Aardman invented a new stop-motion animation technique for Wallace and Gromit: Most Birds' Revenge. The franchise consists of four short films and two feature films, and there have been long gaps between releases due to the meticulous and labor-intensive nature of its stop-motion animation. The next Wallace and Gromit: Most Birds' Revengethe first film in the franchise since A question of bread and death in 2008, Wallace invents an intelligent gnome known as Norbot, designed to do housework, but develops a mind of its own.
During Screen speechDuring the set visit, co-director Merlin Crossingham detailed how Aardman invented an entirely new stop-motion animation technique for Wallace and Gromit: Most Birds' Revenge. Speaking about a scene with many Norbots in one scene, Crossingham explained how they developed an innovative technique to achieve the scene. Read his full explanation below:
We didn't have enough dolls. 5 wide by 12 deep, that's a lot of Norbots. And then we were able to have us animate a line and then that line would be attached to the motion controls. We wanted everyone to march in sync. We animate the first row, it takes a frame on a composite blue screen, and then motion control moves it back to the second row, takes a frame, moves it back, takes a frame. And then in comparison, they are layered. And we had to do that because they were passing through the light, we couldn't just do one and repeat.
What Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl's new stop-motion animation technique means for the film
The franchise continues to innovate
THE Wallace and Gromit films were innovating new stop-motion techniques since 1989 when A big day off popularized the use of plasticine (modeling clay) for animation. Aardman has also pioneered techniques to digitally remove equipment used to suspend characters, allowing for more complex sequences such as the train chase in The wrong pants. By refining the traditional 12 to 24 frames per second approach, Aardman has also achieved smoother motion while maintaining the charm of hand-drawn animation. Although rooted in traditional claymation, later projects used CGI to complement stop-motion, preserving its tactile feel and allowing for more ambitious visuals.
For your latest project, Wallace and Gromit: Most Birds' RevengeAardman invented another new stop-motion technique for animating a large crowd of Norbots without building dozens of puppets. They animated a single row of five puppets in sync, captured each frame on a composite blue screen, and used motion controls to move the row backward, repeating the process. By superimposing these ranks in post-production, they created a continuously marching crowd. This was necessary because of changes in light, so they couldn't just rinse and repeat.
Our opinion on Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl's new stop-motion animation technique
Your ambition and innovation are your greatest appeal
Aardman inventing another new stop-motion animation technique for Wallace and Gromit: Most Birds' Revenge continues to demonstrate how innovative and ambitious the franchise is. His latest technique – using motion and composition controls to animate a large crowd of Norbots – redefines what's possible in the medium while maintaining its charm. By combining meticulous craftsmanship with cutting-edge technological innovation, Wallace and Gromit continues to set the gold standard in stop-motion animation.