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Nobrain: Directors and Animators

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Hybrid Practices in Moving Image Design
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Abstract

The French studio Nobrain comprises directors Saii, Charles and Niko, who began their careers as compositing artist, computer graphics editor and post-production supervisor, respectively. Despite what may appear to be a digital orthodoxy they were responsible for the acclaimed multimedia animation sequence for the Christmas on BBC2 ident (2011–2015). Nobrain prefers a rougher, more organic texture and aesthetic to the once ubiquitous smooth veneer of CGI. Nobrain’s CGI experience informs its process to exploit the speed and cost-efficiency of computers to often imitate heritage practices. The Christmas on BBC2 idents involved puppeteers working as consultants to provide the raw movement of characters, which were then imitated with greater flexibility that is only possible with CGI software.

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Macdonald, I. (2016). Nobrain: Directors and Animators. In: Hybrid Practices in Moving Image Design. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41375-4_7

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