Help Fund a Vietnam Veteran Documentary and Get Rewards

CRY HAVOC is a feature-length (90-minute) documentary that investigates why and how the Vietnam Veterans became the face of an unpopular war. Filled with authentic & heartbreaking interviews, historic footage and an epic soundtrack by singer/songwriter and Iraq veteran John Preston, We NEED your help to make this important film a reality!

Vietnam’s last casualties were the ones who made it home.

Directed by Wes O’Donnell, the filmmaker behind the award-winning short film Memorial Day.

Short Summary

50 years ago, thousands of American veterans were unwelcome in their own country.

My name is Wes O’Donnell, filmmaker, journalist and post 9/11 veteran of both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force. Many years ago I ran into a Vietnam veteran who changed the way I perceive war and society. Unlike my modern generation of veterans who are showered with praise, many in the Vietnam-era were severely mistreated when they returned home from Southeast Asia.

This particular Vietnam veteran told me that he was spit on while walking through the San Francisco airport terminal while in uniform after returning home. His sense of loneliness and rejection was a feeling he has carried with him for the past 50 years.

I will be documenting these stories of heartbreak and in the process find out how and why the Vietnam veterans became the face of an unpopular war.

Your contributions will help pay for supplemental production equipment that is essential for making this documentary. In addition, our musician John Preston needs funds to record our soundtrack in the studio. See our full budget breakdown below.

Your help is essential. We can’t finish this movie for less than $20,000. This is a topic that many are passionate about. Help us tell this story…

What We Need & What You Get

We’re passionate about unifying the veteran community around this film. In the true spirit of independent filmmaking, we’re working outside the Hollywood studio system without traditional financial support so we can fully achieve our vision. We think taking this route has paid off artistically.

Every level of contribution you make results in a reward. Different levels have different rewards.

Now for the fun stuff!

Perks (Rewards)- We’re excited to offer some pretty cool rewards for contributions that you make. From our official Welcome Home T-shirt design to our official Disneyland Vietnam coffee mug, to credits in the film… We want to show our appreciation for helping us make this important film! Be sure to browse the perks list to see what we’re offering!

The Impact

In 2018, director Wes O’Donnell created the short film Memorial Day with the help of fellow veterans and no budget. The result was a film which not only won Best Drama and the Oregon Cinema Arts Festival (and several other awards), but the film helped raise awareness that Memorial Day is about more than just mattress sales and BBQs. It’s about honoring the fallen.

Once again, Wes has a vision that he wants to share with America. It is about making America face the way we, as a society, treated the Vietnam veterans.

We can’t do this without your help.

Distribution

• This film will have a world premiere at the legendary Frauenthal Center in West Michigan.
• This film will show at film festivals around the world.
• This film will be distributed to Netflix, Amazon Prime, and HULU.
• This film will be available for digital download, DVD, and Blu-ray

Risks & Challenges

We have 60 days to raise $20,000. This challenge isn’t insurmountable with the right awareness and engagement.

If we don’t raise the funds, we’ll figure out another way to make this film. However, we as veterans are a naturally optimistic group. We think it can be done with your help and support. Let’s finally say “Welcome Home” to our brothers and sisters in the Vietnam-era.

Other Ways You Can Help

Not everyone can contribute cash money. And that’s okay! There are other ways to help!

• First, spread the word on social media. SHARE the heck out of this campaign to all of your friends and relatives.
• Next, if you know of any veteran-friendly corporate sponsors or small businesses that would like to make their mark on this film, send them our way. We are more than happy to share producer credits in the film with the right partners.

And that’s all there is to it. Let’s tell this important story to the world!

Cry Havoc Documentary Film Funding Requirements

At the risk of boring you with numbers, we want to be as transparent as possible. Therefore we have listed the precise breakdown of what your dollars pay for.

$10,000 Singer/Songwriter and Iraq USMC veteran John Preston studio time to cover 10 classic rock songs from the Vietnam-Era and the score of the film.

$429 8SINN BM POCKET CINEMA CAMERA 4K CAGE + TOP HANDLE SCORPIO

$895 Blackmagic Video Assist 4K Monitor

$999 Sennheiser MKH-416 Short Shotgun Interference Tube Microphone

$749 DJI Ronin-S

$146 Lanparte SS-01 Shoulder Support for DSLR Camera Rig (Black)

$385 LanParte Follow Focus V2 with Hard Stops for 15mm Rods

$600 LanParte FANS Series Professional 3-stage Filter Clamp-on/15 LWS Mattebox

$20 Selens 5-in-1 43 Inch (110cm) Portable Handle Round Reflector

$659 Metabones Canon EF Lens to Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera T Speed Booster

$597 Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 ASPH. Lens

$50 Hoya 46mm Solas IRND 1.8 Filter (6 Stop)

$1,000 2x 512gb C Fast AV PRO CF

$359 SanDisk Extreme® Portable SSD 2tb

$500 Unforeseen Adapters and Cabling

$240 6x Watson LP-E6N Lithium-Ion Battery Pack (7.2V, 2000mAh)

$160 2x Watson Duo LCD Charger with Two LP-E6 / LP-E6N Battery Plates

$1,499 MAVIC 2 PRO Drone 4K

$370 Manfrotto MT055CXPRO4 Carbon Fiber Tripod

$338 Rode VideoMic Pro Plus On-Camera Shotgun Microphone & Artificial Fur Windshield Kit

$190 Zoom H4N PRO Digital Multitrack Recorder

$51 SanDisk 32 GB Class 10 SD HC Ultra Flash Memory Card — 5 Pack

TOTAL $20,236

$1,618 Indiegogo 8% Fees

$1,092 Indiegogo Reserve 5% Funds (Used to process refunds)

GRAND TOTAL $22,946

FAQ

What if you don’t reach your goal? Will you still make the film?

That depends… If we miss our goal by a small margin, the film will likely still get made. If we were to only raise 50% of our goal or less, then your money would be refunded in full.

Where will this film be shot?

Our locations are in West Michigan, Washington D.C. and Dallas, Texas.

Is the crew made up of military veterans?

YES! Most of our crew are veterans. This is a veteran-run production.

When will you start production?

We’re shooting in the middle of May through the summer!

Do you need any Vietnam veterans to interview?

We’re always looking for Vietnam veterans to tell their story about their homecoming. While we can’t promise everyone will make it into the final film, we’d love the opportunity to talk to as many as possible. Send them to us at info@warriorlodge.com

What if you surpass your goal?

We would be humbled if we surpassed our goal. We will absolutely need extra funding as the film moves into postproduction for sound design, travel, and color timing as well as festival costs. If we don’t make any extra funds now, we will need to run another crowdfunding campaign in October of 2019 to sprint to the finish line.

Does contributing make me a producer?

Contributing at a certain level will earn you associate producer or executive producer credits on IMDb. We are also open to corporate sponsors who wish to help us tell this story.

Okay, okay. I’m sold! Where can I contribute or see a list of perks?