“Pilot Light” – A New Documentary Film Tells the Story of a Local Kid Whose Passion is Fashion

“Everyone involved in this project was there because they wanted to be,” Casey Pflipsen remembers.  “This was truly a passion project. We all were learning things, making mistakes along the way, and it was totally okay.”

The passion project to which Pflipsen refers is Pilot: A Jarrah Webster Story, a documentary film that nominally tells the tale of not a who, but a what:  Jarrah Webster is the clothing brand (and passion project) of fledgling fashion designer Raja Babu.  Of course, as with most passion projects, creator and creation are, in fact, interchangeable, so perhaps Pilot simultaneously tells the tale of a what and a who.  

While most documentaries look back at an accomplished subject’s accomplishments, Pilot:  A Jarrah Webster Story looks forward.  Notes Pflipsen, “This film is very unique and experimental because director Sawyer Brice decided to make a documentary about a person who essentially hasn’t ‘made it’ yet.” 

The movie telling the story of the art student who hasn’t made it very nearly went unmade.  “The story goes, that [Pilot director] Sawyer Brice met Raj at an event or party or something,” Pflipsen says.  “Sawyer must have been pretty blown away at Raja’s presence, his attitude, his art, and overall vibe.  It was one day after meeting Raj that Sawyer was inspired to film a documentary about him.”

What might have seemed an avenue to inspiration for the director was a road to nowhere for the subject…at least initially.  As Pflipsen recounts, “Raj was not into the idea at first, but after some convincing, he finally said yes.”

According to the project’s website, “The lens follows Raja as he navigates the pressures of graduating college and finding his identity, both artistically and individually. The documentary introduces his inner circle, with each person offering heartfelt testimonials on his profound influence within the local scene.” 

The film’s title contains multiple possible meanings.  “As Sawyer has said, in Hollywood language, a pilot is the first of more to come,” Pflipsen explains.  “This documentary shows the beginning of Raj’s career as an artist/designer. This was Sawyers’s first full-length documentary as a director. And, by coincidence or not, Raj’s grandfather was a pilot.”  

Pflipsen, who describes himself as “a queer analog photographer and filmmaker from Minneapolis,” served as a kind of pilot himself during the filming of Pilot, directing the collaboration’s photography.  “The job of a Director of Photography–DoP for short–may vary from each person you ask,” he explains.  “Since Pilot was a documentary, it was a lot of ‘run and gun filming.’ We tried to capture the moment.”

Those moments weren’t always complicit in their own capture.  Says Pflipsen:  “As the DoP shooting the scenes, it was my job to collaborate with the director Sawyer Brice, to quickly and efficiently find the best angles with the best lighting possible in the most efficient way possible.”  

Pilot is made visually distinctive by filming different sections with different stock.  “It was shot about 50% of analog film,” Pflipsen supposes, referring to the quaint substance used to record light when movies were viewed on reels.  “It’s an artistic choice for sure.” 

The ability to weave these old-fashioned webs is what got Pflipsen the gig in the first place.  “[Director Sawyer Brice] brought me on to shoot all the 16mm footage,” Pflipsen says.  “The look of 16 mm film is so unique, and a breath of fresh air in our perfect digital world. 16 mm is a great medium for low-budget films because it creates an amazing look at a lower cost.”  

The portal for the reality revealed by Pilot is Minneapolis-based Overbite Studio.  As delineated on its website, “Overbite is home to a roster of filmmakers, photographers, and multidisciplinary artists who collaborate seamlessly, bringing expertise across commercials, music videos, documentaries, and photography.”

But, ultimately, it was the passion of the people who wanted to work on the project that got Pilot to its graceful landing.  “What surprised me was the amount of people needed to create a film,” Pflipsen confesses.  “The directors, producers, cinematographers, cast, gaffers, grips, photographers, stylists, and friends who helped out along the way. At the end of the film, you’ll see how long the credits are, and we truly could not have done it without all of those wonderful people.” 

Those long credits ran for the first time when the film debuted in Saint Paul on March 4th of this year.  “The Pilot screening went great,” Pflipsen reports.  “Huge turnout, lots of love, cheers, and tears from the crowd. So much of the Minneapolis art scene came to support the movie. It was truly magical.”

The mistakes made by the moviemakers and the things learned by the moviemakers probably escaped the notice of those initial moviegoers, but the passion which serves as the lifeblood of Pilot: A Jarrah Webster Story will surely abide…for those who made the film, as well as for those who view it.  “I just want to give a hug and shout out to everyone who was involved,” Casey Pflipsen concludes.  “All the cast, everyone at Overbite Studio. I am so thankful to be involved in this wonderful Minneapolis art community.”

www.overbite.studio/pilot
www.jarrah-webster.com/
www.pflipsenfilms.com/