Shaun the Sheep celebrates 30th anniversary
Nina meets the makers of Shaun the Sheep
- Published
He is one of a kind... white, fluffy and a cheeky chap - can you guess who?
It's Shaun the Sheep, of course!
The mischievous sheep is a well loved character who made his debut back in 1995 in the Wallace and Gromit film, A Close Shave.
Fast forward to now, and not only is Shaun a global superstar but he is also celebrating his 30th anniversary!
- Published31 March 2023
- Published11 October 2019
- Published22 November 2023
Who is Shaun the Sheep?
Shaun the Sheep is a well loved animation character on our screens
Shaun the Sheep is a global superstar.
His TV adventures are enjoyed across 170 countries, whilst he has over 5 million Facebook fans and 1.7 billion views on YouTube.
He first came to our screens in Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave! and since 2007 has had his own series on BBC One.
Shaun is a cheeky sheep who is also leader of his flock.
Whilst Shaun is smart and resourceful, his love of adventure is well known for getting him in trouble!
The Making of Shaun the Sheep
Shaun in 1995 and now (in the new series) – he hasn't aged a day right?
Shaun the Sheep's TV show and films are made at Aardman's studio in Bristol.
Like Wallace and Gromit, Shaun is created using something called stop-frame animation.
This is where objects are filmed frame by frame so that they appear to be moving when played back at normal speed.
It takes a long time to make just one second of a Shaun the Sheep animation as it requires between 12 and 24 individual frames.
The puppets in Shaun the Sheep are made from different materials but modelling clay is a key ingredient.
Did you know these facts about Shaun the Sheep?
Shaun the Sheep is voiced by Justin Fletcher who plays Mr Tumble
Shaun the Sheep animators have boxes of spare heads, eyes, arms and other body parts incase any of the puppets need to be replaced or swapped out.
In each Shaun series and movie there are multiple Shauns used - in the Farmageddon movie 22 Shauns were used!
Shaun has won lots of awards including two International Emmys and two Baftas.
Justin Fletcher (aka CBeebies star Mr Tumble) is the voice of Shaun the Sheep.
In 2022, Shaun was announced as the first 'sheep' to go into space! He was appointed the first woolly astronaut to join the European Space Agency, ahead of its Artemis 1 mission to the Moon.
The new series of Shaun the Sheep starts on Saturday 24 May on CBBC.