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Three Artists Get Bent

Chel White, Ray Di Carlo and David Daniels have combined strengths to form an artist-driven studio Bent Image Lab, in Portland, Oregon. "Our mission is to generate the future in 'mixed media/animation/live-action'," said partner/executive producer Di Carlo. "We are artists doing business, not businessmen trying to make art." Di Carlo however, has a successful business background and will operate Bent under a highly unique business model.

"Never twice the same solution," is the studio's mantra said principal/director White. "We look at a project from all different angles to find the magic. We are problem-solvers trying to do what remains undone."

Principal/director Daniels said they named their studio Bent, "because this is a place where you can bend the rules, bend light and bend the imagination." In addition to developing new techniques Daniels and White stress that the quality of the idea and the human aspects of the work are of equal importance.

White directed domestic spots with bicoastal Curious Pictures for five years. His television credits include an episode of THE PJ'S and a parody for SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE that perfectly recreates the clay animation techniques used in the Christmas classic, RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER. His films have been shown in festivals all over the world and three have screened at Sundance in the past five years.

Daniels was most recently with Vinton Studios. In addition to numerous commercials, he animated all three seasons of PEE WEE'S PLAYHOUSE and was sequence director on Peter Gabriel's BIG TIME music video.

Partner/producer Di Carlo got his start with feature film director Jim Cameron on THE ABYSS and has done VFX on a number of other feature films. He has produced and designed numerous high profile projects including spots for Nintendo, Reebok, Chase Manhattan, Cellular One and Raid.

Bent Image talent includes live-action director, Kazuo Ohno; CG art director, Adrian Grey; designer/modeler, Jake Burgard; and animator, graphic designer and Flash master, Pascal Campion. Bent Image Lab (www.bentimagelab.com) is represented by Nancy Jacobs (U.S.) (212) 875-1024, and Teresa Bara (Florida and Chicago) (305) 794-5948.

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