“Wallace & Gromit Take on AI: A Hilariously British Adventure Awaits!”

(SOUNDBITE OF LORNE BALFE’S “WALLACE AND GROMIT THEME”)

AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:

Wallace and Gromit are returning with their second feature film, “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.” This time, Wallace, the creator, finds himself in a heap of unpaid bills.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “WALLACE AND GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL”)

BEN WHITEHEAD: (As Wallace) Inventing isn’t inexpensive, is it? Perhaps I’m just producing too many contraptions.

RASCOE: Gadgets such as a bed that launches him into his kitchen every morning, a device that spreads jam onto toast, even an automated hand that pets his perpetually patient dog, Gromit.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “WALLACE AND GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL”)

WHITEHEAD: (As Wallace) Oh, don’t fret, lad – we’ll figure something out.

RASCOE: That solution ends up being a robotic garden gnome with artificial intelligence.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “WALLACE AND GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL”)

REECE SHEARSMITH: (As Norbot) Lawn-mowing.

RASCOE: It cuts grass, prunes hedges, and clears leaves without tiring.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “WALLACE AND GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL”)

REECE SHEARSMITH: (As Norbot) I’m a cheerful, handy Norbot. I love to accomplish tasks.

RASCOE: What could possibly go wrong? Well, if you’re familiar with Wallace & Gromit films, the answer is everything. Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham are with us now. Thank you for joining us.

NICK PARK: Oh, fantastic to be here.

MERLIN CROSSINGHAM: Yeah, hi.

RASCOE: Hi. So, either of you can answer – Wallace consistently comes up with new inventions. How did the concept of a robotic garden gnome come about for this movie?

PARK: Yes, Nick here. This idea actually emerged several years ago when we were producing “Curse Of The Were-Rabbit.” It started as a small notion that we were having fun with: what if Wallace designed a robot gnome to assist Gromit with gardening tasks? Naturally, things would misfire along the way, and it turned out to be a lot of fun.

RASCOE: Indeed, since you resurrected Feathers McGraw, the nefarious penguin…

PARK: (Laughter).

RASCOE: …For the first time in three decades.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “WALLACE AND GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL”)

WHITEHEAD: (As Wallace) Good heavens, it’s you – once more. But you’re meant to be incarcerated. Well, you shan’t escape, you know.

RASCOE: Audiences genuinely adore Feathers. Like, they have his image on T-shirts. He’s a fantastic antagonist. I must say, he dominates the screen, doesn’t speak a word, yet he commands attention. Nick, did you ever imagine he would be so cherished?

PARK: Well, no. I mean, over the years, I was astounded by how much people, as you mentioned, adored him or loved to despise him.

RASCOE: (Laughter).

PARK: But yes, as time went on, it became increasingly clear just how much he has integrated into the culture. People frequently asked if he would return.

RASCOE: Merlin, was that your motivation for bringing him back, because he is so adored?

CROSSINGHAM: That wasn’t the reason, actually. He was the answer to essentially a plot dilemma. The story needed him, and there he was, looking at us, saying I can assist you.

RASCOE: (Laughter).

CROSSINGHAM: And so he did.

RASCOE: He was watching you from that zoo, from that…

CROSSINGHAM: That’s correct.

(LAUGHTER)

PARK: Yes.

RASCOE: The film – naturally, it explores the concept of technology. Artificial intelligence plays a significant part in the narrative. You portray both the positive aspects of technology and its downside. What were you aiming to achieve with that, or what message were you trying to convey?

PARK: Yes, initially, we collaborated with the excellent screenwriter, Mark Burton, whom we’ve worked with many times before, and he quickly identified that – oh, this could revolve around AI but in a very “Wallace And Gromit” sort of silly manner. We’ve always attempted to avoid being too black and white on this topic because we do utilize technology, and, you know, we film using digital cameras today rather than 35mm film cameras. And I suppose, like, Gromit truly represents the human element, whereas Wallace is – like society nowadays, is enamored with technology.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “WALLACE AND GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL”)

WHITEHEAD: (As Wallace) See how adopting technology enhances our lives? I mean, thanks to that nifty gadget, we haven’t had to rely on the old teapot for years. Oh, yes, technology – that’s the thing.

PARK: And it’s fundamentally about assessing how much tech we actually require. In fact, for the first time ever, we had Wallace actually learning something. It’s usually a running gag that Wallace learns absolutely nothing (laughter). He discovers how essential his friend is…

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “WALLACE AND GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL”)

WHITEHEAD: (As Wallace) But there are certain things a machine simply cannot accomplish, eh, lad? Aw.

PARK: …And that he has been fixated on believing that technology can resolve everything, not realizing it’s actually creating a rift between them.

RASCOE: Yes. And, I mean, Gromit’s the pet, yet he somewhat embodies that sense of humanity, right?

PARK: Exactly, yes. But it’s like, we’re working with clay, and it’s – you know, there are fingerprints in the claymation. It strongly emphasizes the authenticity of our work in a genuine manner, creating this art form.

RASCOE: How labor-intensive is it to produce a stop-motion film using clay figures? How long did it take to produce this film?

CROSSINGHAM: It was an astonishingly lengthy timeframe. Nick and I have been collaborating on it for just over four years, encompassing all the writing and preproduction. However, during the shooting phase, we had 260 crew members in the studio, of which – I believe 35 of them were animators when we were operating at full capacity. Each animator’s goal was five seconds of animation weekly. Therefore, as a team, if we accomplished one minute of final footage in a week, we considered it a really productive week…

RASCOE: Oh, my.

CROSSINGHAM: …We would have considered it a good week. It’s not a fast-paced procedure, but we believe it’s worthwhile.

RASCOE: You know, there was a concern during the film’s production regarding a potential clay shortage and the possibility of no more “Wallace And Gromit” films. And I must mention, my 7-year-old was watching this, and at the film’s conclusion, she shouted, they have to make another one. So I hope that’s not the case (laughter). What’s the reality regarding that?

CROSSINGHAM: So it’s true there was a minor disruption in the supply chain, but it wasn’t nearly as drastic as it may have been portrayed.

RASCOE: Because the company that manufactured the clay was possibly shutting down.

CROSSINGHAM: That’s correct.

RASCOE: Yes.

CROSSINGHAM: The supply chain has been restored. And you know what? We were just so thrilled and delighted that people were concerned about us potentially lacking clay to continue producing films. But fear not, everything has been resolved, and there will be more.

RASCOE: OK, yes, because my daughter exclaimed it at the end. She was like, we must find out what happens next.

(LAUGHTER)

RASCOE: You know, one aspect of viewing a film like this, particularlywith clay animation and stop-motion, there’s such a timeless aesthetic to it. When you have numerous concerns in Hollywood and among creatives that perhaps humans are unnecessary, and AI can simply handle the scripts and create the art – and, of course, with clay animation, there is a significant human element. You’re discussing puppets. You’re mentioning hands-on work. You’re referencing fingerprints. Was that in your thoughts while producing “Vengeance Most Fowl”?

PARK: Initially, we weren’t particularly mindful of it, but now that we have completed the film, we’re somewhat gratified that it seems to mitigate some of the current anxieties surrounding AI because we genuinely believe in – as you mentioned, the clay and the fingerprints, it’s very much about genuineness. We have an excellent cast, and all the performers are actual actors providing real voices, alongside the puppets and the sets being entirely constructed, with the animation being completely handcrafted. We do utilize a small amount of CGI and quite a few digital effects, as any film would, for those elements we cannot achieve with clay.

CROSSINGHAM: However, when we began writing, the entire AI conversation was present, yet it wasn’t as prevalent as it is today. It’s a fortunate coincidence that our film’s theme addresses that. In crafting the movie – the creative aspects, the voices, the visuals – we certainly didn’t. I don’t believe “Wallace And Gromit” could operate using AI, definitely not in the current climate, in any case.

RASCOE: That’s Nick Park, the creator and director of “Wallace And Gromit,” alongside Merlin Crossingham, codirector. “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” is currently available on Netflix. We appreciate you joining us.

CROSSINGHAM: Oh, thank you.

PARK: Oh, thank you very much. It’s a pleasure to be here.

(SOUNDBITE OF CHILLY GONZALES’ “PAPA GAVOTTE”)

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