Aardman animator on US culture clash

Plasticine duo Wallace & Gromit are as British as tea and crumpets, but according to their creator, Hollywood tried to make them as American as apple pie.

Oscar-winning Nick Park, of Bristol's Aardman Animations, has spoken about the culture clash that he experienced when he worked with Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks company.

The two animation studios ended a five-film deal last year after just two were made; Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and Flushed Away.

Speaking about his experiences working on the other side of the pond, Mr Park, 50, said he had resisted attempts to make his own dynamic duo adopt American culture.

He said: "DreamWorks took us on as a British team, but at times things could get very focus-grouped around what would appeal to American audiences.

"They love Wallace and Gromit over there, I think they just tried to Americanise the films without thinking because everything's got to be about America.

"I'm not trying to please some kid in some suburb in North America, whom I don't understand."

There have been tough times for Aardman lately, with the multi-award- winning company recently announcing up to 35 jobs were at risk.

Aardman employs 220 staff at its Gasferry Road and Aztec West sites, and said some redundancies were inevitable as a result of a staffing review. But it added many new posts were due to be created over the coming months through three new productions.

The latest Wallace & Gromit short A Matter of Loaf And Death is due to be shown this Christmas on the BBC.