Later Aardman produced a number of shorts for Channel 4, including the "Conversation Pieces" series. These five shorts worked in the same area as the "Animated Conversations" pieces, but were more sophisticated. Lord and Sproxton began hiring more animators at this point; three of the newcomers made their directorial debut at Aardman with the "Lip Synch" series. Of the five "Lip Synch" shorts, two were directed by Lord, one by Barry Purves, one by Richard Goleszowski and one by Nick Park.