Animating Stop-Motion Characters at Aardman Animations

Adam Savage visits the animation offices at Aardman, where Will Becher, Animation Director of Early Man walks us through the development of the film's characters. We learn how the personalities of the characters were developed, brought to life, and kept consistent through the filming process.
Watch the trailer for Aardman Animations' Early Man here: • Early Man - NEW Traile...
Shot and edited by Joey Fameli
Produced by Kristen Lomasney
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Tested is:
Adam Savage / donttrythis
Norman Chan / nchan
Simone Giertz / simonegiertz
Joey Fameli / joeyfameli
Kishore Hari / sciencequiche
Sean Charlesworth / cworthdynamics
Jeremy Williams / jerware
Ariel Waldman / arielwaldman
Gunther Kirsch
Ryan Kiser
Intro bumper by Abe Dieckman
Thanks for watching!

[@xeno_mania]

11:03 bless you

[@GuardianThe007]

Beat me to it!

[@jebsaekam]

I love Tested for these kinds of video. People 'in the know' talking to Experts 'in the know'. I appreciate that it feels like we are part of the conversation, not being brought in. More of this style I say! MOAR! :)

[@thedr00]

I so appreciate the work of Aardman, when you consider they could do "the same thing" with motion capture, it really is for the love of the craft that they persist with plasticine. And that's magic.

[@jamiethomas18]

I'm loving all the Aardman videos, it's so nice to see behind the curtain. More of these please! Thank you

[@Willumpie]

The fascination Adam has for this stuff is so sincere, it's great to see. These video's are fun to watch just to see Adam's childish enthusiasm. Awesome!

[@greenplasticgun]

I've been an animator for 10 years, but what these guys do.....frightens me!

[@thatadamwhitley]

Every video should be genuine fans interviewing passionate people. This series is inspiring, nostalgic, and deeply enjoyable.

[@everettmillette2567]

you're beginning to speak like Adam

[@thatadamwhitley]

Everett Millette I AM Adam. Well... I am AN Adam...

[@everettmillette2567]

m' nam adum an this mifbuters

[@Animatortor]

I'm loving this series of videos at Aardman! Stop motion is seriously the best, my favourite type of animation by far - I love it so much :)

[@noakj006]

Adam once you get back to your shop (or you might be already) you should make your own version of an Aardman character stop-motion puppet.

[@two-face1041]

noakj006 they probably gave him one of himself

[@Tsumami__]

Two-Face a bust

[@alexhetherington8028]

Yeah I think he should too

[@sputnikprivate]

I think Barry killed sully from Monsters, Inc. and is now wearing his skin

[@sharonspears-mandeville2369]

Stephen Hadley huh,or unless Barry likes to dye cloth,that is...heh..?

[@veganadventure5282]

toy story 3 toilet seat cover - its horrifying

[@Lumibear.]

There’s still a ‘small company charm’ to Aardman, they’re hugely successful but they haven’t gone all Hollywood.

[@FlippytheMasterofPie]

Lumibear probably helps that their last 3 films or so have underperformed at the US box office. They’ve all been critically lauded, but they just can’t seem to market them correctly

[@severium8057]

@@FlippytheMasterofPie they're liked elsewhere The problem with the films is that they're just a bit too English for your average yank

[@craftedbyorre]

Love that Adam keeps playing with the puppet

[@richbuilds_com]

I've loved this series. Hope you have a video on the sets and other non-character models!

[@Capta1nZeb]

Thank you for this one, Adam; this whole series, but this one in particular. Have a great day.

[@CorndogNinja]

Love seeing these behind the scenes videos with Aardman! I remember getting Chicken Run as one of my first DVDs and watching all the featurettes.

[@jakobmorningstar]

Loving these stop motion videos! The guys over at Ardman are so talented!

[@AnnMarieDenham]

This is a great interview. As an animator, I really appreciated some of the questions Adam asked Will that drilled down into performance and character consistency.

[@davekite5690]

'wanted to say that I'm really enjoying this series of vid's. I was fortunate enough to work with Aardman some years ago and visited their old Studio - A great bunch of people and loved seeing their work hands on - 'hope there's more to come, especially if you get to look at the techniques the animators use. :-)

[@audio1bob]

This is totally amazing considering all the work that must go into an effort of this scale. I love it.

[@vMixMasterJayv]

Video Idea, How do they animate Jumping, Water, Hair and other effects. I think that would make an extremely interesting video Idn how many videos are pre-filmed, but if you could make a video asking about tips and info etc on their methods of different Animation effects that would be fantastic

[@Ken_Tyner]

Loving this series of the videos! I'm seeing this movie opening weekend!

[@vidskitkid]

Wow Great Interview Adam! So interesting and informative, thank you.

[@garnetk3751]

I love the process, I'm a 3d animator and I have the utmost respect for the stop motion field. I am so looking forward to seeing this movie when it comes out. his other works are adorable!

[@MrMagic1163]

Hey tested, I absolutely love these videos about Aardman. Is it possible for you guys to make a playlist about this in depth tour? Would love to be able to share a full list with my friends :) Keep up the great work, this is amazing!

[@ZaneTaylorMusic]

Love all these videos! So interesting!

[@johanbriefcase1720]

Adam is such a good host. So glad this channel exists!

[@jennifer9084]

I'm enjoying these Aardman videos. Remember they also have their own KZbin channel.

[@Dan-wq8id]

Brilliant video, thanks guys!

[@onlygazza]

Thankyou for this, it's fascinating to learn how they do it 👍

[@icequeen9]

This is so supremely interesting. Thank you so much for this video.

[@jacobstalvey]

love this series with Aardman! Go to Laika next!!

[@LeakySpigot]

I'm really loving that new opening logo!

[@charlie1872]

Fantastic,just love this.I have a character I have sketched whom I would love to make an animated model of but don't know where to begin and don't have the skills

[@jonah2353]

Mind blown 💨

[@Mr2at]

“So how do you make a stop motion film?” “We’ll, take a picture, then move the character a little bit, then take a picture, then move the character a little bit, then take a picture, then move the character a little bit, then take a picture, then move the character a little bit, then take a picture, then move the character a little bit, then take a picture, then move the character a little bit, then take a picture, then move the character a little bit. Then take a picture, then move the character a little bit, then

[@zevemiel]

...any one fancy a pint?

[@traceylyn4538]

Thank you Adam!!! My inner geek is swooning!

[@JerTheBard]

Bless you

[@iamironclaw]

11:02 "AIEEEECH!"

[@lonewolf42vf]

I grew up watching Wallace and Gromit! Totally love this Tested video 🙂

[@maxgorden499]

Adam what watch were you wearing? @14:13

[@mariaeduardacaldas5586]

That's amazing

[@theeverythingchannel2808]

That's really cool

[@FazzyFuzzbears]

11:03 BLESS YOU

[@cookiebillz5952]

bless you

[@FrogiaStopMotion]

Thanks❤

[@ChickenWire]

Next you should get them to Animate a tested video or your next intro

[@aljowen]

That would likely be a months worth of work for an intro xD Having said that, I would love to see what they would come up with if given a few days to put together a full 10 second scene. Sort of like a game jam.

[@two-face1041]

ChickenWire they should at least make a Adam clay figure

[@JanitorIsBack]

11:01 Bless you

[@lem12000]

Sweet

[@winterhaydn5640]

Wow! A British person who says "Skedjule" instead of "Shedjule". *applauds*

[@EyeBeZombie]

Winter Haydn I'm British and i too say "skedjule" i absolutely hate it when people say it the wrong way

[@melanierhianna]

Its regional. Different regions say it differently

[@lutrueson9000]

I did not like early man as much as the other Aardman productions but i can appreciate the hard work that went into it. (I guess others did not as it only got a 6.1)

[@VortexJae]

I'd love to do something like that

[@petebutler5139]

Say, "bless you" and get the lady a tissue! Hahaha

[@neatnate570]

Thats really cool

[@madrandomize5115]

Very nice ,now spray some glitter dust in the room!

[@tomkavulic7178]

0:10 "I'm in England" Yeah the background gave you away.

[@19TheChaosWarrior79]

Tom Kavulic 240 volts is where it's at. We ain't frightened lol 😁

[@lonequester]

7:04 whoa that's deep😳

[@nyjeterss]

Intense

[@everettmillette2567]

7 damn years. 7. wow.

[@dukenukem8381]

It took 12 years to make !!

[@HamidA-to8vy]

Adam raided them in their nest, so they can hide nothing from him

[@TheKento10]

got to love English term in England got to love the small difference.

[@rustyrelicsfarm2406]

I wish we could get a new Wallace and Gromit movie. I can do a spot on imitation of Wallace.

[@carlwheezerofsouls3273]

i cant manage a wallace impression, but i can do yoda, and scooby doo’s “Rehehehe” laugh, so thats good enough.

[@xtremelyrandomdude1156]

Why don’t u do myth-busters no more

[@That_FortniteKid]

interhigh?

[@GameTesterBootCamp]

Still waiting for Shaun The Sheep 2. :-)

[@diegoantoniorosariopalomin4977]

Will they adopt the AI that interpolates images , to cut down on the necessary work ?

[@weegaz22]

wouldn't hitting the fur and hair with hairspray help minimize boiling?

[@verybigron3814]

weegaz22 I believe they use a watered down pva glue treatment on fur/hair. Nick likes a little movement though, invokes a little character in the puppets.

[@two-face1041]

weegaz22 I’m sure they thought about this type of stuff and screen tested it....either it didn’t look good or odd on camera or made it harder to animate

[@dorrenwilliams566]

Nick park is the one that stole walece and gromet right ??

[@RobotJeeg]

Look on the wall! The cave men plays 3 5 2.

[@jboy27]

they must have spend a ton of money making this movie

[@will891410]

Chicken Run was the best in my opinion but Wallace and Gromit was pretty good.

[@neonom1024]

English Woody Harrelson.

[@neatnate570]

Third

[@TheBoarb]

Who cares

[@neatnate570]

No one

[@timbarito5586]

Adam from mythsbuster you mean 😏😌😂

[@dimitreze]

7:04 That's why Kubo and the Two Strings sucks. They are not proud to be stop-motion. They try really hard to avoid the stop-motion look and feel. And also, that movie is like 80% CGI.

[@dimitreze]

why bother then? they should just make a full CGI movie

[@dimitreze]

of course 80% was an hyperbole but it was not only 2% the CGI is ALL OVER the movie like too much the "stop motion feel" is my feeling what a stop motion movie should be you don't have to share also, you should check a Vox video call "How fan films shaped The Lego Movie" the Lego movie never tries to fool the audience that it's a stop-motion they just honor that much, much more than Kubo and the Two Strings

[@Lumibear.]

Oh I enjoyed that movie, I think I know what you mean tho, like it looked like it could’ve been done with cgi so why do it the hard way, but it still looked lovely and very ‘there’, good story too.

[@doggodoggo3000]

Kubo didn't suck. I feel it could have been much better story -wise. but visually it was quite amazing. I can't get over the fact that Laika was BOUGHT by the ceo of nike for his son....even if he ended up doing pretty well with it. The Knights Seem like total douches.

[@mattdickun]

Go make your own movie in that case.

[@Zack_Darce]

enough stop motion already.. go build

[@Siggi-Bear]

different ethnicities didnt live together in the stone age. but i assume by now its probably illegal in the UK to show otherwise

[@CtrlSaltDelete]

Sigbjørn H.E Really? That's your take away from this video? You look past the amazing process, the massive amount of effort, the massive amount of planning and *that* is what you have to say? You know what, I have a bit of a hunch that cavemen weren't made of plasticine and silicone. I've also got a funny feeling that this isn't a documentary. I don't know what could possibly give me that impression, but if that's the case maybe, just maybe, it's a little stupid to complain about a diverse cast because it isn't historically accurate. Maybe, just maybe, it's just a damn film and you're painting yourself a fool getting upset over something as silly as a character's skin colour in a film that hasn't been released yet.

[@AjaProductions101]

I don't think they had blue tops with pink spots on them either but who really givs a shit.

[@TheHalcyonTwilight]

They play football with the rock that killed the dinosaurs. This is a dumb, fun movie not a documentary or anything approaching a representation of cavemen.

[@mattdickun]

How do we know different ethnicities didnt live together in the stone age? None of us were alive back then.

[@airingcupboard]

Firstly, it's a comedy animation film. But just to top off your lack of understanding about ethnicity: www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/cheddar-man-face-first-modern-briton-revealed-pioneering-research-natural-history-museum-alfons-a8198066.html