Are you familiar with the story of Aardman Animations? It’s 40 years of plasticine joy, lots of imagination, and characters to fall madly in love with. The studio first got started in the British city of Bristol in the 1970s with stop-motion clay animation shorts like Wallace and Gromit, Morph, and Creature Comforts. With Chicken Run, which is still the highest-grossing stop motion animated feature of all time, the studio moved into feature film and Hollywood blockbusters together with DreamWorks. While the studio embraced new technology and 3D animation, it also stayed true to its roots with miniature sets and clay characters.
The documentary touches on iconic moments in animation history, like how the famous train chase scene in The Wrong Trousers came together and what made Shaun the Sheep become a world celebrity. Aardman always kept that sense of British comedy shining through in their films, and many people talk about what a profound influence the studio has had on them. Amongst them are directors and animators like Terry Gilliam, John Lasseter, and Matt Groening. It’s easy to say that Aardman has made the world a better place through their heartwarming stories.
