ZENITH RUN is a sci-fi web series about a novice bounty hunter (Julia Morizawa) and a fast-talking embezzler (Shaina Vorspan) who become embroiled in a plot to stop the destruction of a planet by a sinister galactic corporation.

The web series is the latest project from indie sci-fi filmmaker Anthony Ferraro.

Ferraro is a personal favorite filmmaker, whose last two creations - the gripping sci-fi drama short AERANGER and space comedy web series GALACTIC GALAXY - were both featured on this site.

Ferraro has cast another spell with ZENITH RUN, which promises to take viewers on a wild space odyssey via the gritty and outlandish grindhouse cinematic style of the 1960s and 1970s.

The cinematography of the series gloriously mimics the grainy, low-fidelity, 8mm film look emblematic of grindhouse films. There is also an exposition-heavy opening crawl that takes satirical aim directly at a beloved sci-fi franchise.

Grindhouse films were notorious for their low, low-budget production quality and cinematography. Ironically, Ferraro is an expert in producing high-quality no-budget and low-budget sci-fi films.

His impressive skills make his film projects look as if the production budgets were significantly larger (see the aforementioned AERANGER).

In fact, Ferraro has a growing YouTube channel called Create Sci-Fi, the central hub of hundreds of video tutorials demonstrating his extensive knowledge of producing films from script to screen with no or low budgets.

In terms of narrative, he has an uncanny ability to create bizarre speculative worlds, then throw you right into the deep end. It is a very effective way of creating a strong sense of engagement with his stories and emotional investment in the plight of the odd characters who populate his universes.

He has an eye for casting as well. It was a prudent choice to cast frequent collaborator Julia Morizawa as the series lead protagonist.

Ms. Morizawa has an undeniable charisma stemming from her ability to make her eccentric characters relatable. Her characters then act as a proxy for the viewer as she navigates the often very weird antics going on around her.

Her portrayal as the newbie bounty hunter in ZENITH RUN will be no different.

Shaina Vorspan is the perfect foil for Morizawa’s taciturn bounty hunter. She brings undeniable charm to the role of the free-spirited, silver-tongued embezzler.

She and Morizawa have terrific onscreen chemistry together that will be interesting to see evolve as the series progresses.

With its gritty cinematography, solid cast, and retro-cool sci-fi sets, ZENITH RUN is a fun homage to the wild heyday of grindhouse cinema.

Watch the pilot episode of ZENITH RUN here…

Make sure to catch the latest episodes on the Create Sci-Fi YouTube Channel.

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