A Grand Day Out

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A Grand Day Out (full name A Grand Day Out with Wallace and Gromit) is a 1989 animated film directed and animated by Nick Park at Aardman Animations in Bristol, featuring his characters Wallace and Gromit. This was the first adventure featuring the eccentric inventor Wallace and his quiet but smart dog Gromit. It was followed by 1993's The Wrong Trousers, 1995's A Close Shave, and 2005's Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

Nick Park started making the film in 1982 as his graduation project for the National Film and Television School. Aardman Animations took him on before he finished the piece, allowing him to work on it part time while still being funded by the school.

On December 30, 2006, the short received another BBC One repeat. The information transmitted alongside falsely revealed that the animation was made in 1998, nine years off its real date.

Contents 1 Summary 2 Facts and Figures 3 Credits 4 External links

[edit] Summary

Wallace and Gromit are devastated when they realize that they have run out of cheese. With the local corner shop closed for the Bank Holiday, Wallace decides to take a trip to the moon, as "everybody knows the moon's made of cheese". Naturally he has to take his faithful dog with him. The two build a rocket in Wallace's basement and set off to the moon. Upon landing, Wallace tries the "cheese" (which he suggests tastes like Wensleydale) but starts to question his theory on the moon. Also, a strange coin-operated robot shaped like an oven (complete with arms, wheels and an optic eye) is encountered by the duo and seems to wish to go with them to Earth so he can try out some skiing. Wallace and Gromit believe it is after them for stealing the moon cheese and try to escape. The robot breaks into the rocket but is blown out by a gas explosion, allowing Wallace and Gromit to escape back home. The robot lives happily ever after when he uses wreckage from the rocket as skiing equipment.

The 24 minutes are packed with sight gags and exaggerated physical comedy, as well as a few subtle film parodies. Voice acting is the sole duty of Peter Sallis (the voice of Wallace). Gromit remains silent throughout almost all of the film, the only exceptions being a whimper as he falls foul of an electric drill and another whimper after hearing Wallace exclaim that he forgot to light the rocket's fuse that would get them off the moon.

A Grand Day Out was commissioned by Colin Rose of the BBC (source: Wallace and Gromit character website), but the film short may have actually had its British television debut as part of Channel 4's 4-mations series.

[edit] Facts and Figures

• The number plate on the rocket Wallace and Gromit build is WOL155, seen when the moon robot writes out a parking ticket.

• The film took 6 years to make.

[edit] Credits

• Animation and Design: Nick Park
• Additional Model Making: Janet Sanger, Michael Hort, Michael Wright, Andrew Davies
• B/W Dream Sequences: Joan Ashworth, Andy Staveley, Martin Greaves
• Special Thanks to: Peter Lord, David Sproxton, Richard Goleszowski, Sara Mullock, Melanie Cole, Glen Hall, Alan Gardner
• Thanks Also to: Lesley Manning, Stephen Lawrence, Andrea Gardner, David Fine, Alison Snowden, Jeremy Clarke, Darren Long, Charles Paley, Cliff Thorne, Roy Swift, Peter Bath
• Written by: Nick Park, Steven Rushton
• Music: Julian Nott
• Sound Effects and Sound Editing: Adrian Rhodes, Danny Hambrook, Chris Billing
• Rostrum Camera: Danny Boon, Jeremy Moorshead
• Production: Soozy Mealing
• Editor: Rob Copeland
• Photographed and Directed by: Nick Park

[edit] External links

• A Grand Day Out at the Internet Movie Database
• Wallace and Gromit character website