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BENT IMAGE LAB (or BENT) is a
production company A production company, production house or production studio is a studio that creates works in the fields of performing arts, new media art, film, television show, television, radio, comics, interactive arts, video games, websites, music, and video ...
and animation studio specializing in story development, television, commercials, visual effects, music videos, short films, experimental techniques and tech development in
augmented reality Augmented reality (AR), also known as mixed reality (MR), is a technology that overlays real-time 3D computer graphics, 3D-rendered computer graphics onto a portion of the real world through a display, such as a handheld device or head-mounted ...
(AR). Located in
Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...
, the company was founded in 2002 by partners David Daniels, Ray Di Carlo, and Chel White. Beginning in 2010, the studio began the production and development of television projects, including half hour animated holiday specials for the Hallmark Channel and animated segments for '' Portlandia''. The company is also known for its
visual effects Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated as VFX) is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of a live-action shot in filmmaking and video production. The integration of live-action footage and other live-action fo ...
work in motion pictures and television, as seen in Gus Van Sant's ''Paranoid Park'', ''Restless'' and ''
Milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfeeding, breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. ...
'', in Todd Haynes' ''
I'm Not There ''I'm Not There'' is a 2007 musical drama film directed by Todd Haynes, who co-wrote the screenplay with Oren Moverman, based on a story by Haynes. An experimental biographical film, it is inspired by the life and music of American singer-so ...
'', as well as NBC's ''
Grimm (TV Series) ''Grimm'' is an American fantasy police procedural Drama (film and television), drama Horror film, horror television series created by Stephen Carpenter (writer), Stephen Carpenter, Jim Kouf and David Greenwalt, and produced by Universal Televi ...
''. Since 2014, the studio has been developing
augmented reality Augmented reality (AR), also known as mixed reality (MR), is a technology that overlays real-time 3D computer graphics, 3D-rendered computer graphics onto a portion of the real world through a display, such as a handheld device or head-mounted ...
(AR) technology and plans to launch their convergent
computer vision Computer vision tasks include methods for image sensor, acquiring, Image processing, processing, Image analysis, analyzing, and understanding digital images, and extraction of high-dimensional data from the real world in order to produce numerical ...
library in fall of 2019.


Work and techniques

Bent Image Lab is known largely for its
stop motion Stop-motion (also known as stop frame animation) is an animated filmmaking and special effects technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exh ...
animation, CGI/
computer animation Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating Film, moving images. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both still images and moving images, while computer animation refers to moving images. Virtu ...
, character design, and multi-technique projects. Bent's multi-technique approach can be seen in the Modest Mouse music video ''Whale Song'' (director Nando Costa), the
Thom Yorke Thomas Edward Yorke (born 7 October 1968) is an English musician who is the vocalist and main songwriter of the rock band Radiohead. He plays guitar, bass, keyboards and other instruments, and is noted for his falsetto. ''Rolling Stone'' desc ...
music video '' Harrowdown Hill'' (director Chel White), the Coca-Cola ad ''Hidden Formula'', the Lux soap ad ''Provocateur'', a commercial for
Kellogg's Kellanova, formerly known as the Kellogg Company and commonly known as Kellogg's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational food manufacturing company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, US. Kellanova produces and markets con ...
Rice Krispies One early and notable example of a BENT
stop motion Stop-motion (also known as stop frame animation) is an animated filmmaking and special effects technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exh ...
project is ''Blue Christmas'' (a.k.a. ''Santa and the States'') (season 30, episode 8), a parody short for Robert Smigel's '' Saturday TV Funhouse'' on ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
''. The short, airing December 18, 2004, was directed by Bent co-founder Chel White, written by Robert Smigel and Michelle Saks Smigel with additional material by Rich Blomquist,
Stephen Colbert Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...
, Scott Jacobson, and Matt O'Brien; voices by Maya Rudolph, Amy Poehler, Erik Bergmann, and Robert Smigel. The short is a parody of the 1964 holiday TV special '' Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer''. Bent Image Lab has replicated the same style and original characters in television advertisements for AT&T, AFLAC, Bing, and in a series of 2014 holiday promos for CBS commemorating the 50th anniversary of '' Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.'' In 2016, the studio produced a ten-minute remake of '' Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer'' as a 4D attraction film for SimEx-Iwerks. Another significant stop motion project is '' Jingle All the Way (TV special)'', a holiday special for Hallmark Channel. Other notable BENT stop-motion productions include director Rob Shaw's ''Rats'' segments for the IFC show '' Portlandia'', and commercials for
Lego Lego (, ; ; stylised as LEGO) is a line of plastic construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. Lego consists of variously coloured interlocking plastic bricks made of acrylonitri ...
s, Gatorade, Lux, OfficeMax BENT's CGI work can be seen in the 2015
Annie Awards The Annie Awards are accolades which the Los Angeles branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood, has presented each year since 1972 to recognize excellence in animation shown in American cinema and television. Origi ...
nominated '' Polariffic'' (director Rob Shaw), as well as in their commercials for
Honda commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...
, Nike,
Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a cola soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings ...
, Koodo,
Nabisco Nabisco (, abbreviated from the earlier name National Biscuit Company) is an American manufacturer of cookies and snacks headquartered in East Hanover, New Jersey. The company is a subsidiary of Illinois-based Mondelēz International. Nabisco' ...
, Puffs, and the American Lung Association. An example of the studio's hand drawn animation can be seen in the animated sequences of David Oyelowo's feature film, '' The Water Man'' (2020).


Founders and directors

Bent Image Lab co-founder and director David Daniels invented an animation technique he termed Strata-cut, a unique form of clay animation in which internally packed "loaves" of clay are animated in thin slices, revealing the movement of the pre-sculpted images within. The technique of strata-cut was first used in Daniels' 1985 short film, ''Buzz Box'', then later in animated segments of the '' Pee Wee's Playhouse'' series during the mid-90s, and in the music video for '' Big Time'' by
Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...
(1986). In September 2016, Daniels gave a demonstration of his unique Strata-cut technique at the
Anthology Film Archives Anthology Film Archives is an international center for the film preservation, preservation, film studies, study, and film distribution, exhibition of film and video, with a particular focus on independent film, independent, experimental film, ex ...
in New York City. Before co-founding Bent Image Lab, David Daniels was a director at the Will Vinton Studios, where he helmed commercial projects for M&M's, Levi's, Fanta and broadcast promos Fox NFL. Bent co-founder Chel White is an independent director who has been making films since the mid-1980s. His 1991 experimental short film, '' Choreography for Copy Machine (Photocopy Cha Cha)'', is widely considered the first film to make use of a technique in which people and objects are animated directly on the glass platen of a photocopy machine. White's other films include the shorts ''
Dirt Dirt is any matter considered unclean, especially when in contact with a person's clothes, skin, or possessions. In such cases, they are said to become dirty. Common types of dirt include: * Debris: scattered pieces of waste or remains * Du ...
'', ''Magda'' and ''A Painful Glimpse Into My Writing Process (In Less Than 60 Seconds)'', and the feature film ''Bucksville''. Among White's notable commissioned projects are his 2006 music video '' Harrowdown Hill'' for
Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon-on-Thames, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band members are Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Gre ...
lead singer
Thom Yorke Thomas Edward Yorke (born 7 October 1968) is an English musician who is the vocalist and main songwriter of the rock band Radiohead. He plays guitar, bass, keyboards and other instruments, and is noted for his falsetto. ''Rolling Stone'' desc ...
, which features the first use of the Smallgantics technique, as well as the 2007 short film, ''Wind,'' commissioned by Radiohead's creative director Dilly Gent and the climate change awareness group Live Earth. Along with eight other Live Earth commissioned films, ''Wind'' made its world premiere in the opening night program of the 2007
Tribeca Film Festival The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Enterprises. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. The festival ...
with keynote speaker
Al Gore Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American former politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He previously served as ...
. Since 1999, three of Chel White's short films have screened as part of the
Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...
Bent Image Lab co-founder and executive producer Ray Di Carlo got his start in the film industry working on special effects in feature films. His first project was '' The Abyss'' (1989), where he came on as Lead Man for Donald Pennington. Di Carlo produced visual effects for ''I'm Not There'', '' Paranoid Park'' (2007), and ''
Milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfeeding, breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. ...
'' (2008). Bent director Rob Shaw is known for his innovative music videos and the ability to mix different forms of media such as stop motion animation, CG, live action and 2-dimensional animation. He has directed several animated television shorts for IFC's ''Portlandia'', television specials for Hallmark, and commercial campaigns for Gatorade, Koodo Mobile, and
Kellogg's Kellanova, formerly known as the Kellogg Company and commonly known as Kellogg's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational food manufacturing company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, US. Kellanova produces and markets con ...
, as well as music videos for
They Might Be Giants They Might Be Giants, often abbreviated as TMBG, is an American alternative rock and Children's music, children's band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as ...
, At the Drive In and several videos for Aesop Rock (including the song ''Rings''). Shaw's animated short film, ''The Machine,'' a modern-day cautionary fable about humans and machines, won Best Animated Short from the 2010 Atlanta Film Festival. Bent director Solomon Burbridge's work includes short, mature-themed segments for MTV, the ''Bacon Wars'' segment on
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
's '' Disjointed'' series, and commercials for Old Navy, Tums, MasterCard, Arrowhead and U.S. Navy. He has been a director at BENT since 2007. His film ''Phase 5'' screened in the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. Using the title Design Lab, Burbridge has often co-directed projects with director/designer Joshua Cox, who joined Bent in 2010. Their commercial clients include
Honda commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...
, Bogs,
Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...
and a film for the Advertising and Design Club of Canada called ''The No Shit Show''. Joshua Cox's short film ''Proximity'' was winner of the Animation Award in the 2014 New Orleans Film Festival. Argentine-born director Carlos Lascano is an accomplished filmmaker known for his short films, music videos, and commercials. His work includes a noteworthy ad for
Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a cola soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings ...
''Spirit of the Euro'' produced at Bent Image Lab. Bent Image Lab and/or its directors have won awards from the Clio Awards, The One Club, D&AD, Promax BDA awards, Cannes Lions,
Daytime Emmy Awards The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NA ...
, and several awards from the Chicago International Television Awards. Two commercials directed by Chel White (OfficeMax ''Santa's Helper'', and Fila ''Mash'') were included in the program ''The Art and Technique of the American Television Commercial'' The AICP Show at MoMA and are included in the permanent collection of the
Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...
in New York. Film festival awards include 'Best Television Program for Adults' from the 2012 Ottawa International Animation Festival for Bent Image Lab director Rob Shaw's ''Rats'' (stop-motion segments for the IFC show '' Portlandia''), Best Short Film from the 1998 Stockholm International Film Festival for Chel White's ''Dirt'', Best Animated Short for Rob Shaw's ''The Machine'' from the 2010 Atlanta Film Festival, and the Grand Jury Prize for Best Animated Short for White's ''Magda'' from the 2004 Florida Film Festival. Chel White's music video ''Harrowdown Hill'' for Radiohead's lead singer Thom Yorke won Best Music Video in the 2007
SXSW South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...
.


Visual effects

Since 2006, Bent Image Lab has created visual effects for feature films, television and more. The company was in charge of visual effects for film director Gus Van Sant's films '' Paranoid Park'' (2007), '' To Each His Own Cinema'' (segment: First Kiss)" (2007), '' Restless,'' and the
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
winning ''
Milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfeeding, breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. ...
'' (2008), as well as title effects and animation on director Todd Haynes' film, ''I'm Not There'' (2007). Chel White acted as Visual Effects Supervisor on all four Van Sant films. For its first two seasons, Bent produced visual effects for NBC's ''
Grimm (TV Series) ''Grimm'' is an American fantasy police procedural Drama (film and television), drama Horror film, horror television series created by Stephen Carpenter (writer), Stephen Carpenter, Jim Kouf and David Greenwalt, and produced by Universal Televi ...
''. In 2006, along with his team and co-founders at Bent Image Lab, Chel White pioneered the Smallgantics technique.


Selected creative work

* Hallmark Channel ''Jingle & Bell's Christmas Star'' (2012) (directed by Chel White) * Ad Council/ 211.org - ''Guiding Light'' (2021) * Planters - ''Nuttiest Time of the Year'' (directed by Chel White) (2020) *BC Dairy Foundation - ''Must Drink More Milk'' campaign (web shorts, 2008) (various directors)


Notable awards and screenings

*2018: A Bent Image Lab retrospective and masterclass (presented by Chel White and Rob Shaw) at the Ottawa International Animation Festival. *2015: Promax BDA awards, Art Direction and Design: Program Bumper, Cartoon Network "Over the Garden Wall", directed by Solomon Burbridge. *2014: Ottawa Animation Festival, Best Cartoon for Adults, IFC's '' Portlandia'' "Rats" segment, directed by Rob Shaw *2007:
SXSW South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...
, Best Music Video, Thom Yorke, ''Harrowdown Hill'', directed by Chel White. *2006: The AICP Show at MoMA, Office Max ''Santa's Helper'', included in the program ''The Art and Technique of the American Television Commercial'' and in the permanent collection of the
Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...
in New York. Directed by Chel White. *2005: Florida Film Festival, Grand Jury Award for Best Animated Short, ''Magda'', directed by Chel White. *2004: Clio Awards, Bronze, Reese's Pieces ''Center of Attention'', directed by David Daniels and Chel White


External links

* * * * *


References

{{Animation industry in the United States Television production companies of the United States Film production companies of the United States American animation studios Companies based in Portland, Oregon Mass media companies established in 2002 Privately held companies based in Oregon 2002 establishments in Oregon