Aardman's Google+ Hangout - Merlin Crossingham

Aardman's Google+ Hangout - Merlin Crossingham Interview

Over the festive period, television screens were plastered with advertising treats featuring familiar yuletide staples – snowy scenes, present-giving, harangued Mums. One spot that stood out from the others featured a cast of characters as synonymous to the season (for UK audiences) as Ol Saint Nick himself. From a creative concept by adam&eveDDB, the magnificent Aardman Animations fashioned a mash-up of their most beloved characters – Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run, Creature Comforts – to advertise Google+'s nifty 'Hangout' feature. We chatted to Merlin Crossingham, director of the spot and Wallace & Gromit Creative Director, about how he got the gang together.

The new Google Hangout spot features famous faces from the Aardman back-catalogue. How did you assemble the troops?

The choice of which characters to use was tricky. There are so many to choose from, we decided to narrow it down to 'Nick Park' characters, which to be honest didn't make the list that short. Then it was a case of choosing the best ones to fit the idea, because this is an international campaign, we needed to be sure that we headlined with a couple of favourites, Wallace & Gromit, Shaun, and of course Ginger from our first feature film, Chicken Run.

Was the concept something that came from the agency, or did you guys have a mash-up like this in mind for a while?

This idea was pitched to us by adam&eveDDB as a part of their on-going international Google+ campaign. We always keep our characters very much in their own worlds, but we liked the idea so much we said yes. Sometimes it's better to bend the rules for a good idea.
 

Did you feel pressure in putting such beloved characters on screen? Did you chat to Nick Park and Peter Lord to get the each of them 'right'?

I have been directing Wallace & Gromit in various forms (TV series, commercials, short films) for over 6 years now so I am used to the pressure and have a measure of what is required. Nick and I are always chatting about the various projects that we have on, it is essential for me so that I can make sure I represent his characters as he would like.

Were there any other characters you'd have like to include? Frank the tortoise is surely a pro at ad-work.

There were loads of others, who could have taken a turn, but we had to draw the line somewhere, what can I say, Frank just didn't make the cut.

How was the shoot? Stop-motion is a notoriously time-consuming endeavour. When did you guys get started?

Stop motion Animation does take a long time; however this job was turned around in a very pacey 8 weeks from concept to completion. We had 3 weeks in the studio with 6 animators working flat out.
 

Webcam images are pretty static in terms of location. Did a lot of thought go in to creating the set design for each of the scenarios?

The locations were actually one of the more straight forward aspects; it needed to be kept simple but easily recognisable and festive so we used fairly stereotypical locations for each character - having said that it was vital to make sure that each character was clearly in a different location.

Aardman, and specifically Wallace & Gromit, are quintessential parts of the UK festive period. Was this in mind when creating an ad for the season?

W&G still held 3million viewers this year on the BBC, so their seasonal strength is strong. But creating an ad at Christmas is always going to play to our character's presents (no pun intended) in the public eye, and that is never a bad thing.

Did you guys create any back-story on how the characters know each other? Is this what it's like behind the scenes in Aardman studios?

No back story I'm afraid, but we did keep them all on separate stages, the last thing we wanted was any bother from one star trying to upstage another.
 

If you could 'hangout' with characters from any film/media universe, which ones would they be?

Jeepers that's a hard question..... Okay, Kermit the Frog, Mary Poppins, Ming the Merciless, Tarzan, Doctor Who (Tennant), The Pink Panther and Pussy Galore.

What's up next on your plate?

Ah, that old chestnut! Well luckily I am busier than ever, but I can't spill the beans, my lawyers aren't as big as theirs.

Posted January 7th 2013