Champion of Secret Realms.
Currently residing at the Graveface Museum in Savannah, GA, Zarbalatrax is a feat of DIY engineering. A fully functional Animatronic Fortune Telling Machine created by Ethan Hawthorne and Corey Kreisel, and programmed by Laura Perkins. Cash Machines, Receipt Printers, and an entire car stereo are mashed together with a pneumatic animatronic skeleton to create: ZARBALATRAX!
His best friend, Squambo the Mouse, is a real taxidermy mouse, hand done by Ethan Hawthorne at the Graveface Oddities Market. He is able to spin on a servo and talk with Zarb and the audience.
Each fortune comes with a unique piece of art, and original dialogue from both characters.
Zarbalatrax - The Short Film
Two high school kids, at the beginning of their journey into proper adulthood, seek answers about their future and hope to tie up loose ends from the past. They find exactly what they’re looking for: at a price.
Zarbalatrax - The Event
A premier party to end all premier parties! A total DIY show that blew the top off of the Lodge of Sorrows in June of 2022. Check out a sizzle reel of the show below!
Thank you to Emma Kafka for shooting and editing the BTS video!
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
After raising the budget for the film by winning a grand prize at the SCAD Sand Arts Competition, Zarbalatrax’s production kicked into overdrive.
The film was shot during the Spring Quarter of 2022 at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) as a directing the narrative project.
We shot part of the film at Terrorvision, an old school arcade and horror movie destination in Savannah. It was awesome to collaborate with the team at Graveface to make the best project possible.
We had a bit of budget left over, so we decided to throw a screening party for the film at the Graveface Lodge of Sorrows. We booked musical acts, a BBQ truck, live glitch artist, and had running arcade games at the space. Check out the video above!
Poster by Nikki Simmons
Poster by An-Mei Morris