Wallace and Gromit: Most Birds' Revenge follows beloved inventor Wallace and his loyal dog Gromit as they embark on a new adventure. Wallace, with the best of intentions, created a Norbot to help Gromit with his gardening tasks. It doesn't take long for things to go wrong and an old enemy, Feathers McGraw, re-enters the picture.
Nick Park first introduced the characters Wallace and Gromit in 1989 with the release of the stop-motion animated short film A Grand Day Out. The duo's previous feature film, Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Werewolfwon the award for Best Animated Feature Film in 2006. There are already a lot of rumors about awards surrounding Wallace and Gromit: Most Birds' Revengebringing several nominations from groups of critics.
TelaRant interviewed Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham about Wallace and Gromit: Most Birds' Revenge. They discuss the evolution of technology since the world first encountered these lovable characters, and their decision-making process for when to use it and when not to use it. The directors also talk about the unfortunate passing of Peter Sallis, the original voice of Wallace, and Ben Whitehead's transition into the role.
Wallace and Gromit when it comes to technology: “Who needs that?”
“The phrase you're looking for or the word you're looking for simply never comes up.”
ScreenRant: What was the inspiration behind Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl?
Nick Park: Yeah, it was very much about the love affair we have with technology these days, what it's for, and that lends itself a lot to comedy. I mean, how often do I use my phone and with autocorrect, who needs it? The phrase you are looking for or the word you are looking for simply never appears.
Merlin Crossingham: It's an observation about our reliance on technology, and what's the balance? What really makes things better in our lives? And if we're honest, what doesn't happen? What is the balance to be achieved there?
Ben Whitehead could always do a great Wallace imitation
“Ben kind of became Peter’s replacement, which was great for everyone.”
ScreenRant: Can you talk about the transition to Ben Whitehead as the voice of Wallace following the unfortunate passing of Peter Sallis?
Nick Park: I mean, obviously, very sad to lose Peter, of course. He was Wallace, so who could live up to that? But we were very blessed that Ben actually came into the picture while Peter was still around, in Curse of the Were-Rabbit. He was playing a background actor and met Peter, and we found out he could imitate Wallace really well.
Merlin Crossingham: Yeah, and at that point, Ben kind of became Peter's replacement, which was great for everyone. And as Wallace & Gromit grew in popularity, things like computer games or satellite navigation for cars, Peter couldn't or wouldn't do that. And then Ben would enter the picture. He had, for us, quite a long transition into the role. But this, of course, is his first opportunity to have a leading role in a major film. We are very proud of what he achieved for us. It's been brilliant.
Nick Park: He saved the day for us.
If Aardman Animation is going to use CG, they will only do so if it fits into the Wallace & Gromit world
“We've used it in the past, in most of our films, but not as much, mainly because it didn't look good.”
ScreenRant: How do you decide when to use traditional claymation stop-motion animation and when to bring in advances in technology?
Nick Park: On a basic level, we try to stay on camera as much as we can. Real models, real clay with different materials, but clay for all the expressive parts. That's part of the spirit of it.
Merlin Crossingham: That's really the heart and soul of it. And from there, if we can't create a scene in front of the camera with the real puppets, then we ask the question: OK, so what's the solution? Is it filming another set and compositing it, perhaps using established blue or green screen technology, or is it for visual effect?
Do we need to resort to computer-generated imagery for particle effects like water, smoke, or steam? Things that are actually very challenging to do with any sophistication in stop motion. The most important thing, though, is that if we use this, it feels appropriate to the world of Wallace and Gromit. It was not always possible to make this happen.
So using CG water, we've used it in the past in most of our films, but not as much, mainly because it didn't look good. But now we can, well, I say we, the royals, our CG department, can manipulate it in such a way that it fits perfectly into the stop motion world of Wallace and Gromit. This has been very, very vital to the entire process.
About Wallace and Gromit: The Most Fowl's Revenge (2024)
Gromit's concern that Wallace is becoming too dependent on his inventions proves justified, when Wallace invents an “intelligent” gnome that appears to develop a mind of its own. When it's discovered that a vengeful figure from the past may be the mastermind, it's up to Gromit to battle sinister forces and save his master… or Wallace may never be able to invent again!
Source: Screen Rant Plus