Despite being one of the industry\u2019s leading artists for decades, the man behind the work is often lost, Makens said.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of people are huge fans of his art but do not really know the artist behind all of it,\u201d he said. \u201cI 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,\u201d where Phillips is based.<\/p>\n
![\"Ocean](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/john-makens.jpg\")
Ocean Beach filmmaker John Makens is the director of \u201cArt and Life: The Story of Jim Phillips.\u201d (Deep Communications)<\/p>\n
Once there, Makens and his team got to work crafting Phillips\u2019 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe shot the first round of interviews and the first half of the movie in those initial couple of months,\u201d Makens said. \u201cEverything he is influenced by in the [Santa Cruz] region really comes out in his art.\u201d<\/p>\n
Phillips said it is \u201ccompletely 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. \u2026 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cArt was his escape and something he focused on,\u201d Makens said. \u201cWe documented a bit of that in the film, relaying his journey through not just his career in art but his health battles.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though the documentary is based primarily in the Santa Cruz area, Phillips\u2019 reach also is tangible in San Diego,\u00a0 with skate shops decorated in Santa Cruz Skateboards posters and T-shirts, hats, hoodies and socks, Makens said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou walk around Point Loma and see people wearing the \u2018Screaming Hand\u2019 logo,\u201d he said. \u201cEvery 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Makens said the ability to tell a fellow artist\u2019s story motivates him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI went to school for art and was a graphic designer,\u201d he said. \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
With his work rooted in graphic design, Makens knew the value that adding a 3D component to Phillips\u2019 art would bring to the film.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe took all of his work and animated it so you can see it in motion,\u201d Makens said. \u201cIt 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Phillips said Makens \u201cdid an amazing job of directing, digging up ancient stories and creating the awesome animations with his crew.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSeeing the \u2018Art and Life\u2019 film was like my life passing before my eyes, but I get to still be here with my fans and loved ones.\u201d<\/p>\n
Phillips\u2019 reaction to the film has been rewarding in itself, Makens said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere 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,\u201d Makens said. \u201cBut 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. \u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was great to work with and he really put his trust in me, and it worked out so well.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHis work lives on now, and this can serve as a time capsule,\u201d Makens added. \u201cHe is a very inspirational person, and I hope \u2026 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.\u201d<\/p>\n