In 1994, Nic Benns graduated from our Cambridge campus with a BA (Hons) degree in Graphic Arts. Fast forward to 2012 and he is now an Emmy winning and BAFTA nominated director and co-founder of MOMOCO, an internationally renowned firm producing main titles and commercials.

Nic has collaborated with directors such as Richard Curtis, Kevin Spacey and Dustin Hoffman. His film credits include Contraband, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, The Three Musketeers, One Day, Aliens vs Predator and Love Actually. His TV credits include Ripper Street, Misfits, Luther and Great Expectations, for which he won an EMMY in 2012 for Outstanding Main Titles.

Nic took time out to speak to us on how studying at Anglia Ruskin aided his success.


What inspired you to study Graphic Arts with us?
The Anglia Ruskin Graphic Arts Degree was not a narrow 2D Design course - it had an eclectic range of pathways and departments from traditional printmaking, life-drawing, photography and moving image.

Were there any particular experiences at Anglia Ruskin which helped you on to the path to your current career?
I remember when the first Mac was installed and people were swearing at Photoshop - it couldn't even do layers at the time. The slots for the Mac room were limited, it made you think and make decisions very quickly in the allocated hour. I loved the video department, learning the craft of editing and the relationships between sound and image.

What did you do straight after graduating?
I got a scholarship to the California Institute of The Arts (thanks to a nice letter from Anglia Ruskin) for an MA. I started in the design department but switched to the film school (originally run by Disney) to get access to filmmaking equipment.

So, how did you get your first break as a director?
I made naive films at CalArts (often live-action with typography) and went around the design houses in Los Angeles with a VHS and a minifolio (tiny portfolio of lovely stills). The stills were better than the animation so there was always disappointment for the creative director when the VHS popped in. Garson Yu (Mission Impossible 2, Hulk titles) saw some potential and after producing many storyboards for him I learned how to animate.

If TV title sequences are a book cover for the show they represent, what images would be included in the book cover for your life and career so far?
Marvel Comic books; analogue synths; Miki Kato, a haunted house; the Great Expectations butterfly; a render bar; the Cross - compose that!

Winning an Emmy must have been extremely gratifying. What will be your most cherished memory from the Emmy ceremony experience?
I enjoyed the 40 second countdown for making the speech - racing down the aisle and thanking everyone in time.

How has your degree helped you get to where you are?
It helped me get into the MA program - the tutors at CalArts were quite respectful of the Anglia Ruskin degree, knowing that the standard of Art History and theoretical classes were quite high and involved (for a practical art/design-making course), compared to those in America.

Any advice to an aspiring graphic artist?
I'd pass on what lecturers Will Hill and Tim Foster taught me - concept, the idea, is first. You don't need high-end tools to execute high-end ideas. Time at Anglia Ruskin or any design school is an amazing privilege. Use it to make mistakes, explore and research. This can fuel you and develop your voice for many years.

We will watch out for Nic's future successes!

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