BBC 2 have finally updated their idents which includes incredible audio by award-winning British composer and sound designer Alex Baranowski.
It has been an astounding twenty years since BBC 2 updated their idents, and there is no doubt many will miss the fluffy 2s jumping around the screen. However, the channel announced two weeks ago that they had been working hard with collaborators and have unleashed upon the world their new identity: the curve.
The BBC 2 in-house creative team, BBC Creative, worked with branding agency Superunion to create the new curve identity. Each ident was and will be created through collaboration with multiple talented animators within the UK as well as worldwide, such as the ever-popular Aardman.
What we’re most interested in, however, is of course the accompanying audio. It was incredibly pleasing to hear the agencies employed award-winning British composer and sound designer Alex Baranowski to take up the task. In terms of approach, Superunion’s website states he used “the same two notes which would then evolve and create an atmospheric journey through each animation”.(1)
The idents vastly vary in sound. Though all ambient, some could be considered melodious while others are more sound design-focussed. However, it is Baranowski’s approach of using the same two notes that unites the idents as a set. Furthermore, the audio seamlessly complements each animation, from the mischievous to the introspective. There is no doubt the animations wouldn’t have the same impact without it.
It is always a victory to hear a composer has been hired for such tasks. Many creative/branding teams take it upon themselves to create accompanying audio which can negatively impact the final product. There’s nothing like a composer’s touch to bring a moving image to life.