A Close Shave

A Close Shave is a 1995 stop motion animated short film directed by Nick Park at Aardman Animations in Bristol, featuring his characters Wallace and Gromit. It was his third half-hour short featuring the eccentric inventor Wallace and his quiet but intelligent dog Gromit, following 1989's A Grand Day Out, and 1993's The Wrong Trousers.

To celebrate the film's premiere on 24 December 1995, BBC Two's Christmas presentation that year (broadcast from 17 to 22 December) featured Wallace and Gromit. The main ident featured the two (Wallace wears a red crown and Gromit wears a green crown) eating Christmas dinner, with a large blue 2 (the channel's logo) situated in the middle of the table, covered with flashing Christmas lights. Several Christmas themed stings also involving Wallace, Gromit, and the 2 were shown between programmes. The animation of these idents appeared slightly different from other Wallace and Gromit shorts.

Following in the footsteps of its predecessor The Wrong Trousers, A Close Shave won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1996.

Close Shave

Close Shave is one of Australia's longest serving male a cappella quartets. Based in Hobart, the quartet delights audiences at conferences, dinners, weddings, and other public functions with its diverse repertoire. In addition to the traditional Barbershop music style, the quartet is known to mix in popular music, jazz, Gospel, sea shanties, swing, and even some comedy.

History

The quartet was formed in late 1983 by charter members Ben Oxley, Paul Oxley, Brian Sykes and Tim Begbie. Begdie's wife, Esther, is credited with coming up with the name Close Shave.

A member of AAMBS, Close Shave has participated in seven conventions since the inaugural convention on the Gold Coast in 1991. In 1993, the quartet took bronze in Perth and then added a second bronze in 1995 in Canberra. 1997 saw an inspired Close Shave win the silver medal in Sydney. The lineup pictured at right competed under the name "incognito" in the 2005 AAMBS Convention on the Gold Coast placing fifth.

In 1993, Close Shave planned to travel to the Perth Convention. This prompted baritone Tim Begbie to found Hobart's only male barbershop chorus: The Wellingtones.