Nicolo Bianchino adopts a graphic style for his ode to disco pioneer Giorgio Moroder

Brooklyn-based animator Nicolo Bianchino has created an animation that celebrates Giorgio Moroder’s story, the singer, songwriter, producer and DJ, credited with pioneering electronic disco. In 2013 Giorgio made a cameo on Daft Punk’s hit Random Access Memories, which brought his work to a new generation of fans.

“Most of my work in the past has been collaborative – which is great, but I wanted to make a personal piece that could really showcase my point of view and visual storytelling style,” explains Nicolo on why he created the aniamtion. “After hearing Giorgio’s story I thought it would make a great animation and the piece took shape in my spare time.”

For the animation, Nicolo used a sample of Giorgio’s voice that he felt encapsulated the producer’s journey. “I was constrained to Giorgio’s voice but unlike typical commercial work I wanted this piece to have some breathing room and gentle pacing to match his casual delivery,” explains Nicolo.

The animation was created entirely in After Effects and Nicolo generally draws final artworks in Illustrator because it “works amazingly well for animation”. The film is full of bright blocky characters in landscapes made up of abstract shapes. “I love to work in a reduced graphic illustration style. I come from a graphic design background so I’m generally attracted to a more ordered process, seeing what I can take out of the frame and still communicate the story. It’s also a nice constraint to place on myself.”

Nicolo continues: “I wanted to showcase Giorgio’s journey without falling into the typical visual types associated with disco and electronic music. Seeing Giorgio’s story through a more graphic style breathes new life into it. And I wanted to make him look as badass as he is in real life!”