As the MetroCard gets phased out, so might a familiar horror story captured in the short documentary, Mr. Yellow Sweatshirt.

The film by New York-based directors Pacho Velez and Yoni Brook chronicles one man's struggle to pass a turnstile at the Roosevelt Av - Jackson Heights subway station in Queens. He spends eight minutes swiping before seeking the MTA’s help.

Mr. Yellow Sweatshirt from JZB Projects on Vimeo.

Velez, a documentary filmmaking professor at the New School and native New Yorker, says he was always fascinated by the rhythm of the subway. We asked him five questions about the inspiration and impact of Mr. Yellow Sweatshirt, which was released online today for the 25th anniversary of the electronic turnstile.

How did you get the idea for the film?

I’m excited by the variety of experiences that I would see on the subway. It’s wonderful people-watching in the best possible sense. Yoni and I started taking rides for fun with our cameras and recorders, looking for unusual stations and unusual events. We went to one of the [furthest underground] stations in the system, the A line on 181st Street. Then the highest station, Smith and 9th Street. On one of the visits to the Jackson Heights station, we found a strange overlook where you can look down at the turnstiles -- what a way to see the ritual of the MetroCard.

What was that like?

A collective ballet was taking place. It was a way of capturing what’s great about the subway, but also what’s terrible about it in a single shot. The world of everybody rushing to the turnstiles. Everyone hits each other. It’s efficient, considering how many people are coming toward it. Those are rules that we’ve all internalized as New Yorkers. How to maneuver that space.

Why did you decide on a short film?

Of the 24 hours we were there, we shot about eight hours of footage. And we weren't sure what we were going to make of it. What was hard was taking time to figure out what the best way of sharing that with the world. We then had 90 minutes of stuff that was interesting. We subjected a group of our friends to watching that. At that point we thought, oh, it’s going to be great. You’re going to feel the entire day. But it didn’t hold people’s attention in the way we had hoped. So it became a process of winnowing it down to moments throughout the day.

How did sound complement your footage?

That’s part of the appeal. The space is really echoey. It feels like a cathedral in the way it reverberates. It’s a civic religion of subway riding. The idea that the subway is a place New Yorkers do their daily devotional -- that was something that we could get at through the sound design. There’s even some subtle sound like the echo at St. John’s Cathedral to magnify the giant reverberative space.

What do you want a New York audience to take from the film?

I would love for the MTA to see this movie and feel a little embarrassed. It’s crazy that one of the turnstiles is out. That’s why I like the mystery of the yellow sweatshirt. I want New York to identify with this guy. We’ve all been there. Things may not work perfectly, but they work well enough to get us on our way. There’s pride in knowing how to handle and master the subway. Knowing how to use it is a key part of what makes you a New Yorker.