Yeah Right! The overlooked art of cinematography in skateboarding

‘Yeah Right!’ from Girl skateboards is one the most iconic videos in skateboarding. It is a collection of some of the biggest legends in the game including P Rod, Eric Koston and Mike Carrol all in one video directed by the legendary Spike Jonze. Jonze was an Oscar nominated director for his work on ‘Being John Malkovich by the time he directed ‘Yeah Right!’ yet, I see people distinguishing his work on so called ‘real films’ from his work on skate videos, giving them a lesser standing and doubting their legitimacy as film. I think that is unfair and ‘Yeah Right!’ shows exactly why.

‘Yeah Right!’ is one of the most influential skate videos for a reason, it is fantastic. The skaters in this video go hell for leather throwing themselves into each trick, pushing each other to get better and more impressive clips. This means that what you are watching on the screen is so visually impressive before you even account for the film making. The opening credits using the super slo-mo camera sets the tone for what to expect from this video. Breaking down skateboarding to its basic elements creates such a striking visual. Skateboarding is incredibly technical; the flicks and foot positioning to execute a trick are impressive but often got lost in the trick of a stair set or rail slide. That is why the focus on the technical element using the zoomed in slo-mo, removing the face of the rider, to give the tricks centre stage is such a significant and effective piece of filmmaking, giving the art of skateboarding its time to shine.

Everything in this video works, it is a perfect storm. The skating is incredible, the camerawork, the editing and the soundtrack all match the tone and support the skating so well. This is such an enjoyable watch even if you do not skate yourself. I have shown my girlfriend a few skateboarding videos and she has enjoyed them, and that is partially why I do not agree with this being put on a lower rung to Jonze’s feature films. ‘Yeah Right!’ is a well-made, enjoyable watch with a great score, fantastic editing, and a film (yes, a film) that encapsulates the feeling and culture of skateboarding perfectly. I often attribute the snobbery of those that think they are better than a skate video due to the home-made feel that this and other skate videos have. Some shots are not fine tuned and give off a rough and ready feel, like a bunch of friends have picked up a camera and shot something. But that is part of what makes this film so good. It is not perfect, the camera is sometimes shaky, the skater flies in to frame so fast and is gone in an instant; it is not centred perfectly. Some of the cameras are low quality. But it feels real which, as the focus is on the tricks being performed, should be how it is. People watching ‘Yeah Right!’ can feel like they could go out and make their own video, and I am sure thousands of kids did. The homemade feel goes a long way to conveying the tongue in cheek message of the title. The tricks and clips that the pros achieve in videos seem unbelievable and yet, they also seem like they were done by a regular person you would see on the street.

This outside view of skateboarding is played with in such a clever way by Spike and his use of visual effects. The use of kicker ramps to help boost tricks, increase airtime helps makes tricks seem more spectacular. With the use of green screen technology these ramps are made invisible to make the jumps look even more outrageous, so much so they would make you say, “Yeah Right!” This is captured perfectly with the ollie over the whole road in the title card. Then there is the invisible skateboard skit, utilising the same green screen technology. These moments are so eye catching and really elevate the visual quality of this video.

What really binds this video is the soundtrack. The songs are implemented into sections so effectively and are eclectic enough to keep every new skater’s bit feeling fresh. The use of unique songs really elevates this video over others. Marc Johnson going for it set to Joy Division and Rick McCrank skating to ‘Decepticon’ are two highlights for me. Jonze’s experience of directing music videos really lends a helping hand here. The editing to be on beat is mesmerising. It means songs such as ‘Apache’ compliment the skating; each pop, slam and landing has an extra oomph. The montage set to ‘help yourself’ is beautiful; the black and white shots, the build-up of the music, each transition slowly building up as the beat switches is breath-taking and conveys so much emotion.

The skits in this are some of the very best in any skate video I have seen. They do a great job of breaking up the clips of skating and are genuinely fun to watch. The passing of the skateboard clip uses camera tricker to make a fun and unique sequence that adds to the team feel that Girl Skateboards were surely going for, the skatetrix was a fun little pun with really cool editing and the flasher skit was funny. Eric Koston’s wallet fight translates his energy from skateboarding and helps understand how he uses aggression in his skating, a good way of the skit/intro to give a hint towards the rider’s personality. Similarly, Justin Eldridge popping his dislocated finger back in shows his commitment to the clips and the fearless nature of his skating. That intro alone earned him a spot on this roster. This film cannot be discussed without mentioning Owen Wilson’s hilariously dead pan cameo, cementing this as a classic video.

I think this video and skate videos are criminally under looked in the world of film. The technical skill and beauty of the skate video is at its best here and is a great watch regardless of whether you are in to skateboarding or not.