Early in 2020, amidst the initial chaos of the pandemic, I received a cold email from Phil Casabon—a pioneer in freestyle skiing. Our connection came through a mutual acquaintance, setting the stage for a project unlike any other. Our first discussions took place while I was hunkered down in my parents’ basement during a clandestine family reunion, lasting three weeks due to the pandemic restrictions.

Phil shared an idea born from an out-of-body experience, which had inspired him to write a story for his alter ego, B-Dog. This concept evolved into a trailer for what would become "The Lost Crystal." Together with Phil and Frank Boucher, an illustrator, we embarked on transforming B-Dog into a character for an anime/cartoon-style short video. Initially intended as a brief clip, it expanded into a 26-minute animated feature.

Over a year, we poured our efforts into scriptwriting, art direction, test animations, and rigging, trying to bring Phil’s vision to life. However, the ambition of creating a feature-length film eventually confronted the realities of limited resources. Despite an attempt to fund the project through crowdfunding, we fell short of our financial target. The project was reluctantly shelved, culminating in a compilation of animated scenes that now serve as a teaser for a film that will never be completed.