Have you or your child ever wanted to understand how clay animation works? Well now's your chance!
We’ve teamed up with Aardman, the creative people behind such groundbreaking clay animation films as Chicken Run, Shaun the Sheep, and the Oscar-winning Wallace & Gromit series to offer a unique opportunity for you or your child to learn directly from Aardman Creative Director Merlin Crossingham, who is coming all the way from the UK!
This session provides a creative and hands-on activity where you will make your own Shaun the Sheep clay model. Besides hearing from a master about Aardman's creative process, Merlin will teach participants how to animate their character using Aardman’s easy to use Animate It! software and an iPad. Participants should bring an iPad or an iPhone (the image will be much smaller, though) downloaded (from the iTunes App Store) with either the free Animate It! lite version at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/animate-it-lite/id953969229?mt=8 or the $2.99 full version at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/animate-it/id544691268?mt=8. If you cannot bring your own iPad or iPhone with the app, please let us know soon, as we will have a few iPads available for use on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Many thanks to the Belmont Media Center for hosting this event.
Note: Accompanying parents/guardians do not need to purchase tickets.
About the Presenter, Merlin Crossingham
Merlin joined Aardman as an animator in 1996 having completing a degree in Film and Photography at the Newport Film School.
Initially working on commercials before taking the roles of Key Animator on the feature film Chicken Run, and Second Unit Director on Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of The Were Rabbit, Merlin then co-directed the Creature Comforts USA series for CBS, for which he earned an Emmy nomination.
He has since specialized in directing Wallace & Gromit at Aardman. In 2009, he took on the role of Creative Director for Wallace & Gromit where Merlin directs all aspects of the Wallace and Gromit brand.
