Wallace & Gromit is more than an animated series. It is an institution.
Since arriving on screens almost 30 years ago, the quirky and bespoke show has defined the epitome of stop-motion entertainment.
How They Donut takes us behind the scenes of the show’s final short film, A Matter of Loaf and Death, to reveal how creator Nick Parks and his team bought the duo to life.
The featurette goes beyond standard behind the scenes fare to inspect the intricacy of creating stop-motion on a television budget and with minimal crew. Watching Parks act out each shot to guide the animators, or set dressers meticulously painting each hand-crafted prop, is nothing short of awe-inspiring.
A Matter of Loaf and Death aired on Christmas Day, 2008, 13 years after the previous episode. With 14.4 million viewers, it was the most-watched program of the year in the UK. Its second showing received 7.2 million views on New Year’s Day.
In all, it’s a fantastic preview of what fans can expect to see as part of the Wallace & Gromit and Friends: The Magic of Aardman exhibition, which opens on June 29 at Melbourne’s ACMI.
Currently in town to hold some events as part of the exhibit, studio heads Peter Lord and David Sproxton told the ABC why, after trying their hand at major films in the US, they have chosen to remain in their Bristol, UK base.
“I understand that they want a big commercial success in their own territory. We want the success too, heaven knows, of course we do. But we believed in staying true to our roots — that’s important to us.”