Aardmand Stopmotion Professional

2024 

Arriving at Aardman Animation on the first day was very exciting. Thanks to Google Maps I navigated from my new home in Montpelier, a lovely residential part of Bristol, to the Aardman Studios on Gas Ferry Road. Over the course of five weeks, walking back and forth, I became well-acquainted with the area. The studio is located on a small island in Bristol’s city centre and it is surrounded by the city’s harbour, which itself is a marvel with its narrow channel and the most extreme tidal levels in the world.

On the first morning, all twelve participants gathered outside, excited to meet one another for the first time. We were greeted by Amy, our course coordinator, who welcomed us into Aardman’s stunning main hall. Entering the building was both awe-inspiring and a bit overwhelming. The space, designed with a beautiful three-level atrium, was filled with larger-than-life puppets, film props, awards, and artwork. A gallery wall showcased early sketches for Wallace & Gromit and a colourful comic art piece telling the story of Aardman’s founders, Peter Lord and David Sproxton, and their 40-year journey of success.

There was a great buzz among the group as we got to know each other. We were a mix of nationalities—hailing from Ireland, the UK, France, Belgium, the USA, and Brazil—and we quickly formed a bond that would carry us through the intensive weeks ahead.

The course kicked off swiftly. With only five weeks, Aardman had ambitious goals for us, especially since we were the guinea pigs for this brand-new course. Our leader, Will Beecher, was not only an inspirational figure but also an incredible teacher. Will joined Aardman at just 19 years old, and has risen through the ranks to become lead animator. Most recently he was the animation director on the upcoming Wallace & Gromit film. This was his first time leading a full-time course at the Aardman Academy, and we were incredibly fortunate to learn from someone with such a wealth of experience.

The five-week course was well-structured, with sessions running from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. Alongside our hands-on animation work, we had masterclasses in rigging, lighting, and rig removal in After Effects, plus talks from veteran animators. One standout was Lloyd Price, head of animation at Aardman, who shared insights from his 30 years with the studio!

Our primary focus was on developing character animation skills, both individually and as a group. We learned as much from each other’s experiences as from the formal instruction. The Academy was located on the top floor of the building, where we each had our own fully equipped stop-motion animation booth. Everything was set up in advance—our stages, camera, lighting rigs, laptops, and HD monitors. The booths were designed to mimic professional stop-motion setups, allowing us to work in an environment that mirrored Aardman’s actual production studios.

In my booth I met my character, Lucinda, a beautifully crafted puppet (made by Julain Clarke studios) with purple punk hair, a pink top, and blue dungarees. I quickly nicknamed her "Lucy." Her sophisticated armature allowed for subtle, lifelike movements, and I was amazed by the craftsmanship of her costume, which had been expertly tailored to enable access to her joints for animation. We began the course with a “puppet MOT”—testing her range of motion through stretches and poses. This was an essential exercise that helped me get comfortable with her capabilities.

As the weeks progressed, the tasks became increasingly challenging. Our second assignment focused on animating emotions like fear, anticipation, and celebration. Each short exercise offered a new way to explore character performance, and seeing how my peers approached the same task helped me refine my own technique.

The most challenging week for me was “Thinking Comedy.” Stuart Messinger’s gave us a talk and showed clips from Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. This was hugely inspiring, but the challenge of crafting intentional comedic timing was new territory. I struggled to complete the task in the time allotted, and though I was satisfied with my final piece, it was definitely a learning curve!

One of my favourite exercises was animating dialogue. I chose a fun audio clip about a woman’s fear of sharks, and using the puppet’s replacement mouth shapes to match the speech was an exciting and complex challenge. We had a full week to complete the task, and I enjoyed diving deep into the details of lip-syncing and timing.

The final week focused on dance animation and was the highlight for me. Up until then, all of our animation had been slow and deliberate. Now, we were encouraged to animate fast, fluid movements, which was fun. It was a perfect culmination of everything we had learned, allowing us to apply all the techniques we had learned so far.

Overall, the experience was an incredible opportunity for me at this stage in my career. Being at Aardman gave me invaluable insights into the day-to-day workings of a major animation studio. We caught glimpses of projects in production, including Very Small Creatures, and toured the puppet and prop-building workshops, where over 80 people contribute to the magic behind the scenes.

When I applied for funding for the course, I saw it as a chance to step away from the daily pressures of running Studio 9 and focus on honing my skills as a character animator. The course not only fulfilled that goal but exceeded my expectations in every way. I’ve not only gained new skills but also made valuable industry connections. The stop-motion community is small, and I now feel more confident as a stop-motion character animator and eager to apply what I’ve learned as we continue to push boundaries at Studio 9.