There was a recent panic that Aardman Animation’s days were numbered as the original provider of its clay for the company stop motion films announced their retirement. News sites were quick to point out there was only enough supply for one last Wallace and Gromit film. Another prominent stop motion figure, Studio Laika, faced a similar uncertain fate in 2019 after the lackluster release of Missing Link led to losses estimated up to $75 million. 

For a while, it felt as if stop motion animation would reach its end as more unsuccessful releases and the Covid-19 pandemic caused great losses for the medium. After the recent success of Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, the art form has only propelled itself forward to newer heights.

Stop motion animation has always been an underdog in the animation medium. There are no shortcuts as each individual frame is painstakingly mapped out, sculpted, and shot by the camera. Simple factors like the temperature in your work environment or the sweat from your palms can affect the final product. Though there have been numerous technological advancements, it still requires a lot of time and effort to effectively pull off making a stop motion film. Even the most underperforming stop motion flicks contain an undeniable charm that comes with the arduous process of bringing it to life. If you can’t at least appreciate the plot, you’ll find value in the visuals and the story of how animators worked hard to give movement to the inanimate objects.

Nick Park, the driving force behind Wallace and Gromit plus Shaun the Sheep continues to share his high hopes for stop motion animation. In his recent interview with Inverse, Park points out how not even the rise of CGI and AI has deterred artists by stating, “As long as you’re telling good stories, compelling stories with compelling characters, then it’s just the technique really.” 

With the outpour of love for Wallace and Gromit’s latest hijinks, more excitement can be felt for future stop motion animation projects like Studio Laika’s Wildwood, Netflix’s My Melody and Kuromi, and Guillermo del Toro’s The Buried Giant, to name a few. 

Here’s hoping that this continued love for stop motion can continue keeping the format alive.