Modular construction and anamorphosis in Channel 4 idents: Past and present

By Barbara Brownie

Abstract:

In the thirty years since the first appearance of Martin Lambie-Nairn's ident `Round and Back', Channel 4 has established a reputation for screening idents that are both innovative and pleasingly familiar. While many texts have acknowledged the significance of these artefacts, there has, as yet, been no sufficient exploration into the precise behaviours that make these idents so distinct. This article explores the construction of the Channel 4 logo from independently moving parts, and the alignment of static parts prompted by tracked navigation, showing how these behaviours are made possible by the modularity of the Channel 4 logo. These behaviours are likened to anamorphosis, in which a privileged viewing zone reveals to viewers an alignment of forms, and a fleeting moment in which separate pictorial objects collaborate in the presentation of a more significant numerical configuration.

Keywords: Channel 4; ident; logo; gestalt; anamorphosis; typography

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1386/jmpr.14.2.93_1

Affiliations: 1: University of Hertfordshire

Publication date: 2013-06-01