Fuel TV Analysis
"Fuel tv is about risk and opportunity, providing a testing ground for rising young talent, whether in front of the camera or behind. It discovers new riders, filmmakers, musicians and artists who bring total commitment and endless passion to their endeavours. As such it is an active force in action sports, leading and defining innovation, evolution and expression of youth culture." - Jake Munsey (Vice president of marketing and On-Air promotions). Aimed predominantly at a young male audience Fuel TV is the broadcast equivalent (or extension) of a teenage boys bedroom wall "girls, skateboards, posters of bands, cartoons, art, girls, etc." - Todd Dever (Senior producer, On-Air promotions).
One of the main concerns of the team behind the channel is retaining a 'trendy' image, a big pitfall they must avoid would be the perception that the channel has become a 'sell-out'. To avoid this pit fall and achieve their aim the programming and design must embody the specific culture they are broadcasting without giving the appearance of a marketing-plan driven by profit and viewing figures. "we are passionate about the culture and are dedicated to being an authentic 'expression of it' rather than 'about it'. You only get one shot to prove you're cool with them. If you blow it, they label you 'lame' and banish you into oblivion. They are tuned in and turned on in ways their parents never imagined." - Jake Munsey (Vice president of marketing and On-Air promotions).
As a result, there are no set rules by which the graphics are brought together, instead there is more of an intellectual aesthetic that is followed. At times tough, 'official fonts' are used but these only seem to appear when part of a graphic element that also contains the FuelTV logo. Rather than a strict rule set by the channel, this is most likely a result of what might be considered 'good design' (it creates a visual unity within the specific element).
The graphics are influenced largely by street art and generally have a raw appearance giving rise to the thought that these visuals could have been produced by fellow 'free-thinking' viewers. This is intended to reflect a DIY attitude prevalent through many of the sub-cultures covered by the content of their shows. Not all the viewers will aspire to the same visual aesthetic, but they will mostly share a desire for 'freedom of expression'. FuelTV places itself as an environment in which this expression can take place, it's rough and whacky approach contrasts the slick and sophisticated graphics of many other stations.
"When it comes to fuel tv's on air look for promos and internally produced shows, my philosophy is keep it "fucked up" - Todd Dever (Senior producer, On-Air promotions).
Conclusion:
The visual aesthetic of FuelTV is the most diverse of the case studies. A brilliant example of this is there 'Signature Series, of 100'. 100 collaborators, artists, athletes and anyone willing to be creative, designed and produced (with the help of the broadcasters in-house team if necessary) an ident for the channel. The only rule to be followed: 'there are no rules'. As a result there are opposite extremes of every graphic element, an approach that appears to be working well.
IdN 100th Issue Opening from Paul Cayrol on Vimeo.