Vengeance Most Fowl brought computer cheating to Claymation Classic

Technology has always been a funny thing in the world Wallace and Gromit– where Wallace’s outlandish inventions, from literal spaceships to remote-controlled robo-pants, sit alongside a classically low-fi vision of Britain. It was also the case to do so Wallace and Gromit at Aardman too, as the studio championed traditional hand-animated features even as it dipped its toes into CGI assistants and fully 3D projects in its long history. With the return of Aardman Wallace and Gromit for the first time in 16 years on the horizon with Vengeance Most Fowlyou can see a glimpse of how the studio is balanced both the traditional and the contemporary in this small snippet from the film’s new artbook.

Due December 31 from Titan Books, The Art of Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl– written by Richard Hansom, the development producer on the first Wallace and Gromit TV movie A matter of bread and death– takes you behind the scenes on the development process for the long-awaited return of Aardman in its most iconic creationswhich covers the return of Wrong pantsbeloved villain Feathers McGraw and more in a series of interviews with cast and crew, and tons of behind-the-scenes looks at the making of the film, from early concept art to Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park himself, right down to stills showing the legions of clay models created for the film.

You can also see a lot more about how Vengeance Most Fowl has seen Aardman incorporate more technology into its production pipeline, such as 3D printed rapid prototyping mockups, in our exclusive spreads from the book below (don’t forget to click to see them in full resolution!). But you’ll also get a little insight into how Aardman always prioritizes the hand-made feel on film, even when it might use CG to achieve a shot – like a moment where Wallace’s latest invention, Norbot the Smart Gnome, it is found. basking in the shade of green Matrix-esque code on a computer screen.

The Art of Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl Exclusive preview

It’s an effect that animators could only replicate entirely in post-production VFX, but as you can see in the spread above, animator Sean Gregory opted for an in-camera effect instead: a scale model projector which lit the scene to play a file of the animated code graphic that could be timed with shooting the stop-motion elements. A fitting mix of computer and hand animation that even Wallace would be impressed with!

The Art of Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl will release on Titan Books next December 31st Vengeance Most Fowl It airs in the UK and Ireland on Christmas Day, before its international release on Netflix on 3 January.

Want more io9 news? Check when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Warsand Star Trek free, what is next for the DC Universe in film and TVand everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.