Aardman Animations makes charity film following diagnosis of Gromit and Wallace actor with macular degeneration

The company behind memorable animations Wallace and Gromit, may be known for bringing to life far-fetched comic capers in which clued up dog Gromit saves the day, but Aardman Animations’ new character Mac has a different mission- showing what life’s like for older people losing their sight.

Aardman Animations’ little yellow chap is star of a short film for the Macular Society, a national charity that supports people with the most common cause of sight loss - age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Peter Sallis, the voice for the much-loved character Wallace in Wallace and Gromit, suffers from this eye condition, which is caused by a loss of central vision.

In 2005, he recorded an appeal on BBC Radio 4 on behalf of the Macular Disease Society.

Due to ill health, he has not done the voice of Wallace since 2010.

In this new animation, Mac plays the part of the macula; the central and most sensitive part of the retina.

Mac is seen happily working away in the eye of kindly grandma named Gloria until he gets sick and can no longer help her see.

The animation's narrator tells us “Then one day it all changed. Something was far from right. There was wobbliness and blobs in the middle of her sight.”

Mac has been made in a way that appeals to all ages and by the end of the flick is seen left looking worn out and at the point of collapse, while Gloria struggles to read a book, play badminton and see her grandson’s face.

AMD is the most common cause of sight loss in developed countries, affecting 600,000 people in Britain, according to the Macular Society. Half of all people in the UK registered as sight impaired or severely sight impaired have macular disease. The charity has 22,000 members with the condition.

Cathy Yelf, chief executive of the Macular Society, said: “AMD is becoming more common because it’s largely associated with ageing.

“It has a devastating effect on people’s lives and their ability to do simple everyday tasks. In the later stages of the disease people cannot read, drive or recognise faces. It can lead to loss of independence, depression and even suicidal thoughts."

A survey by the charity shows that one in six people know someone with AMD but many people have never heard of it.

Ms Yelf added: “We hope Mac will help us increase people’s understanding of this distressing condition and the impact it can have.”

Heather Wright, executive producer and head of partner content at Aardman, said: “Mac is an endearing character to look at and we use a lightness of touch in his performance that isn’t frightening but clearly explains the issues.

"He seems benign and happy to start with, but then as the condition worsens we understand the symptoms that sufferers will recognise and other people can empathise with.”

The concept for Mac grew from a creative company called Caroline, where a member of staff had a family member affected by AMD.

Mike Waudby, creative director of Caroline, said: “It is such a harrowing condition that we knew we had to do something. We had to make the macula famous by literally bringing it to life and creating Mac.”

Aardman’s Heather Wright added: “We love making films for charities like this one for the Macular Society, because it gives us the opportunity to use our creativity in a meaningful way beyond simply entertaining.

“Animated characters can be a powerful tool in helping people to understand a complex or difficult subject such as macular degeneration.”

The short film has been published online at www.macularsociety.org/mac and on YouTube.