AARDMAN'S NEW TECH

Steven Shapiro, chief technology officer at Aardman, discusses new and emerging developments at the studio

Aardman, an employee-owned company, based in Bristol (UK) and co-founded in 1976 by Peter Lord and David Sproxton, is an independent, award-winning studio that occupies a space at the centre of the animation industry and animation culture. In 2022, the studio finds itself at an exciting moment as media platforms continue to develop and evolve and offer new outlets and formats for storytelling and interactive entertainment. 

STYLE GUIDE

Steven Shapiro comments on established and emerging styles of animation at Aardman

"In Robin Robin for example, it's not a massive departure but it's enough to give you a view into an evolving style. The stop-motion short is very clearly still in line with Aardman's creative style, but it's still evolving in ways that are both familiar and new and interesting. We have a great opportunity to use the same style but still branch out. Even within the same project we can take a different approach for different sequences. Our job on the technology side is to enable our creatives to realise the vision that they have. But also, in some cases, our creatives can be inspired by seeing what's possible with the technology."

A recent, new arrival at the studio is its chief technology officer Steven Shapiro, and 3D World recently had the opportunity to talk with him about his role, the changing dynamics of the studio, and opportunities to be embraced.