good energy in the Hair Department!
Anisha: Do you interact with the other departments a lot? Or is everyone in their own realm?
Emily: We interact mostly with our team, like my hair team. But if I need something, I’ll go talk to other departments and vise versa, they’ll come talk to me. So I do get to wander around a little bit and meet different people, but for the most part you’re working in your area.
Anisha: Did you always want to be a hair and fur fabricator?
Emily: I remember posting a tiny wig I made on instagram back when I was working on my F3 (short film completed during junior year of college at FSU) and saying something along the lines of how nice it would be to make tiny wigs for a living. So maybe I have always wanted to do hair! But I think truthfully I just like fabricating. Whenever I have talks with my boss I’m like, “Whenever work runs out in the hair department, just put me somewhere else.” I want to keep learning! I’m my best self when I’m constantly learning.
"I remember posting a tiny wig I made on instagram back when I was working on my F3 and saying something along the lines of how nice it would be to make tiny wigs for a living. So maybe I have always wanted to do hair! But I think truthfully I just like fabricating."
Anisha: Is there a lot of stop-mo work happening in Portland?
Emily: There’s a lot going on right now, or at least before COVID-19 there was. Portland has Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio happening. Wendell & Wild is happening. That’s on Netflix with Henry Selick. Those are the big two. And then what we’re working on at Laika! But there are just so many creatives in Portland and around Portland.
Anisha: Sounds like it’s a lot of fun to work at Laika!
Emily: It is! It’s a lot of fun. Some people have different opinions than I do, just because they work in different departments or have a different culture in their department, but I really love it. I think it’s really great. I truly believe Laika cares about its employees, they offer us so many resources. We have events that we can go to [where] we can all bond with each other. We have parties sometimes where all of the animation community in Portland gets together and hangs out.
I also love that Laika allows us the luxury of time. At Disney we were all about speed and efficiency and getting as much done in as little time as possible. Here I feel like they’re more like, “Take your time and make something beautiful.” I really appreciate that mindset.
"I truly believe Laika cares about its employees, they offer us so many resources. We have events that we can go to where we can all bond with each other. We have parties sometimes where all of the animation community in Portland gets together and hangs out."
Anisha: Do you receive a lot of feedback on your work? Are there dailies?
Emily: Because I’m low on the totem pole, haha I don’t get to go to these fancy meetings yet! I’m still working on that! But there are meetings where Travis is there and he yays or nays things and gives you feedback. As for me, I get info funneled through my boss.
Anisha: Does everyone work on one wig or a different part of it?
Emily: It kind of depends on who needs help. If somebody needs help, we’ll do a group effort on one wig. But for the most part we each do a wig from start to finish!
Anisha: Do you create multiples of the wigs?
Emily: Yes. The main character is going to have like twenty of the same wig. We learn to make them so that to a certain degree they’re all the same.
Anisha: What fibers do you use to make the hair?
Emily: We use a lot of different things. I know in Paranorman they used more natural fibers. They used some hemp and goat hair. They tried using plastic bags, cutting them up and using that for hair. For the most part I’ve been learning how to work with synthetic hair.
Anisha: Anything else you would like to add? Any advice for someone like me who is interested in stop-motion?
Emily: I think literally the biggest thing is just be stubborn and keep poking at the studios. It has taken me a long time to get here. Since I got to FSU I’ve been like, “Laika! That’s where I want to be.” Heck , even before that, my goal has always been Laika. But sometimes the timing just doesn’t work out. A lot of it is just luck to be honest. You’re there at the right moment. So just keep being persistent about it. And don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t get it right away. I was definitely too hard on myself and it did me no good!
"Emily: I think literally the biggest thing is just be stubborn and keep poking at the studios. It has taken me a long time to get here. Since I got to FSU I’ve been like, “Laika! That’s where I want to be.” Heck , even before that, my goal has always been Laika."
Don’t let rejection get you down. I was telling my friend the other night, “You just haven’t found your tribe yet. It’s them looking for a specific thing. It’s not that you’re not good. You’re just not the thing that they want exactly.” So don’t think your stuff is not good just because they turn you down. Keep moving forward!
Another thing I’ve had to remember…I get kind of competitive, I constantly have the Pokémon theme song in my head like, “I WANNA BE THE VERY BEST!” Sometimes I have to step back and remind myself that my coworkers are my collaborators and not my competitors. I shouldn’t look at them with a ‘I need to surpass you’ sort of attitude. We should all be helping each other. That’s the right mentality to foster.
If you would like to learn more about Emily Mills, check out her links below:
Instagram: @emismil
Youtube: https://youtu.be/xilWnxg0Y74
To see full versions of Emily's short films, email her at: emisuemil@gmail.com
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