Shaun a bleating wonder
James Croot ‘There’s always a sense of comedy and fun, but also with heart.
HHe’s the claymation creation who adorns backpacks, lunchboxes and was the face of the Rugby World Cup. reports.
e’s the bit player who became a global icon. A star of few words who has captivated audiences around the world.
And, with no disrespect to Dolly or New Zealand’s own Shrek, surely now the most famous ovine in history.
However, Paul Kewley, the producer of Shaun the Sheep’s latest adventure Farmageddon (which opened in New Zealand cinemas this week) admits that he and creator Nick Park never expected him to become Aardman Animation’s most recognisable and beloved character when he first introduced him in Wallace and Gromit’s 1995 short A Close Shave.
So how did he end up adorning everything from lunchboxes and backpacks, have his own long-running TV series, inspire a Swedish theme park and be the face of the 2015 Rugby World Cup?
‘‘I think Nick, when he did the original design of Shaun, hit on something really interesting, which Richard Starzak evolved throughout the TV series,’’ theorises Kewley. ‘‘They created a character that we all want to be.
‘‘He’s the kid who loves to do the wrong thing, but does it with a knowledge of what he’s doing. He’s a bit cheeky, he’s full of life, he enjoys himself. There’s also a kind of family dynamic within the flock that makes the show universally recognisable.’’
Kewley is also convinced the characters’ lack of dialogue has also contributed to the show and movies transcending race and culture.
Aardman model maker Jim Parkyn agrees, saying that while they were all surprised that a Close Shave’s six-minute cameo has spawned footstools and facecloths, it’s thrilling to find Shaun the Sheep lovers in every corner of the world.
‘‘I’ve been in Stuttgart, with 2000 people belting out the theme tune, listened to Hong Kong children singing along and buying up all the merchandise.
People might not have heard of Aardman Animations, but they will have heard of Shaun the Sheep.’’
Accompanied by Shaun, ‘‘the little lamb with a lot to learn’’ Timmy and new star Lu-La (each about a 15-centimetre-high combination of resin, silicon clay and, in the sheep’s case, synthetic fleece), Parkyn and Kewley are speaking to me in Macau, ahead of last month’s premiere of Farmageddon at the Macau International Film Festival.
It would be one of the most well-attended screenings at the week-long festival. The Macau
Cultural Centre’s main auditorium was packed with families laughing along to myriad slapstick moments and copious visual puns.
Parkyn says that’s a formula they’ve stuck to at Aardman from the very beginning. ‘‘Nick Park has a saying – ‘keep things funny and thumby’. He believes that allowing the audience to see the animator’s fingerprints on the characters enables them to enter the world you’re trying to create.’’
That though, was one of the biggest challenges on Farmageddon, says Kewley, ‘‘how to take that kind of thumby world and make it expansive and feel like a big movie’’.
‘‘After the first film [2015’s Shaun the Sheep Movie ]we thought, ‘where do you take it next after the city?’ We kind of landed on outer-space very quickly, so we spent a lot of time expanding our universe, while trying to keep it authentic – hopefully we’ve managed that.’’
When it came to creating their alien visitor Lu-La, Kewley says the design team took inspiration from 1950s screen depictions of UFOs, with her silhouette based on a beam of light.
Describing the process of coming up with her look as truly collaborative, Parkyn says they’ve become much better at making movies over the past 20 years. ‘‘Chicken Run was a fiveyear process. Farmageddon was a lot more streamlined, mainly because we already had most of the assets.’’
That said, Shaun has evolved and been refined for his latest outing, admits Parkyn. ‘‘We’re now on Mark 5 or 6, I think.’’
Kewley also paid tribute to Justin Fletcher, who provides the voice of Shaun. ‘‘Surprisingly, there is a big talent pool for sheep noises in Britain. But it’s also a surprisingly difficult process, especially to be expressive and tell a story.’’
Parkyn agrees, saying Fletcher’s skill is being able to create a definitive difference between a ‘‘nervous bleat or a victorious bleat’’. ‘‘It’s the ability to express everything from funny beats, through to very emotionally heart-rending moments.’’
The pair both admit that the rise of streaming services has meant the demand for stopmotion animation globally has never been higher. However, they also believe that, despite having more competitors, Aardman will continue to be at the forefront.
‘‘The thing I love about Aardman,’’ says Kewley, ‘‘is that it’s all about story and finding characters and stories that are universal. There’s always a sense of comedy and fun, but also with heart.’’
PAUL KEWLEY
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (G) is screening now.