What: 
Funny Garbage was charged with creating the first ever original programming for ESPN Motion, a proprietary desktop application that downloads high quality sports footage to users desktops. In collaboration with Bill Simmons, a popular columnist and personality at ESPN, we created “The Sports Guy” – an animated day in the life of your funnier than average sports fanatic.

Where:  ESPN Motion Dot Comedy archive

When: 
FG produced two seasons of The Sports Guy, which premiered November 24th, 2004 and ran through 2005.

Project Challenge: 
ESPN.com came to Funny Garbage to create a cartoon in collaboration with personality and writer, Bill Simmons. Already a popular columnist with a die-hard fan base, Bill was ready to take his wit to the next level, and needed a development and production partner who could translate his humor into the cartoon medium. ESPN required a 1-2 minute web cartoon that was easily portable to a broadcast television audience and format.

How did we do it?
Our goal was to create an animation style that complemented and enhanced Bill’s humor while allowing for quick production turnarounds on scripts that were based largely on current and emerging events. FG designed an environment that was relatable for the rabid sports fan while allowing the creative freedom to use traditional animated storytelling techniques. The result was a realistic set, but a world where ridiculous things were free to happen.

Why was it successful?
Though The Sports Guy embodies the ethos of the typical sports fanatic, just about anyone can relate to the characters — triggering “I know that guy!” moments — and laugh at humor which takes its cue from all of popular culture, not strictly the sports world.

As Bill completed scripts, voice actors were recorded and quickly edited into an audio track. The director boarded to voice track using Flash and a drawing tablet and then posted the animatic on our extranet for feedback and approval. After all animatic comments were incorporated, our team of animators fleshed out the key-frames and animation while our sound department finalized all scoring and effects. After final approval, the show is output to QuickTime and FTP’d to ESPN for posting on ESPN Motion.

ESPN.com has had great success with The Sports Guy, and was able to sell and maintain sponsorship underwriting the cost for producing the property. The show has had a far higher than average viewership and retention rate than other clips on the service.