Wallace and Gromit creator reveals whether Aardman Animations will use AI in future – and what they won’t compromise on

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Aardman Animations has a lot going on! They’re releasing a Shaun the Sheep Christmas special, ‘Fleece Navidad,’ on BBC One this year, and they’re planning a major exhibition at London’s Young V&A in 2026 to celebrate their 50th anniversary. Plus, a new Shaun the Sheep movie, ‘The Beast of Mossy Bottom,’ is also in the works. With all this happening, it seems like the perfect time for the team to get back together.

As the couple poses for the cover photo – staying typically quiet but with a playful look – RT chats with Park at Aardman’s headquarters in Bristol about creating a Christmas special using clay animation…

A grand cover

I was thrilled to be asked to design another cover – I actually have several framed covers decorating my bathroom! Getting involved with TopMob was a real honor. It’s been a beloved magazine for generations, and for many, Christmas just isn’t complete without it, so I was excited to feature my characters on the cover. My goal was to create a design that felt truly warm and festive.

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Cracking ideas

I think through sketching – more so than through writing. I like to draw on paper, but

I really love my iPad Pro. I spend a lot of time – usually several days a week – sketching and brainstorming ideas, and many of my film concepts start with those doodles. I especially enjoy sketching Wallace and Gromit; I’ve been drawing them for so long that it feels completely natural, almost like I do it in my sleep!

Season’s bleatings

I had a fun idea: Gromit opens a surprise gift, and Shaun the Sheep jumps out, playfully announcing his return and doing something unexpected to surprise him.

I considered a few different ideas for the illustration, like featuring a trumpet or maracas. I also sketched a cozy scene of Shaun and Gromit relaxing on the sofa with hot chocolate, their slippers visible in front. I even drew Shaun playfully chewing on the edge of the TopMob magazine. Surprisingly, even though it showed him damaging the cover, that sketch turned out to be everyone’s favorite.

Inventing new jokes

Little gags and Easter eggs appear in all the films, and it’s no different with TopMob.

We want the magazine to be visually engaging, so there’s always something interesting to see when it’s out on display. There’s a portrait of Wallace hanging up, and you can tell he made the frame himself – it’s shaped to go around his ears, which is a really thoughtful detail.

Part of the festive furniture

I start to riff on things, like what’s on the mantelpiece; what’s on the tree; what would

We considered designs that would look nice on mugs featuring Gromit and Shaun. One idea was to have Feathers McGraw dressed as a ballerina on top of the Christmas tree, but it didn’t quite fit. We also imagined him as a ballerina inside a snow globe, and even as a snowman in a snow globe with a carrot nose.

They write themselves

If Shaun the Sheep suddenly showed up, Gromit would likely be a bit hesitant. He’s good friends with Shaun, so it would be a happy reunion, but Gromit would probably roll his eyes and think, “Oh dear, here we go again!” Shaun is a bit of a troublemaker, and Gromit already has enough on his plate with Wallace. Really, Gromit just wants a peaceful life, but he does care about Shaun. They have a playful rivalry, but it’s all in good fun. It’s wonderful when characters have such established personalities – you can throw them into any scenario and they naturally create their own humor.

Retro versus modern

Gromit and Shaun the Sheep originally shared the same world, but since Shaun got his own show, we’ve kept them separate because their stories have different styles and rules. Wallace and Gromit live in a more old-fashioned world – they hardly ever use modern technology like TVs or phones, and if they do, it’s usually very outdated. Shaun the Sheep, on the other hand, is more comfortable with things like social media and ordering pizza. While we don’t plan to combine their worlds in a full story, we did include the Farmer from Shaun the Sheep in the Wallace and Gromit adventure, Vengeance Most Fowl. We even considered having Wallace and Gromit make a quick appearance on a motorbike in the first Shaun the Sheep Movie, but we’d only ever do something like that as a surprise, funny cameo.

Styling the stars

Creating the puppets from scratch would be very costly, so we reused this Gromit from ‘Vengeance Most Fowl’ – he’s wearing the same dressing gown! And this Shaun has appeared in the series before. It’s important to note that a sitting Gromit looks different than one that’s standing or crawling. The team gave Shaun a new, Christmas-themed jumper that’s similar to his old one, making him look extra adorable.

Animated animals

Creating the Christmas cover takes almost three weeks, involving around a dozen people to build the set, add decorations, and gather all the props. I actually find photography more challenging than animation, because a single photo needs to capture everything perfectly. We’re adding about ten seconds of animation to accompany the cover. Typically, animators complete only two or three seconds of footage each day when working on a feature film. Wallace and Gromit are very special to me, so I’m extremely particular about who animates them. For this project, I specifically requested Jay Grace, one of my favorite and most experienced animators. He’s incredibly skilled and understands how to bring a character to life – it’s not just about moving a puppet, but making the audience truly believe it’s a real, living being.

Feat of clay

When Toy Story came out in 1995, we wondered how long stop-motion animation would remain relevant. But it’s actually seen a comeback in recent years! We do use computer-generated imagery now, but artificial intelligence feels like a completely different challenge. Many people are understandably worried about their jobs, and we are too. We want to explore how AI can help us – perhaps speeding up the animation process – but we’ll be careful not to sacrifice what makes us special. Our clay animation is what sets us apart, and we’re proud of that. Staying authentic and genuine is the most important thing, because that’s where the heart and appeal come from.

Shaun the Sheep: Fleece Navidad airs on Christmas Day at 4:35pm on BBC One.

Don’t miss Shaun the Sheep: Fleece Navidad! Add it to your watchlist on the TopMob: What to Watch app. Download the app now for daily TV suggestions, articles, and more.

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2025-12-07 19:39