All the world’s a stage – or rather, a skate park. That’s the concept of Drop In, a new campaign film from Uncommon Creative Studio celebrating the long-awaited return of the award-winning video game franchise, skate., after 15 years.

Shot on location in Mexico City, the three-minute film features a roll call of global skating talent: Ishod Wair, Atiba Jefferson, Yurin Fuji, Jerry Hsu, David Gravette, Kiki Kakitani, Sean Malto, Breana Geering, Alfie Mills, Jackie Michel, Brayan Coria – the list goes on.

But this isn’t Mexico City as we know it – in classic open-world gaming fashion, it’s reimagined as San Vansterdam, a sprawling skater’s paradise where everything is designed to be ollied, carved, grinded and, of course, dropped in on.

When EA Games released the first skate. back in 2007, it was an instant hit, famously outselling the latest Tony Hawk game. A lot has changed in the gaming world since then, but the hype for skate. doesn’t appear to have died down: more than one million players registered for pre-launch playtests, a record for EA.

Sam Shepherd, chief creative officer at Uncommon, said: “Drop In is a celebration of the skate community – past, present, and future. It’s about capturing the energy of stepping into a session and becoming part of something bigger. With skate., we’re not just reviving a franchise – we’re building a platform shaped by the players who’ve kept it alive.”

That’s certainly evident in the film, which recasts every character in this multiplayer playground as would-be skaters, from hotdog vendors and hospital patients to security guards and even a pair of nuns. Heaven is a halfpipe, indeed.

Aside from Drop In’s high energy and humour, there’s a lot of digital craft on show, too. As the camera tracks every trick and relishes every bail, it occasionally pauses to show a broken finger or missing teeth magically snapping or popping back into place. A playful reminder that in this fast-paced video game environment, anything goes.

Credits:
Creative Studio: Uncommon Creative Studio
Production Company: Riff Raff Films
Directors: The Sacred Egg
Edit: Final Cut
Editor: Sam Bould
Post: Electric Theatre Collective
Sound: Wave