Space Ryder

Space Ryder is a sci-fi action-adventure short film that follows Ryder, an intergalactic bounty hunter in pursuit of his white whale: a monstrous alien creature that has eluded his capture for years. As Ryder sets out on a mission to finally capture the elusive beast, he travels to a remote planet, where he traverses through otherworldly landscapes, faces incredible dangers, and ultimately comes to question his own identity as a hunter.

Shot in just five days at the ROE x disguise VP stage, Space Ryder features over 12 virtual environments created in Unreal Engine 5. The film showcases the incredible potential for virtual production in the indie filmmaking space, and demonstrates how this cutting-edge technology can empower filmmakers to create highly imaginative, immersive narrative experiences on a limited budget, without compromising on the scope and spectacle traditionally associated with big-budget studio productions.

  • Jeff Kenji Yamashita
    Director
  • Addy Ghani
    Producer
  • Conner Bean
    Key Cast
    "Ryder"
  • Randy Nagata
    Post Production
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short
  • Genres:
    Sci-Fi, Action
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes 13 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 31, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    200,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED 5K Anamorphic 1.8x
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Jeff Kenji Yamashita

Jeff Kenji Sloniker is a writer, director, and producer from the Bay Area. Before moving back to the Bay during the pandemic, Jeff spent over two decades in Los Angeles, where he had to hide his allegiance to the San Francisco Giants and love for sourdough bread bowls.

In L.A. Jeff cut his teeth as an improv and sketch comedian, performing at iO, Second City, and the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. Jeff became a founding member of L.A.’s longest running sketch show, The Midnight Show, where he specialized in absurdist and physical comedy. He’s still very proud of the giant cardboard props he used to make (and somehow transport across L.A. during rush hour traffic) -- before destroying them as part of his bit. Jeff’s time with the Midnight Show led him to go on a nationwide comedy tour with Drew Carey, who bought Jeff his first iPad.
As a comedic actor, Jeff has appeared on shows like KEY AND PEELE, PARKS AND RECREATION, and SILICON VALLEY; and starred in national commercials for brands like CALL OF DUTY and ADULT SWIM. He was also a host on SyFy Channel and Fox Sports. As a writer-producer, Jeff was the head writer of Comedy Central Digital, and co-produced a secret comedy club nestled within the offices of the DreamWorks campus -- which led him to teach character development and writing workshops to internal teams at DreamWorks.

As a creator, Jeff has sold eight original series to networks like Fox Animation, TruTV, TBS, Comedy Central, and Nickelodeon. His favorite was an animated series called KENJI THE GHOST WARRIOR, which was based on his childhood summers in the Japanese countryside.

Add Director Biography