From Virginia Beach to SXSW: Jpixx Documents the Making of The Pirate King

This week at SXSW, the indie film The Pirate King will make its world premiere — and for the Jpixx team, it’s a moment that feels especially close to home.

While Jpixx didn’t direct or shoot the feature itself, we were brought in to capture something just as important: the story behind the story. Over several days of production, Jpixx filmed Electronic Press Kit (EPK) interviews and b-roll designed to help introduce the film to audiences, festivals, and media outlets around the world. Our goal was simple — make the production look as incredible as it felt on set.

The film, written and directed by first-time director Josh Plasse and starring Rob Riggle and Jordana Brewster, was shot largely in Yorktown, Norfolk and Virginia Beach, putting our coastal region firmly on the cinematic map. The production spanned more than 20 days, but Jpixx was brought in by production supervisor and longtime collaborator April Campion to document key moments across five intense days of filming.

And intense they were.

Argghhhh… the hottest week of the year in Yorktown, VA

Owner Jon Abrahams was on set every day, often working through blistering near-100-degree temperatures while capturing interviews and behind-the-scenes footage with the film’s cast and crew. Some days meant filming alongside massive pirate ship set pieces. Others meant dramatic nighttime setups with the lead actors. And on the final day, as the production wrapped — we documented the final moments of a project that had taken months to bring to life.

The level of trust on set made this project especially rewarding. The production gave us significant autonomy to schedule interviews and collaborate directly with the film’s main players — including the real-life inspiration behind the film, local legend Todd Willis, known as “The Pirate King” himself.

Before filming even began, we photographed stills of several actors that were later used as props within the film — a small but fun way our work became woven directly into the production.

Jon and SXSW go waaaaaay back!

For Jon Abrahams, the experience carries an extra layer of meaning. He’s worked SXSW several times as official festival coverage crew and has attended the festival before as a filmmaker. But this marks the first time a project he worked on will premiere at the festival — a full-circle moment that makes this SXSW especially exciting.

Projects like this aren’t typical Jpixx assignments. But being embedded inside a large-scale film set — collaborating with talented cast and crew while helping shape how the film will be presented to the world — made The Pirate King a uniquely fulfilling experience.

As the film premieres at SXSW this week, we’re incredibly proud to have played a small role in helping capture the energy, ambition, and hard work that went into bringing this story to life.

And yes — sometimes that meant filming pirates in 100-degree heat.

Totally worth it.

Follow Jon’s adventures in Austin on our Instagram Channel