A brief introduction......my name is Beeky (or Richard Beek as my Mum knows me) I am the Production Manager on the latest Wallace & Gromit film. What I and some of the other crew members intend to do is keep you all up to date with what's happening on the production here at our studios in sunny Bristol via the blog.

Hopefully we'll be able to give you some sneak peeks behind the scenes, although I must remember to check with the bosses what I can and can't tell you.

This week has been very busy, we have had the first sets delivered and set-up on the studio floor. Nick is really happy, they look amazing!!!! Also new digital camera gear is arriving. This will be the first W&G film not shot on film!

If anyone has any questions they want to ask (via the blog) feel free and I'll do my best to answer them, although as I mentioned earlier a great deal of the project is shrouded in mystery!!!!

All the best

Beeky

Hi beeky , when do you think we will get the next update? any news on that. also myself and others i think would love a Art Of book,after the film is released maybe you could throw that idea around abit too. i got all the other Aardman Making of books etc.

nice to know the sets have been delivered can you mention how many sets are in Wallace & Gromit Trouble At' Mill ?

Maybe How Many Characters?

Looking Forward to more stuff

Thanks for the wonderful news Beeky !! I have recently come under the spell of W&G (introduced to them by my 5 year old) and have already watched the DVDs many times. I will be checking back to see how the film is coming, my family and I cannot wait. Keep up the good work.
a devoted fan, John

PS - can you ask Wallace what his favorite type of cheese is for me ?? Thanks.

hi beeky, i am going to be glued to this spot

me too conty me too

Me too! WAHOOO!!! YES! I can't express how excited I am!!!! How is the Wallace and Gromit film being shot if it's not on film! It's really interesting!!! And the sets too! Mother of mercy! I'm going to faint!!

Beeky! I see your name crop up many times on the end credits (I do stick around for the credits because there is no I in team and I'd like to read the names of the Aards et all who have also been involved).

It's great to know you'll be keeping us in the loop!

Welcome, mknopfler!

I'm sooooooooooooo excited! yes, yes YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!! WHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOPPPPIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! YIPTAHOOOOOTTIIIIEEEEE!

S'OK, I've calmed down

I've been counting the weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds, nanoseconds etc. for things to get started with the new & film. Like jordan, I'd LOVE to know if there will be an 'Art of Trouble At 'Mill" ! Please, I'm begging you !!!!!! I've got the other books and it would be great to let it budge up on my bookshelf when I have finished reading it...then I read them again, and again, and again....

PS: I'm chuffed to mintballs! Can't you tell?!!?!!

I'd agree with Josephine on the books thing. Me too! WHOOPE!!!

Beeky! Like Mark the Shark, I'd like to know, too. How is all your hard work going to be backed-up if things go belly-up???!!!!! now that we know the "filming" isn't going to involve, er, film. I'm as fascinated as I am worried.

heheheh beeky, you are funny!!! sunny bristol!!!! i just got soaked on my way home from school

Sunshine all the time! Yeah RIGHT!!!

The sun always shines at Aardman - am I right, Beeky? - even though the rest of the country is cold and wet!



Thank heavens your mam didn't call you Oliver ... there was an owl puppet character in the 1970's called Ollie Beak.

You had a close shave there

Hehehe! Good one Josephine!

Yeah, it was a hark back to the TARDIS for me and the famous Ollie Beak. He was on telly around the same time as the original Basil Brush, Orville and Cuddles the Monkey etc. Puppets ruled the small screen on prime time telly...

Your friend, leopard, is a character, isn't he? I hope he has made himself at home here on the W&G forums! Once again...Welcome!!!!!!

i knew the book idea would kick off

Josephine, that's very kind. And Jordan are you talking about that film they were making of a book written years ago?

what? im saying there should be a art of book , making of book

Oh riiiight. Thanks. I agree with you?

Yes, indeedy! It would be brilliant!

I agree!

beeky, i was wondering where Aardman get the beads for wallace and gromits eyes if you know please give us a link

and please keep the book idea in mind because i would love a copy

Yeah, me too!

Thanks for starting this thread, Beekie! I can't wait until the new film is out.

Me too!

beeky ya there

YES! WE LOVE WALLACE AND GROMIT!

Hi Beeky

First off, it’s great to see another Aardmans member here!!

I would be interested if you could give us a brief description in a day in a life of a production manager.

Do you think being a Runner is the best way to get a foot in the door at Aardmans??

So No more rushes then... will the large-scale films go this way eventually?

Are you based at Aztec West or Gas Ferry Rd?

Sorry too many questions I know

Answer any of them only if you have the time

Thanks

Yeah, Cavor you have such good ideas!

Yep, Cavor, 'deed you do! They are great questions which I hope will be answered straight and no messing!

I hope that when you eventually get your foot through the door, it won't be put in plaster!

Like anything in the media business, it will be a case of starting at the bottom and working your way up. Imagine if your initial task is to make mugs of tea and fetch custard creams for the Almighty Nick P! If you cut the mustard - in making tea and all the other basic stuff,that is - you might be let loose on the plasticine...Aard work!

Aztec West sounds like a 1980's pop group, doesn't it? Bristol sure has the snazziest names for industrial estates...unless YOU know different!

Just a quick note to answer some of your questions from this thread;

Numbers of sets, it's difficult to say at this stage as Nick's still working on the animatic but there are a lot new locations as well as some exciting twists on some existing ones!

Characters - I assume you're all aware of Wallace's new love interest Piella.

Wallace's favourite cheese - Nick's a little bit busy to ask at the moment but I'm pretty sure any cheese is good cheese!

Puppet eyes - I'm affraid these aren't made from beads but specially moulded in the model making dept, so not someting you would be able to order. Sorry.

Beeky

I am wondering if Mr. Sallis will keep doing Wallace's voice. Our whole family thinks he's the greatest and would love to send him our compliments and good wishes.

I don’t know were you come from gromitlove but just found this bit of info about "An Audience With Peter Sallis" its, well I don't know if you can call it a show its sounds a bit like Parkinson (interview type thingy) The man him self (Peter Sallis) talking about his life!
Sounds good to me.
Here's the link
http://www.celebrityproductions.info/displayer_productions.php/143/An_Audience_With_Peter_Sallis

thanks beeky and cavor

Merky Buckets, Beeky!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH YES! Apart from the "Art of" book...

How about a range of...

SOCKS! SOCKS! SOCKS! SOCKS! SOCKS!

ta!

Merky Buckets...my brother used to say Mercy Buckups!

Thank you Beeky and Cavor! Beeky, I have some questions:

Is there going to be anything CGI involved (eg. digital backgrounds)? If so, are you using Maya and RenderMan (like you used in Curse of the Were-rabbit)?

What happens to poor old Totty when Piella comes in the picture!

And do old characters (eg. Preston, Shaun etc.) make cameos?

I'll think of more later!

RenderMan is a pixar product

This is all very interesting. Tell me, how much time do you have to spend downloading software in order to maintain a healthy life work balance?

Also, is it true about Wallace's real intentions towards Shaun the Sheep?

Yes, I know that Jordan but it says on the website that they used it to make Curse of the Were-rabbit.

i do know that

RenderMan is for girls

RenderMan for girls? RenderMan is the best quality renderer around! How dare you!!!

Hi Mcbennybob here!
Just wanna say that, i'm not sure if its illegal or not( i hope not) but, i know a website were you can download it. If you go to google and type in 'autodesk maya' then click on 1st link then follow download instructions. BE WARNED: There is a part were it tells you to enter some details BUT i just entered false ones so im safe. THIS SOFTWARE IS GREAT AND I HAVE CREATED MANY CARS AND STUFF WITH IT. ( SORRY ABOUT THE caps lock there) It takes a while to get used to but its great!

It may be good...but it is for girls. I think Beeky is a fraud. How do we know he is who he says he is.

We could ask you the same question, leroy!

leroy,

Beeky is most likely exactly who he says he is. He gave us lots of personal information about himself. If you or I did that, we'd be banned. I also suspect if he really wasn't who he says he is, Aardman would not have a nice big sun next to this thread. that he started.

heres beeky,

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38235000/jpg/_38235580_beeky150.jpg

working on cracking contraptions in 2002.

Filmography

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit - ( Assistant Director / 2005 / Released / )
Chicken Run - ( Office Runner(- production runner) / 2000 / Released / Fu Works Filmrights )

Ta, jordan. We can put a face to the name, now!

Beeky ROCKS!!!!

leroy, what's wrong with girls? OK, don't even GO THERE!!!

Cracking Contraptions? I've heard that the crew on that were all press ganged into doing it. Also, from what I heard, the real Beeky can't write on his own.