Wallace and Gromit Were My Childhood
Every kid who grows up in the UK has watched Wallace and Gromit at least 24 times. When I moved to America, my parents bought me a DVD of all the three classic shorts for me to watch after school. I became obsessed with the storytelling process. I went to the movie opening night in 2005, and when my parents divorced, my dad sent me the Annual books they would put out every year for the next few years. Even after all the stop-motion movies I’ve seen, Wallace and Gromit is still my favorite. But why? Why is it my favorite when dozens of movies have come out after A Grand Day Out, with better animation and production value?
I think it’s because Aardman was the Laika before Laika existed. They made their own modeling clay with Plasticine and used the same technique to animate their characters as the filmmakers for 1933’s King Kong used. They’ve always known what their characters were about. When they collaborated with Dreamworks for a five-film deal, it was scrapped after three because of how much time it took. Nick Park, the creator, specifically stated that the culture clash was the reason they refused to do more with their characters. Park said there were different business goals in mind- he didn’t want to Americanize these characters, and I agree with him. Wallace and Gromit are the products of British culture. They don’t work in another country. And they shouldn’t have to. He also refuses to show his Oscars in his house; He keeps them in his office because he considers it a victory for not just him, but everybody who worked on the project.
Filmmaking is hard. Sometimes, you can get really caught up in how much something means to you. But, it means something to everybody on set. Everyone who puts in eight hours of hard work a day. And I think Aardman knows that better than anyone because stop-motion animation is a collaborative art form first and foremost.
I really enjoyed reading this post, Miranda! I love your connection to these characters and your behind the scenes insight into the American production of these films. I do agree that some properties work best in their own respective countries and don't translate to other audiences.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love Wallace and Gromit and I agree that it's sometimes hard to put a finger on what makes this show stand out and above so many others. It's clear when watching these, even if you don't know anything about how animations or movies are made, that there's more to it than meets the eye. You can really sense all the blood, sweat and tears that go into every one of their films.
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