Rule #1: Enjoyable comes first. For Detroit’s personal Philip Johnson, aka Philaye, filmmaking is straightforward – maintain it enjoyable, maintain it actual.
A relaxed and down-to-earth director and producer, he brings an easygoing vibe to his work, specializing in tales that really feel real and relatable. For him, filmmaking is much less about sweeping statements; it’s about having a blast.
Image this: associates on set, cracking up between takes, telling tales that don’t take themselves too significantly. “Do I’ve a message?” he pauses, then shrugs. “No, I can’t consider one.” He laughs and provides, “Yeah, it’s actually in regards to the enjoyable and leisure for me.”
However don’t let all that enjoyable idiot you, Philip has a severe aspect too. By day, he’s a monetary analyst. “I’ve simply at all times been very mathy,” he explains with a smile, like that may be a completely regular factor to say.
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With a bachelor’s in enterprise administration from the College of Michigan, he’s crunching numbers and works on technique, advertising and marketing, finance, accounting—all of the issues most filmmakers attempt to keep away from.
“I cherished enterprise faculty,” he says, as if it’s a confession. And it seems, he has discovered the proper strategy to convey these abilities into his movie work.
“Bringing that to the movie world and to my inventive friends,” he says, “I really feel prefer it makes good synergy…as a result of it additionally makes all the opposite elements doable.” In different phrases, he’s the man who retains the lights on.
Philip’s journey into filmmaking started again in faculty, because of a nudge from his mother. Whereas he was busy touring and making recap movies of his examine overseas journeys, she observed his knack for storytelling.
“I like these!” she would say, particularly about his San Francisco movies. Out of the blue, Philip discovered himself seeing the world by means of a lens. After faculty, he took on the position of finance chair for a campus trend group, the place he raised $45,000 for his or her annual present.
It was then he had an epiphany: “That is how I wish to mix my enterprise diploma with inventive stuff.” And, voilà — Philaye Movies was born.
Since transferring to Los Angeles, Philip has made fairly a reputation for himself inside the metropolis’s Black and queer communities. Because the founding father of Philaye Movies, Inc. — an leisure firm he launched in 2018 — he writes, produces, directs, and acts in initiatives that hit near house. His movies and exhibits replicate the humor, quirks, and real-life tales of his neighborhood.
One in every of his first main model partnerships happened purely by probability. In 2021, he featured a humorous character from the Jack’d courting app in a brief social media video. To his shock, Jack’d reached out, and what was purported to be a three-video deal changed into a three-year collaboration.
“It was fully random,” Philip laughs, “however that’s how a number of the finest alternatives occur.” Discuss being in the precise place on the proper time.
Philaye is aware of that content material creation alone just isn’t sufficient in right this moment’s media panorama. Constructing strategic partnerships is crucial for strengthening a model and securing alternatives. Philip understands this completely! His newest undertaking, “Jamaal,” an award-winning sci-fi dramedy, is ready to launch on HereTV on Nov. 8.
The movie dives right into a futuristic world by means of a Black lens, following a pair who encounter a mysterious AI. Mixing humor with suspense, “Jamaal” explores the complexities of recent relationships and the AI craze.
With every undertaking, Philip proves that filmmaking doesn’t must be overly severe to be impactful. Whether or not it’s by means of laugh-out-loud moments, relatable tales, or intelligent model collaborations, he’s constructing an area for Black and queer voices to shine—one enjoyable, surprising alternative at a time. And when you ask him, he’s simply getting began.
Observe Philaye’s journey and movies at philayefilms.com and on Instagram @philaye
