COMPLEX SHOWS
CREATIVE DIRECTION • ART DIRECTION • IDENTITY DESIGN • MOTION DESIGN
After the printed magazine was put to bed in late 2016, Complex refocused on video content and franchise programs as a cornerstone of the media flywheel. Existing programs like Hot Ones and Sneaker Shopping were building steam, and each year dozens of new shows would be ideated and created.
I provided design direction over all of the programs in conjunction with the content teams, and have selected a handful that I was most hands-on with.
Blueprint is an in-depth look at how a variety of media moguls and cultural figures became successful and built their empires. Hosted by Complex Editor-in-Chief Noah Callahan-Bever, the candid conversations are complemented by a layer of graphics that offer helpful summations of the points being made.
CREATED BY: Noah Callahan-Bever, Cornell Brown
DIRECTOR: Rob Alexander
VISUAL DESIGN DIRECTION: Wyeth Hansen
ANIMATION: Wyeth Hansen
Complex on Fuse was a collaboration between Complex and the Fuse cable channel, ideated by Marc Ecko and brought to life by our design and editorial teams.
I worked alongside editor Elan Alexenberg to create the first few episodes which served as templates for the series. Our approach was ‘Complex in a blender,’ a cut-and-paste assemblage guided by Dada sensibilities and employing a low-fi aesthetic that revisualized the whole Complex catalog.
The show was ‘hosted’ by oversize text cards that spoke directly to the audience, had misspellings that would be corrected in real time, and presented information that stretched the bounds of acceptability.
CREATED BY: Marc Ecko, Noah Callahan-Bever, Cornell Brown
CREATIVE & DESIGN DIRECTION: Wyeth Hansen
ANIMATION: Wyeth Hansen
EDITING: Elan Alexenberg, Keaton Monger, Kyle Gaughan
Open Late was Complex’s first late-night show… filmed in the morning. The show covered topics in the music and entertainment sphere, set in a stylized record shop kept open after closing where friends can hang out and bullshit all night. Neon, a metal gate, a record corner, and oversize screens with animated posters graced the back stage in the Complex Office.
CREATED BY: Noah Callahan-Bever, Cornell Brown
FEATURING: Peter Rosenberg
DESIGN DIRECTION: Wyeth Hansen
LEAD DESIGNER: Jonathan Fouabi
MOTION DESIGN: Wyeth Hansen
SET DESIGN: Hadaya Turner
SET DRESSING: Andrew Syris
Everyday Struggle was an infamous daily hip-hop debate show featuring several highly opinionated, highly influential, and often toxic hosts, DJ Akademiks and Joe Budden, moderated by music journalist Nadeska Alexis. Doing big numbers daily, this show set the template for the Podcast era of online debate, for better and for worse.
I worked with the Complex creators to create the identity of the show, combining a DIY zine graphic approach with a pugilistic theme that spoke to the combative nature of the show. A frayed rope on the edge of breaking became the symbol of program.
Budden was later replaced by industry vet Wayno and the show carried on for nearly four years.
CREATED BY: Marc Ecko, Noah Callahan-Bever, Cornell Brown
FEATURING: Nadeska Alexis, Joe Budden, DJ Akademiks, Wayno
DESIGN: Wyeth Hansen
ADDITIONAL DESIGN: Yulia Nidbalskaya
MOTION DESIGN: Wyeth Hansen
SET DESIGN: Hadaya Turner
SET DRESSING: Andrew Syris
