There's a finite amount of time for which one pair of directors can do pop videos. For Academy Films' Simon Atkinson and Adam Trowley, collectively known as Si & Ad, it took two years before they decided a major reinvention was in order. Shedding their earlier persona, they're now tackling the "urban youth" niche with skill, while making calculated moves to position themselves for the commercial market.

Videos for pop bands became a lucrative pigeonhole the pair found themselves in after drifting from new media designers at London's Virgin Records to video directors for the label's artists.

But as with many creative types, money was soon not enough to keep Si & Ad satisfied. "We stumbled blindly into this pop video thing," says Ad. "We decided not to do them anymore and consequently we became very poor for a year and a half."

But it was time well spent, as the 29-year-old Manchester-born designer (Si) and the 33-year-old Essex mathematician (Ad) - or chalk and cheese, as they like to call themselves - emerged with a powerhouse reel displaying their ability to creatively tell a story.

A clever clip for indie group McFly ("Room on the Third Floor") places dismembered bandmates in a build-your-own model world, while in Chikini's "Like It or Leave It", Si & Ad have fun with perspective. But it's a simple :45 short that best showcases their ability to transition into the commercial world.

They planned it that way. "Street Dream" is a first-person story of a man's morning journey to catch a bus. Sounds pretty pedestrian, except for the fact that it's told with the central figure laying on the ground, his surroundings represented by chalk outlines. The engrossing action is enhanced by the charming naivety and flowing cadence of the dialogue.

"We wanted to do a short film with a real actor and dialogue at a commercial length," says Ad.

This deliberate strategy helped land the pair a job from Crispin Porter & Bogusky as their first commercial gig. Described as their "baptism by fire", The Know AIDS PSA "Urban" doesn't add to their dialogue repertoire, but it does showcase a deft sense of performance and includes a visual effects touch. That was followed by a playful spot for BT Broadband (AMV.BBDO).

So what's next on their well-thought-out plan? America. "We've just got our visas come through for three years. We're ready to conquer," Si says slyly. Adds Adam playfully, "We're quite ambitious."

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