Here's some lovely things that are going on in the studio today. Starting with our version of Google Earth - the farm maps!

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One of our animators, Dan Ramsey, getting to grips with Shaun.

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A flock in a box !

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One of our prop makers and set dressers making a couple of pool tables - they will really work!

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Dave Osmand checking out his latest frame.

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Rich Webber, one of our Directors and Mindell Bowen our Production Manager trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. These are the schedule boards - each bit of paper is a shot. each board is two weeks of shooting. If you look closely you can see we have 19 units (sets) in the studio at any one time

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Yikes - some headless Farmers!

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Malcolm Lamont, animating on the close-up house unit

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Closer up on the ..er..close-up house unit

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One of the interior barn sets. There's a strange machine in there. Wonder what it's for?!

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Bird on a wire - we'll paint those wires (rigs) out later. Then you'll see a couple of feathers floating down from the bird in the final animation!

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Our spanking new pond set! It hasn't been animated on yet. Give it a hour though...hang on, what's that under the set...

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...it's a rigging Goblin! Well, it's Scratch, one of our riggers who we let out once a day for lunch.

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Can't wait for this episode - it's going to be a cracker. The Big Race. That's a big air-con unit in the background in case you were wondering. It gets kind of hot in the studio with all those lights and crew-bustling going on.

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ooh and lastly (for now) we had a lovely visitor a few weeks ago but I forgot to put his picture up ...Bill Bailey!

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erm...someone appears to be nicking Shaun.

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By the way, the first 20 episodes are these:

Double Trouble
Draw The Line
Sheepless Nights
Spring Lamb
Strictly No Dancing
Who’s The Caddy?
Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
Bagpipe Buddy
Supersize Timmy
Lock Out
Cheetah Cheater
Ewe’ve Been Framed
Bitzer’s New Hat
Hide and Squeak
Frantic Romantic
Everything Must Go
Party Animals
Cat Got Your Brain
Two’s company
In The Doghouse

thanks for the awsome pix gareth cant wait for more, i love behind the scenes the most, thanks for following me on twitter too!

Looks great ! Do you know when the episodes will be shown as I really want to see them and Im scared I will miss them ! Also I sent you a friend request !

which epsiode is Nick Parks!

Is Shaun O.K. after being kidnaped?

Which *UK* TV station will broadcast the new Shaun the Sheep episodes next month? Do you have a link?

Kind regards Hermann

thanks!

UK broadcast will start near the end of November on cBBC. Don't worry, transmission details will be posted on this site well in advance.

Nick Park wrote Party Animals. Where does he find the time?

We haven't seen Shaun since his kidnapping earlier today but I've since heard he's doing an event at the Windmilll City Farm in Bristol tomorrow (24th Oct). I'm going to see how he gets on in the morning!

Have a good weekend all. More next week.

Gareth

Hey that's pretty awesome.
I wonder if Bitzer is following Shaun's kidnapper. After all, he DOES have supersmeller for a nose.

Hi Gareth, i have seen ya online and hoped you tell us whats happend with Shaun. Is he back in office? Pls tell us whats giong on with him
Chris

He's back - he was a bit late for work though so he's going to have to make it up over lunch times this week. G

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thanks gareth please keep them coming , there should be a Creating Shaun The Sheep Book i think

I cnt wait 4 the new epoisodes its gonna be great but why has bitzer and the pigs changed... they looked better before... oh well its still gonna be great!!

Hey Gareth is there any pictures of Timmys mum screaming ? I really want one !

I have some photos of screaming crew members. I'll see if I can find a screaming Timmy's Mum instead.

I'm glad Shaun's baaack.

Earlier today I was sitting on the sofa with my Shaun the Sheep series 1 DVD's. I pressed the select button on the TV remote and the introduction sequence to another STS episode started to play.

As it was playing I had a thought; what will be happening with the introduction sequence for series 2? Bitzer and The Farmer I belive have changed slightly in appearance so doesn't that mean the old sequence can't be used anymore?

I put this comment on the more recent thread as well, hoping I might get a response.

...pls write a email to Aardman and stop this spaming here!

(That's OK Chris - it's a fair question.)

Animal_rights100 - We had to reshoot the title sequence anyway because the new series is filmed in high definition. That meant we couldn't reuse any footage from series one at all.
The new title sequence follows the same story as the last one, except we use the new puppets and have included the pigs, Pidsley and the ducks within the sequence.

Thanks for the question!

I just can't wait for these episodes! I missed Shaun sooo much! Greetz from Poland!

Hello Poland!

Hi all,
the new opening sequenz is really a good work! Its exactly the same run BUT a litte nice things. Shaun is using a hairdryer and had a big result after this
Yes the pigs are there. I missed them in the old sequence. The ducks are very cute. I thnik its very hard to do the same sequence a second time with this brilliant result. Remeber, all scenes must be the same, all backgrounds, the timing of the scenes and the cut.
Me and my family L O V E the new episodes and the new puppets! And i tell you: look the films and then you will love it too.
Chris

Chris - keep this up and we'll have to hire you for our PR department, lol

Dear Chris,

do you know, on which day the new series starts in Germany (I think in the channel kika)??? I've already searched a little bit on different sites but I havent't found a definite date.

Thanks for your help,

A very big fan of BITZER

Yes, Shaun's new topknot getting blowdried is great!!!

Ey Bitzer, the series run last week in KiKa and every Sunday in The Sendung With The Maus. You can have a look at the episodes here in my posting about:
http://www.shaunthesheep.com/forum/read/40248/1
Kimpony why do you know the secrets about Shauns topknot?

I'm obsessed with his topknot. It's so cute!!!

@"I love Bitzer":
The first 11 episodes of the second series have already been shown on Germany's KIKA.
Episode 1 was broadcast on Sunday, September 18th, within "Die Sendung mit der Maus" along with about 15 minutes of "Making of" featurette.
Episodes 2-11 have been shown the following week from Monday to Friday, every day at 18:00 two episodes back to back (Episode 11 on Friday, September 23rd).
Currently, "Die Sendung mit der Maus" (1 episode per week) contains 1 episode of the second series of "Shaun", but these are only repeats of the episodes already shown previously.
Episodes 12-40 have not been announced yet, but I guess it will take at least a few months until the second series will be continued in Germany.

Open the following web page to see when episodes of "Shaun the Sheep" are shown on KIKA:
http://www.kika.de/scripts/fernsehen/a_z/index.cfm?b=s&a=3&i=1142

But episodes within "Die Sendung mit der Maus" will not be listed there, and you will have to check whether the listed episodes are from the second series.
You can open the following web page to do that; episodes starting from 41 are of series 2:
http://www.kika.de/scripts/fernsehen/a_z/index.cfm?b=s&a=4&i=1142

DotWin

@"DotWin":
Thank you for the very helpfull information. I see every Sunday "Die Sendung mit der Maus" so I know those episodes. I also knew that there are some episodes shown in the normal KIKA-Programm but I didn't know when because I haven't found this information on the KIKA-Site.

Thanks,

I love Bitzer

Yay there is a official date! But I cant remember lol

hw_pumpkin_grin::

hey chris,please post picturess of the farm set covered in snow. i would love to see the snow, what you use for snow and icicles on the set?. cheers

Hi Jordan

We haven't finished dressing for the snow scenes yet - I'll try and post some photos in a few weeks time.

C

cool, thanks chris, any updates for us soon ?