The slogan for the revered stop-motion animation studio Laika is “Handmade in Oregon,” and with their newest and sixth work, Wildwood, the studio was given the chance to proudly exhibit Oregon and its biggest city Portland.

The film had been in development for almost two decades. Laika Studios optioned the source material, an illustrated novel of the same name, a mere week after said novel’s release in 2011. Perhaps better known for being the frontman of the indie rock band The Decemberists, Wildwood author Colin Meloy has lived in Portland since 2000, alongside his wife, who was the book’s illustrator, and their two children. Meloy incorporated numerous elements of Portland into the novel that can now be seen on the big screen in dazzling stop-motion, including the landmarks St. John Bridge and Pittock Mansion.

Kicking off the events of the story, a girl’s baby brother is abducted by a murder of crows. Crows, Portlanders may recognize, are synonymous with the city, nesting around 20,000 during the Winter months. A murder of crows however is a difficult, intricate thing to animate, especially in stop-motion, and it is far from the only aspect of the film that required a lot from its animators. Wildwood director and producer Travis Knight referenced this complexity in an elaboration on the film’s long development, explaining “it asked more of us than we were capable of giving 16 years ago.”

Nevertheless, this dedication and attention to detail has resonated with audiences, particularly Portlanders. One such Portlander is Meloy’s wife and the source material’s original artist Carson Elis, who described her own feelings on the finished film, stating, “I feel like it hits all the Portland notes.”