Aardman students told to stay 'wonky' in AI age

In an era when AI can create images and videos in seconds, students at Bristol animation giant Aardman are being taught something machines struggle to replicate: embrace imperfection.

At the studio behind Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run and Shaun the Sheep, the next generation of animators are learning the painstaking art of stop-motion, where every blink, smile and tiny movement is created by hand.

The approach might seem at odds with a world increasingly focused on speed and automation. But as Aardman celebrates 50 years of storytelling, its teachers and students believe audiences still value work that feels unmistakably human.

Head of the Aardman Academy Mark Simon Hewis says what some might see as flaws are often what people connect with most: "We teach our students to be themselves. We teach them to be a little bit wonky."

He says it is "heartwarming" to be able to invite people into the studio to learn the charm of the lopsided.

"People are starting to get so interested and a little bit obsessed with analogue, and the handmade, and the handbuilt and that's what we teach our students.

"And we teach them to not try and polish everything within an inch of its life because that's what people want to see.

"I think that's what's made Aardman brilliant over the last 50 years."

The academy, which has produced around 2,000 alumni worldwide, welcomes students from across the globe to Aardman's Bristol studios, where they spend months painstakingly bringing characters and stories to life frame by frame.

For student Merlin Wise, that physical connection to the work is exactly what makes stop-motion special.

They've created a space-themed film for their final project, where Major Tom's wife is so fed up waiting for him to come home, she dons a space-suit and sets off to find him herself.

"This style of animation is incredible and it's thriving in a world of AI generated art at the moment," they said.

"To have things that are so human-made is beautiful.

"There've been a rollercoaster of emotions throughout the whole process but it's been just amazing."

Fellow student Annie Buckeridge shares that belief, despite recognising the challenges facing the industry.

Her graduation film, Gone Quackers, tells the story of a grumpy farmer who unexpectedly adopts three chicks.

She is finding room for optimism in a world where budgets often dictate what's commissioned.

'It's tough. It's a tough industry," she said.

"With AI and all that stuff it's difficult to make films because it's an expensive process, but I'm hoping that people are going back to the physical media.

"The BBC did a stop-motion thing for the World Cup which was amazing so I think as creatives we feel it will come back, but it is tough."

Students are taught by some of Aardman's most experienced film-makers, including Oscar and Bafta-nominated Head of Studio Will Becher, who has spent two decades animating and directing for the company.

He acknowledges the painstaking stop-frame animation process can be time-consuming and physically challenging, with no short cuts.

"You can get lost. The hours just go by when you're moving something a millimetre and you're spending all day thinking about an individual motion," he said.

"It is a very creative but a very intense job, so we really try to make sure the crews generally have a good work life balance and it's the same in the Academy.

"It's better to pace yourself and take breaks."

That mindset reflects a wider philosophy that has defined Aardman for half a century. Quick, cheap and easy have never been the studio's driving forces.

A passion for homespun authenticity and physically crafted fine detail has always been the priority, whatever effect that may have on timescale and cost.

As AI becomes increasingly capable of generating images and videos in seconds, the next generation of stop-frame animators are placing their faith in something slower.

Their hope is that there will always be an audience for stories shaped by real hands, real imagination and a few deliberately wonky edges.

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