We were asked to create ten station identifiers for Fox Fuel, a new network devoted to action sports. The IDs were supposed to create an anti-brand, not succumbing to any orthodox ideas about consistency.

We wrote and directed ten ideas with completely different techniques, moods and attitudes. Techniques range from film and video to 3-D animation, from cel and stop-motion animation to slide shows of stills and Quicktime VRs. Some of them are funny and cute, others are just plain beautiful; some are contemplative, others are parodic and referential. All end with the same logo configuration. This is one of the ten.

Once the parameters for the entire project were set, every single ID could be whatever we wanted it to be, as long as it dealt with action sports and their surrounding cultures, and was different enough from the other nine. We appointed Saiman Chow to write, design and direct this ID, and he approached it as an artist approaches an open assignment, by using all his signature monsters and motives, passions and puns. He could come up with whatever he wanted, and the schedule gave Chow and two animators three weeks to produce 30 seconds of animation.

In terms of project impact, not too many households receive the channel, but those who do watch it, have reacted enthusiastically to the IDs. The client used the illustration to print 1,000 decks on their first skateboard giveaway.

In terms of budget, this project was part of an entire network design including ten spots produced in wildly disparate techniques and, consequently, hugely different production costs. It is impossible for us to tell exactly, but it probably was between $20,000 and $40,000, excluding music.