International award-winning Creative/Director Nando Costa, founder of top industry leading design and animation studio Nervo, has teamed with Portland-based Bent Image Lab to form, NANDO@BENT. Costa brings his entire Nervo shop to BENT, including creative partner Linn Olofsdotter. Costa, age 30, will become the fourth partner of BENT which includes: Co-Founder/EP Ray Di Carlo, Co-Founder/Director Chel White, and Co-Founder/Director David Daniels.
The Brazilian-born Costa brings a sprawling portfolio to BENT that includes everything from branding efforts, commercials, broadcast TV, photography, and a range of expertise that will completely reshape BENT into a true one-stop content creation studio. "BENT has consistently evolved since our founding in 2002, and joining forces with Nando is just one more move forward," stated Di Carlo. "His branding expertise, acute eye, and unparalleled experience in motion graphics will further complement our existing range of animation services."
Daniels added, "Nando is re-defining the future of motion graphics with every job he does. He takes immense joy in all his work, especially design, and that's a gift that will germinate throughout the character and story-telling traditions of this studio, thus strengthening everyone around him."
White notes, "I was a big fan of Nando's work well before I ever met him. In fact, I regarded the motion graphics work he did with Nakd to be the best contemporary work out there, period. I've always had a sense that he innately understands the impact of what he does in the realm of design, and its effect on modern thinking."
Nervo's wildly productive run included a wide range of animated films and commercials for Zune, Nike, Timex, Dentyne, Adobe and FOX. As creative director at Boston-based agency Modernista!, Costa helped put together memorable spots for Napster, Budweiser, and HUMMER. Back in his native Brazil, Costa founded the design/animation company Nakd in Rio with his wife and creative partner Linn Olofsdotter. Within two years, Nakd was a world-class production studio with clients that included MTV, Diesel, Country Music Television, the Fine Living Network and Panasonic. Costa is also the editor of two books, Brasil Inspired and Disorder in Progress, which feature the work of Brazilian artists and art inspired by the nation's culture.
"After growing Nervo into a go-to shop for motion graphics, I was ready to take the operation to the next level," Costa said. "I saw a real opportunity to align myself with a company that had a strong history and great leadership. I'm really happy to be involved in something truly unique."
About Bent Image Lab:
Bent Image Lab is a Portland Oregon-based production company and creative laboratory, known for melding art, design and storytelling. It is a place where the brightest ideas are driven with an artist's passion and realized through the use of cutting edge technology.
Established in 2002, BENT specializes in wildly creative spots and videos that range from the frenetic to the deeply moving. Saturday Night Live, Coca-Cola, Lux Soap, Aflac, Budweiser, Guitar Hero, HP, PBS, Radiohead's Thom Yorke, Live Earth, and film directors Todd Haynes and Gus Van Sant, are just a few of the high-profile clients that have called on BENT for some of their quirky, highly-original work. BENT's long list of spots, music videos, animated films and promos has earned impressive recognition from top film festivals and industry shows, including SXSW, the Clios, Cannes, Sundance, the Chicago Film Festival, AICP/MoMA, the Rosey awards, the Broadcast Design Awards, the Tribeca Film Festival, the Rotterdam Film Festival and the Florida Film Festival. BENT's principals are, David Daniels, Chel White, Ray Di Carlo, Tsui Ling Toomer, and Nando Costa who runs NANDO@BENT.
About NANDO@BENT:
NANDO@BENT is a new venture of the Portland-based Bent Image Lab, run by internationally recognized designer and director Nando Costa. NANDO@BENT incorporates leading design and motion graphics animation work complementing BENT's existing focus on CG, stop motion and mixed media animation.
Costa, a Brazilian native, brought his entire crew from wildly productive Nervo, a top player in the industry that produced a wide range of animated films and commercials for Zune, Nike, Timex, Dentyne, Adobe and FOX to name a few.
