Aardman marks 50th birthday with immersive experience and prop auction
Aardman Animations celebrates its 50th anniversary with a 360-degree immersive show and an auction of props and puppets.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Aardman Animations, the Bristol-based studio behind Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and Chicken Run, is celebrating its 50th birthday. The company was founded in 1972 by two school friends, Peter Lord and David Sproxton, who began making animated films as a hobby. Their first character, Aardman, was a comic superhero, and they later created Morph for the BBC programme Take Hart.
The studio's big break came when Nick Park, a young animation student, joined the team. His creation, Wallace and Gromit, became a global phenomenon, winning four Oscars. Park revealed that Gromit was originally a cat, but he found a dog easier to make out of plasticine. The success of Chicken Run, the studio's first feature film, is credited with prompting the Academy to introduce a Best Animated Feature category.
To mark the anniversary, a 360-degree immersive experience is opening at the Lightroom in London, projecting Wallace, Gromit, Shaun and friends onto four 11-metre-high walls. In addition, an auction of more than 200 props and puppets from the studio's archive will give fans a chance to own a piece of Aardman history. The auction will raise money for Aardman's Academy, which trains the next generation of animators in the painstaking art of stop-motion.
The studio's prop store contains original storyboards, scripts, sets and puppets. Despite the rise of CGI and artificial intelligence, Aardman remains committed to its handmade approach, with the founders saying the authenticity and fingerprints are an important part of the brand.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | ITV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early sketches showed Gromit originally as a cat. | ||||
| Aardman was founded by two school friends. | · | · | ||
| Aardman is based in Bristol. | · | · | · | |
| An auction will sell more than 200 props and puppets. | · | · | · | |
| An immersive experience projects characters onto four 11-metre-high walls. | · | · | · | |
| Chicken Run did not win an Oscar because the Best Animated Feature category did not exist at the time; its success led to the creation of the category. | · | · | · | |
| Shaun the Sheep is broadcast in 170 countries. | · | · | · | |
| Stop-motion animation is difficult. | · | · | · | |
| The auction will raise money for Aardman's Academy. | · | · | · | |
| The immersive experience is at the Lightroom in central London. | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Focused on the studio's history from its 1972 origins, with a local Bristol perspective. Included details about the founders, Morph, Nick Park's arrival, and the Oscar success, as well as the Academy and a special live broadcast from the studios. Emphasised the cultural impact of characters like Shaun the Sheep.
- “It all started back in 1972. Long before Wallis met Gromit, Peter met David and came up with this little fella, a comic superhero for the 70s.”
- “Chicken Run amazingly did not win an Oscar because the category four best animated film did not exist.”
- “You can literally see Shaun the Sheep here in Bristol and in and out of Mongolia. It's in 170 countries.”
Centred on the 50th birthday celebration, highlighting the immersive experience and the prop auction. Featured interviews with the founders and Nick Park, including the revelation that Gromit was originally a cat. Took a warm, nostalgic tone about the studio's legacy.
- “It seems unbelievable. If I cast my mind back to 50 years ago, I can't almost connect those two young school boys more or less with where we are today.”
- “They started off with different names and I think Gromit was a cat in some of the very early sketches.”
- “To mark this anniversary, the small scale animation is getting the big screen treatment with this 360 degree immersive experience where Wallace, Gromit, Shaun and friends are being projected over four 11 metre high walls.”
Took a light-hearted, character-driven approach, celebrating the studio's achievements with a fun segment where presenters made their own clay figures. Focused on the difficulty of stop-motion and the Britishness of the characters, but did not mention the immersive experience or auction.
- “But if these two are the obvious ones that come to mind when you think of Aardman productions, there've been plenty of belters.”
- “What's magic is that the characters feel real to us and uniquely British.”
- “Now, who can I make? Let me think. Don't know about wrong trousers, but these are long trousers.”
Provided the most comprehensive coverage, including a tour of the prop store and details of the immersive show at the Lightroom. Emphasised the handmade craft and the auction's purpose of funding the Academy. Included in-depth interviews and historical context.
- “For 50 years, handcrafted puppets moving frame by frame have captivated, delighted and thrilled audiences around the globe.”
- “When I came to do the first shot in Grande Out, I realised it was really hard to manipulate his mouth. And he was more of a normal dog then, whereas then I suddenly moved his brow and found I didn't need a mouth because it said everything.”
- “In an age of computer-generated imagery, where your smartphone can be a pocket film studio, Aardman's work remains unique and much loved.”
Broadcast Timeline
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