Shropshire Star

Metal musician's claymation music video inspired by Wallace & Gromit receives flurry of film festival nominations

A metal musician has been blown away by the success of his band’s self-produced claymation music video, inspired by Wallace & Gromit, which has received a flurry of film festival nominations.

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WEAK13 frontman Nick J Townsend, an experienced music video producer, spent hours and hours painstakingly creating the stop-motion animation video to accompany the band’s single Unpopular.

Nick J Townsend, of WEAK13 metal band, with his claymation figures which feature in a music video for his band's single, which has been selected for film festivals
Nick J Townsend, of WEAK13, with his claymation figures which feature in a music video for his band's single Unpopular, which has been selected for film festivals. Photo: Steve Leath

The singer and guitarist said he enjoyed the creative process - despite having zero experience in animation or claymation - but never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined the response following a series of film festival submissions.

Nick, who divides his time between Stourbridge and Telford, explained how the idea took off: “A couple of years ago I had a crazy idea of making my own version of Wallace & Gromit for a modern audience and even though I had no experience at all in animating or claymation I figured it would be a laugh anyway.”

Singer and guitar player Nick J Townsend of WEAK13 has made a claymation music video for his band's single, and it has now been selected for film festivals
Singer and guitar player Nick J Townsend of WEAK13 has made a claymation music video for his band's single, and it has now been selected for film festivals. Photo: Steve Leath

Incredibly, it has now been shortlisted for four awards - and it’s also won a screening slot at another film festival. 

Conscious that he would be unable to enter every film festival in the world, Nick decided to concentrate his efforts on ones that begin with the letter B.