OB filmmaker highlights the life of skateboard artist Jim Phillips in 12-year project

Ocean Beach filmmaker John Makens’ latest project, “Art and Life: The Story of Jim Phillips,” celebrates skateboarding, surfing and art with an in-depth look at the man behind some of the industry’s most iconic artwork.

Since the film’s release in 2024 after 12 years in the making, it has appeared in about 70 theaters in North America and six major film festivals.

After the long process of making the 90-minute documentary, Makens said he is grateful to finally share the art and story of such a notable figure.

“I got the chance to meet Jim through our mutual love of skating and art,” Makens said. “We began working together because he did some artwork for a brand of mine — he did our logo. We grew close through that and began talking all the time. I got to hear his stories and realized there needs to be a movie about this guy.”

With some of his most recognizable pieces being Santa Cruz Skateboards’ “Screaming Hand” and the company’s red dot logo, Phillips’ work appears on skateboards, stickers, clothing and posters across the world.

Despite being one of the industry’s leading artists for decades, the man behind the work is often lost, Makens said.

“A lot of people are huge fans of his art but do not really know the artist behind all of it,” he said. “I approached him with the idea of a film and he was into it. I got a crew together and we went up to Santa Cruz,” where Phillips is based.

Once there, Makens and his team got to work crafting Phillips’ story, aiming to highlight his art in a way never done before. Makens lived on his property for a month and dove in, looking to understand how and why Phillips does what he does.

“We shot the first round of interviews and the first half of the movie in those initial couple of months,” Makens said. “Everything he is influenced by in the [Santa Cruz] region really comes out in his art.”

Phillips said it is “completely gratifying to achieve any kind of status in art, and if there is a moment, [it] then is swept away with the wind. The artist bares his soul in every work, exposing his naked ego to ridicule from any and every angle. … So to achieve honors such as a documentary is just unimaginable for most any artist. But I do believe each artist should strive for it.”

During the 12-year filming process, Phillips received a cancer diagnosis. As in other times of hardship, Phillips turned to his artwork, something Makens was able to capture in the film.

“Art was his escape and something he focused on,” Makens said. “We documented a bit of that in the film, relaying his journey through not just his career in art but his health battles.”

Though the documentary is based primarily in the Santa Cruz area, Phillips’ reach also is tangible in San Diego,  with skate shops decorated in Santa Cruz Skateboards posters and T-shirts, hats, hoodies and socks, Makens said.

“You walk around Point Loma and see people wearing the ‘Screaming Hand’ logo,” he said. “Every day I see people wearing his work. Sometimes I will walk up and ask if they know who the artist is. His art has spread around the world, but I think especially in Point Loma and Ocean Beach it resonates with the skate and surf community.”

Makens said the ability to tell a fellow artist’s story motivates him.

“I went to school for art and was a graphic designer,” he said. “I was always into filmmaking and took a couple of film classes. I got my start working at Fox, doing all sorts of film, rigging the camera, doing electrical and working my way up the ranks.”

With his work rooted in graphic design, Makens knew the value that adding a 3D component to Phillips’ art would bring to the film.

“We took all of his work and animated it so you can see it in motion,” Makens said. “It can be tough to watch a movie where you see static, stagnant art. Growing up, he was such a huge fan of Walt Disney and cartoons, and when he saw the initial cut of the movie, he was blown away how it all came to life in animation.

“People forget the process of art. When Phillips began, there were not computer screens and he did everything by hand. Hours and hours were put into his work. Being able to take those hand-drawn pieces and digitize them was very special.”

Phillips said Makens “did an amazing job of directing, digging up ancient stories and creating the awesome animations with his crew.”

“Seeing the ‘Art and Life’ film was like my life passing before my eyes, but I get to still be here with my fans and loved ones.”

Phillips’ reaction to the film has been rewarding in itself, Makens said.

“There were times in the process, since it was so long, that he was discouraged as to whether the movie would ever see the light of day,” Makens said. “But the effort we all put in was rewarding, and through all that, we got it finished. And now looking at it, the timing is perfect. …

“He was great to work with and he really put his trust in me, and it worked out so well.”

“His work lives on now, and this can serve as a time capsule,” Makens added. “He is a very inspirational person, and I hope … this film inspires people to go and be creative, go do those things they want to do. Whether it is art or skating or surfing, I want this to impact people.”

“Art and Life: The Story of Jim Phillips” is available for streaming on Apple TV, Prime Video, Vimeo, YouTube and several other platforms. For more information, visit artandlifemovie.com.