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'Kubo' animator uses an artist's eye and a mathematician's mind

Suburban native Mike Laubach's job as an animator requires an artist's eye and a mathematician's mind.

"I love it because it's unusual for you to find a position that requires you to use both sides of your brain," the 41-year-old Northbrook native said.

"Leonardo da Vinci used both sides of his brain rather well. He definitely was a person I looked up to."

Laubach's title, technical director, doesn't comes close to explaining what he does on films such as the animated "Kubo and the Two Strings."

Laubach creates the computer programs that control such elements as facial expressions or fur rippling.

"It's like you create the paintbrushes for the artists to make the expressions they want to paint," he explained in old art technology terms.

"You have to know how a smile looks, how the cheeks will increase in volume, how the wrinkles on the face will form," he said.

Then?

"You also have to know the mathematics and the programming behind how to make that work for the animators, so they can grab a control and either push it or slide it so that facial expressions will be activated."

"It's an interesting mix of math and fine arts," he said.

Born on Chicago's North Side, Laubach and his family moved to Northbrook where Laubach grew up and graduated from Glenbrook North High School in 1993. He immediately entered Chicago's Columbia College, where he learned how to create animated movies.

Once out of college, Laubach landed a job at Big Idea Entertainment, a Chicago (and later Lombard) animation company most noted for its "Veggie Tales" Christian-themed shorts.

Seven years later, Laubach put together a portfolio of his work and snared a job at Sony Pictures.

There, he worked on three productions with famed Chicago filmmaker Robert Zemeckis: "The Polar Express," "Monster House" and "Beowulf."

Finally, Laubach found his dream job at the Oregon-based company Laika, creator of the animated features "Coraline," "ParaNorman," "The Boxtrolls" and "Kubo and the Two Strings," released Friday.

"When I worked on 'ParaNorman,' I really felt like I was contributing to cinematic history," Laubach said. "It was a fascinating mix of high-technology and old-school craftsmanship."

So, what specifically made Laika so special?

"We were doing amazing facial animation and we were always experimenting. So when we were done with a project, we could look back and say, 'Nobody has ever done that before.'

"For me, that made it completely worthwhile, you know, like we were part of history. I still feel that way."

Laubach has a couple of other productions he's particularly proud of: Sam, 9, and Molly, 5.

"They are the thing I look forward to when I'm done with work after I come home," Laubach said. "They are another reason why I like to work with animation. It's something worthwhile and you can share it with your family."

Laubach met his wife, Elise Schaff of Detroit, in Chicago. She was working on a graduate degree in astrophysics at Northwestern University.

"I'm not sure if she was smart enough or foolish enough to let me take her out for drinks one night," Laubach said.

They married and moved into a West Loop Chicago condo before their relocation to California, and now the Portland, Oregon, area.

Laubach's parents still live in Northbrook. Dad George works construction projects. Mom Gerda is an entrepreneur who owned and operated a floral shop and The Toy Box in Northbrook.

Now, Laubach works on the fifth animated feature from Laika, identified as "Film 5" until filmmakers release a title.

Laubach continues to be moved by animation.

"You can get total inspiration by just taking a walk over into another department and see what someone else is working on," he said.

"It just takes your breath away."

• Jamie Sotonoff and Dann Gire are hunting for suburbanites in showbiz. If you know someone, contact them at jsotonoff@dailyherald.com and dgire@dailyherald.com.

Northbrook native Mike Laubach says working as a feature film animator sometimes “takes your breath away.”
Northbrook native Mike Laubach is a feature film animator on films such as “Kubo and the Two Strings,” here with Monkey and Kubo.

Animator from Northbrook moved by the Chicago way

“Kubo and the Two Strings” animator Mike Laubach, a Northbrook native, works with many people from around the world.

But he can always spot someone from the Chicago area in the crowd.

“You feel the people are just a little more straight-talking,” he said.

“They’re not going to mince words. I enjoy working with people from all over, but with a Chicagoan, you always know where you stand. There’s not any pretense.”

— Dann Gire

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