Shaun the Sheep Movie!

I've just been to watch the new 'Shaun the Sheep Movie' that was amazing, but what more do you expect form Aardman. The use of cinematography and lighting was sublime, I was especially impressed by the lighting in the nighttime scenes which where clear yet still conveyed the time of day through the blue hues in the mise en scene. The film was definitely made for a younger audience rather than a 22 year old (I was one of the only adults in the audience that wasn't a parent), but the incorporation of adult jokes and they way they paid homage to films such as 'Silence of the Lambs' really made the film great for all ages. I love the way Aardman have such an easily recognisable style, especially in the faces of their puppets. This style travels all the way through their films, whether it be 'Wallace and Gromit' or 'Pirates', the way Aardman creates their characters with their classic round eyes, sculpted faces and lovingly crafted outfits stems all the way through their portfolio. I have always been a massive fan of Aardman as I grew up watching 'Wallace and Gromit' and I'm glad that the Bristol based studio still continues to produce top quality stop motion animation today, especially considering it's one of the last stop motion studios left in the UK.

What I found the most inspirational was the way the sets had been produced. Currently I'm working on creating the concept art for my own stop motion animated feature as part of my Masters course and I want to emulate the textures used in the backgrounds for 'Shaun the Sheep' in my own movie. The way the grass and bushes was created looked authentic and made me feel as though I was in the countryside. This was juxtaposed by the harsh environment of the city, with it's hard edges and the dark dank colours in the  animal containment cells of A. Trumper. I think the finishing touches of mud on the bus, dirt in the caravan and graffiti in the city made it really stand out as it looked like a world you could go out and explore with a history and a "lived in" feeling. Overall it was definitely one of my favourite Aardman films to date and I would definitely recommend seeing it. I hope that I am able to convey the same sense of realism mixed with stylization in my own work. My only complain is I can't find an art of book!