The Black Stonefly
The Black Stonefly began as a simple idea: follow a man to the water and listen. What unfolded instead was a story about identity, access, and choosing your own path, told through the unlikeliest of pursuits.
Centered on Gian Lawrence, a self-described inner-city Black “punk” from Washington State, the film explores how fly fishing became a tool for healing, grounding, and transformation after a near-death experience changed the course of his life.
This case study looks at how the film came together, why it mattered to us, and what happened once the story entered the world.
The Challenge
Gian didn’t grow up seeing himself reflected in outdoor culture. Raised in Puyallup and Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood, fly fishing felt distant, unfamiliar, and never meant for him. Yet that distance was exactly what made the story compelling.
The challenge wasn’t just capturing Gian’s journey. It was doing so with honesty and restraint. We needed to avoid framing fly fishing as novelty or metaphor alone. Instead, the film had to honor Gian’s lived experience while letting the water speak quietly for itself.
At its core, the challenge was trust — earning it, holding it, and never betraying it.
The Approach
We approached The Black Stonefly as a documentary-first collaboration. From the beginning, the goal was to let Gian lead the story in his own words and on his own terms.
Filmed over five days across the Pacific Northwest, the production followed Gian through familiar waters and conversations shaped by reflection rather than performance. Fly fishing served as both a literal practice and a symbolic thread, but it never overshadowed the human story at the center.
Working closely with Freebuilt Films and Hard Row Productions, we prioritized patience, observation, and space. Some of the most meaningful moments came not from interviews, but from quiet time spent together on the river.
This was not a film built around answers. It was built around listening.
The Production
Production unfolded across multiple locations in Washington State, shaped by weather, movement, and Gian’s own rhythms on the water. The pace stayed intentionally slow, allowing moments to develop rather than forcing structure onto them.
Behind the scenes, the process felt less like a shoot and more like time spent alongside someone navigating reflection and growth. That dynamic shaped the tone of the final film.
The Film
The Black Stonefly explores identity, access, and self-determination through Gian’s guiding belief: pick your path and don’t let anybody sway you from it.
Fly fishing becomes a place of calm, discipline, and presence. More importantly, it becomes a space where Gian reclaims agency over his own narrative. The film resists explanation. Instead, it invites viewers to sit with choice, resilience, and the possibility of finding peace in unexpected places.
The Impact
Following its completion, The Black Stonefly was submitted to and accepted into multiple film festivals, earning several awards along the way. The response reinforced what we felt during production: that this story resonated beyond a single community or subculture.
For us, the most meaningful impact came through the relationships formed during the process. Getting to know Gian over time shaped not only the film, but our understanding of what responsible storytelling looks like.
Where Gian Is Now
Since the release of the film, Gian has continued to build a life rooted in the values explored on screen. He is now a fly fishing guide, a community advocate, and an ambassador for several brands, including Grundéns, Traeger, the Puget Sound Fly Shop, and Costa Del Mar.
He has also launched his own online clothing brand, Aqua Camp, extending the film’s themes of self-determination into something tangible and self-owned.
For a deeper look into Gian’s perspective, this interview offers additional context into his relationship with fishing, hunting, and community.
Why This Story Matters
The Black Stonefly reflects the kind of documentary work we believe in: patient, place-based, and led by people rather than narratives imposed on them. This case study exists not to explain success, but to show process. It’s a reminder that meaningful stories often unfold slowly, and that the most powerful work begins with trust.
This project is part of our broader Documentary & Long-Form work, centered on identity, place, and lived experience in the outdoors.
Client: Independent / Editorial
Project: The Black Stonefly
Industry: Outdoor / Documentary
Location: Washington State, USA
Services: Documentary Film, Cinematic Storytelling
