In a post-apocalyptic world, in which only skateboarders exist, a new synthetic drug has been quietly circulating around the globe and turning female skaters into kick-ass Killer Zombies. The planet’s only hope lies with a small cohort of co-ed pro skaters—determined to take a stand and save civilization.Pro-skater Richie Jackson portrays the ultimate “anti-Villain”, obsessed with bringing back anarchy to skateboarding culture. Who will win this retro-clash of culture and chaos?

The film had its world premiere in Jan 2024 at the London Short Film Festival https://shortfilms.org.uk/ US Premiere in April 2024 at the Poppy Jasper Film Festival https://pjiff.org/ And will be the opening short film for the features screening in Germany in March at Obscura Special, Berlin Zoo Palast https://zoopalast.premiumkino.de

Plan to change everything

You really have to work on your feet when shooting a short film, the rapid pace means things are constantly changing throughout the shoot. We started thinking we would use the Inspire 2 and the Puffin with the Black magic cameras and ended up using the Mavic2Pro and a 5″ freestyle drone to get the shots. You have to be ready to know what is and isnt working and at the end of the day what is going to make the client happy.

Meeting a legend

I would have never guessed I would be planning a chase sequence with the legendary Richy Jackson in the middle of a scrap yard and yes I had to throw an orbit in there for good measure.

Uncut FPV Chase footage through the scrap yard

HIghspeed footage of the Skateboard launch. Timing was everything here working with SPFX.

Filmthreat’s Film critic Josiah Teal (US): https://filmthreat.com/reviews/skater-zombies-the-villain/

“Skater Zombies: The Villain quickly establishes frenetic camera work and an engaging title character. Writer/Director Eileen Yaghoobian’s intense use of drone footage is impressive. Soaring through destroyed cars and circling through the massive junkyard, the creative use of drones makes a small-budget chase sequence into one of the strongest scenes in the film….. The chase and characters ooze a 1970s cult film aesthetic. Jackson’s performance further highlights the cult attitude, giving the character of The Villain a constant sense of deranged charisma…the intense action, Yaghoobian’s creative camera work, and Jackson as “The Villain” make this a memorable adventure into the end of the world.” 7/10 Filmthreat.

Film critic Anton Bitel (UK) : https://projectedfigures.com/2023/12/25/skater-zombies-the-villain-2024/

“As its title suggests, Skater Zombies: The Villain introduces the projected feature’s big bad, played by legit celebrity skater Richie Jackson, whose own Beefheart-ian costumery, hippie hair and Dalí-esque ’tache inform the character’s eccentric look. Smooth, swirling drone shots track the Villain as he in turn pursues the terrified Kris (Jacques Grimbeek) through a maze of abandoned cars and trucks – the graveyard for an age in which the skateboard had not yet risen to become sole means of transport (and occasional weapon)…As moustache-twirling villains go, he is on the Joker side of the spectrum, all puffed-up performativity, chemical creativity and arbitrary nastiness with a zanily chaotic edge…. its psychedelic stylings, junkyard setting and cheesy effects promise a fallen world of the future that is also a throwback simultaneously to Sixties visions of countercultural anarchy and to Eighties visions of Mad Max-style dystopia. Meanwhile the meandering swoops of Richard Win’s camera capture the gravity-defying fluidity of skateboarding, even before anyone in the short has used their board. It is all a taster for that most intriguing of feature-length pitches (for which Jackson is already on board): a mannered post-apocalyptic actioner in which ideologically divided, neon-lit skaters will allegorise the polarised bo(a)rders of a wider world beyond their own subcultural niche – while also performing lots of rad moves and mad stunts. ” Projected Figures

Film critic James Rodrigues (UK) : https://www.nerdly.co.uk/2024/01/09/skater-zombies-the-villain-short-film-review/

“While Jackson’s @thefeatch role could have merely been a case of stunt casting in lesser hands, this short sees him provide an effective portrayal as the titular antagonist who fully believes in his anarchic actions. What drives this figure is a disdain for what skateboarders have become, wishing to reintegrate the rebellious feeling into what he believes are now “corporate sponsored buffoons”…Eileen Yaghoobian uses this six-minute short to deliver a proof-of-concept for a future feature. What is offered brings to mind 2015’s Turbo Kid, a feature where the anarchic sense of style made for a unique take on life after the apocalypse, only with more skateboard tricks and use of the board as a weapon. Skater Zombies: The Villain offers promise for the intriguing sounding and fascinating feature that Yaghoobian hopes to make, so be sure to look out for that in the future.” ***Nerdly