Everyone Will Have Long Hair in Heaven

Nashville, Tennessee | Film Short

Drama, War

Christopher Lee Herod

1 Campaigns | Tennessee, United States

Green Light

This campaign raised $8,956 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.

52 supporters | followers

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PTSD is a challenge that affects a great deal of our military veterans. It also affects many civilians and this is a common ground many will be able to relate to. We hope to not only share a story visually pleasing, but also help spread awareness to the challenges many face.

About The Project

  • The Story
  • Wishlist
  • Updates
  • The Team
  • Community

Mission Statement

This film's core characters are service members; majority of the cast and crew are current or former military veterans. Putting veterans in the arts as a coping mechanism for mental health challenges is a big push for our cause and we hope to encourage other veterans to join us in the arts.

The Story

In writing Everyone Will Have Long Hair in Heaven, Carla Miles hoped to help raise awareness for veterans with PTSD and their families. Having a son who served in combat and working along side other veterans to hear their stories, Carla brilliantly crafted this story of Army Staff Sergeant Pete Palmer. 

Pete has just returned from another deployment in the middle east and has had conflict with a military superior, a Major in his unit, who is having Palmer ordered to a medical mental health facility to be further evaluated. In the story, Palmer has previously been diagnosed with PTSD by Army medical officers, and we get a glimpse of the life and situations many veterans in real life have when interacting with other people in their lives; coworkers, strangers, and even family members. 

There are nuances in this short that hint on inner demons, inner coping devices, and arcing emotions that will be far more developed in the feature length version. That said, this short engages the mind and gives you a taste to spark the hunger for more. Many, if not most, veterans will not overtly find themselves compelled to reach out for help, will not openly communicate what is going on through their minds, without the right questions being asked or approached in a manner that doesn't trigger them. At the same time, many of those same veterans desperately want to be approached even when their outward experience screams quite the opposite. 

Directing Everyone Will Have Long Hair in Heaven is Christopher Lee Herod, a combat veteran of the United States Marine Corps, having served 10 years with 3 deployments to Iraq and 3 deployments to Afghanistan. After the Marines, Christopher received his undergrad in Acting & Directing from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi and then began a full time career in filmmaking while also furthering his education. Upon receiving and reading the script, Christopher instantly knew that this is a story that was meant for him to tell. Christopher's philanthropy is of using the arts as a way to combat mental health challenges, like those that are shared in SSG Palmer's story in Everyone Will Have Long Hair in Heaven. Christopher feels at home and feels the story needs to be shared to further enlighten others who may not know what many veterans go through in their daily lives. 

  

Christopher hopes that in telling this story, others will help break down the stigmas that haunt veterans. It's estimated that 22 veterans commit suicide each day. If our projects and this story can help reduce that number, then we will do everything in our power to make this the best film and share it with as many people possible. Helping Christopher on this project is a team full of veterans with similar stories as well as civilian supporters. In conjunction with this film, Christopher is also filming a documentary, ;IGY6 Tributes and Memorials. The documentary features interviews from veterans sharing their stories. The purpose of the documentary is to compliment Christopher's mission of breaking down stigmas of mental health challenges and make more people less apprehensive to approaching veterans; especially veterans who have served in combat zones. Christopher truly believes in the goal of breaking down the walls and stigmas of anxiety, depression, and PTSD. 

Staff Sergeant Pete Palmer - Pete is our challenged protagonist who has recently returned from deployment in the middle east. He's had some conflict with his CO and is now being forced to be evaluated by mental health doctors and has previously been diagnosed with PTSD. 

Patricia Palmer - Patricia is Pete's mother. She is a force of grounding for Pete and is a source of guidance.

Sergeant First Class Perry - SFC Perry is a military police officer ordered to find a escort Pete to the mental health facility. SFC Perry is no non-sense by nature and direct.

Staff Sergeant Allen - SSG Allen is also a military police officer ordered to escort Pete. SSG Allen is more reserved yet outspoken.

Filming will be in Nashville, TN. We are currently location scouting for the perfect and appropriate house for filming. The film requires only two main locations with principal photography scheduled for April. Think your location may suit our needs and want to host production for a weekend? Feel free to message us! 

We hope to raise our goal of $11,000 through a dedicated audience on Seed & Spark to cover the bare minimum costs needed to get the film made at a production quality everyone involved can be proud of and avoid exploiting the work of all production members.  We're taking the experience we've gained from no-budget shorts, past work on feature films and television series, and assembling a team of passionate, talented collaborators to bring this project to life; most of the cast and crew happen to be veterans or still serving.

If we raise $13,000, we'll be able to have contingency funds in place should anything go wrong, potential pickup shoot days, as well as cover our post-production costs. 

If we raise $17,000, we'll be able to cover our festival, distribution and promotional costs for completing and getting the film into the world and in front of an even wider audience.
If we raise beyond the goal will give to the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI).

 

Once Everyone Will Have Long Hair in Heaven is finished filming, it goes into post-production where our editing team will begin making the cuts, color correction, sound mix and design, as well as scoring. When all of this is completed and we have a finished product, we will first submit our project in the film festival circuit with hopes of being admitted into the Nashville Film Festival, Atlanta Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, and select film festivals that target veterans as well as cultural issues like depression/anxiety/PTSD. Along with the festival circuit, we will hold local screenings and hope to use this short as a proof of concept for a feature film. 

1.) CLICK the BLUE "FOLLOW" button above, CREATE AN ACCOUNT, CONFIRM YOUR ACCOUNT (through email), and  our film's campaign. It only takes seconds and will do so much for our campaign!

2.) SHARE our campaign link on your social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Blogs) in addition to email/text or any other way you can HELP SPREAD THE WORD. Here's our link for you to share: www.seedandspark.com/fund/everyone-will-have-long-hair-in-heaven Sharing our campaign on your social media is as helpful as a donation. And doing BOTH goes a long way to helping bring Everyone WIll Have Long Hair in Heaven to life! 

3.) PLEDGE - Although we are eternally grateful to you for sharing our project, the greatest way you can help us out is by contributing to our campaign. Making a movie is not cheap and this film is no exception. EVERY DOLLAR HELPS!  Please see our list of incentives for your generous donations.

 

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If you are not in the position to donate, we understand. Please help us by sharing our campaign on social media, the shareable link is at the top right of the page.

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~ Sincerely from the cast and crew!!!

 

 

 

 

Wishlist

Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.

Cash Pledge

Costs $0

EDITING

Costs $2,000

We have an award winning editor who is also a veteran on our editing team.

LOCATIONS

Costs $750

Rental for location

CASTING

Costs $925

Amount projected for the scripted cast.

G&E

Costs $1,250

Lighting and light support.

CAMERA DEPARTMENT

Costs $1,450

Camera rental and day rates

LOCATION SOUND

Costs $1,300

A great film requires great sound and we've hired Nashville's best; and the LSM is a veteran.

COMPOSER

Costs $400

We've entrusted our score to Joey Frevola; he's cut us a deal and has the chops to thrill.

HMUA & Costumes

Costs $1,000

Proper uniforms as well as hair and makeup help ensure a quality film.

POST SOUND MIX

Costs $500

JSS has cut us a deal to bring down post production sound cost.

CRAFTY

Costs $300

Keeping it frugal, food still helps a solid production process.

INSURANCE

Costs $500

A safe set requires insurance to protect our actors, crew, and equipment.

FESTIVAL RUN

Costs $625

We've got a great story that needs shared and a festival run is the best way to do it.

About This Team

Carla Miles is an award winning screenwriter and mother of six (one of which is a combat veteran). Carla Miles grew up in the San Fernando Valley in Southern California in the 1970's, an era fiercely rich in the greatest entertainment manifestations in history. Everything was all about the movies. The aesthetically stimulating times clearly influenced her desire to contribute to the world of art through writing, which she continued to do through the next four decades, even in the midst of a chaotic life that revolved around raising a bunch of kids.
She recently wrote a book of short stories titled, 'Mean, a Collection of Short Stories,' that received only 5 star reviews, and the short film 'Sugar,' directed by Francesco Ascenzi, was based on one of her short stories from that book. She works as a police dispatcher while she continues to churn out screenplays, TV scripts, and short stories.. For a sneak into Carla's other works, visit: https://www.authorcarlamiles.com

Christopher Lee Herod is a combat veteran turned award winning filmmaker. After 10 years active duty in the United States Marine Corps with 3 deployments to Iraq and 3 deployments to Afghanistan, Christopher moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, where he attended Texas A&M University Corpus Christi to study Acting/Directing and Dance. Finding his passion in the arts, Christopher hopes to help other veterans find and utilize the arts as a way to combat mental health challenges such as Anxiety/Depression/PTSD. Meeting and joining forces with Jacob Stone, another veteran turned filmmaker, the two formed Stoned Hero Productions. "When life throws stones at you, film it." If you'd like to see more of Christopher's past work, feel free to visit: www.christopherleeherod.com

Jacob Stone is an award winning editor/filmmaker and veteran of the Army Natonal Guard. Jacob spent 8 years as a Military Policeman in the ANG while attending college to earn his BS in Communications Media - TV/Video Production. Jacob is versatile with the camera and post-production. Jacob partnered with Christopher to create Stoned Hero Productions, a veteran owned/operated video production company to help veterans with PTSD through the art of filmmaking. If you'd like to see more of Jacob's past work, feel free to visit: www.jacobstonefilms.com

Robert Lloyd Moore is an award winning cinematographer born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. He hopes to strengthen the voice of the Texas film community through the film projects that he and his colleagues created. In association with RLM Productions [US], He plans to produce multiple thought-provoking feature films in the foreseeable future. https://vimeo.com/robertlmoore

Donelle Maloney is a filmmaker currently studying Motion Pictures at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. She has filled a variety of roles on student and professional sets from director of photography to unit production manager. Last year she wrote, produced, directed, and edited a film which premiered last April as her directing debut! She will be the 1st AC. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10741502/

Robert Way is a Nashville based filmmaker and veteran of the Desert Storm era United States Marine Corps, with deployments to Panama and Saudi Arabia. Robert went to film school at 48 years old and started working on film sets working his way up from production assistant to producing and directing films. Robert is in the process is releasing a film he produced and Co-directed called Five Spirits in the summer of 2020. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9542673/

Jason Mcroberts is an Army veteran turned filmmaker. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5477146/

Kristy Bradford is an Air Force veteran turned filmmaker. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11170177/

Joshua Suhy has been crafting custom audio since 2012. With a simple philosophy of capturing the essence of an idea and creating tangible experiences for audiences, he strives to make each project unique and a bespoke creation. If you want the best, thats where he delivers. https://www.jssaudio.com

Joey Frevola is a Composer working in Los Angeles. Joey has scored numerous short films and released several albums under his own name and his bands KYROS and Edge of Reality. Joey most recently did the film score for Stoned Hero Productions' "Rachel's Wish" and did the sound design and composed Christopher Lee Herod Films' "Redirection". Feel free to check out more of his works:  www.joeyfrevolamusic.com

Phil Cook is a retired combat veteran of 16 years in the United States Army and 5 time published photographer that runs his own business in centeral Tennessee while continuing using to work with veteran groups and continues to remember our fallen. www.facebook.com/customportraitsbyphil

The owner, Zac Jenkins, is a classically trained chef who got his start food trucking after a 2012 guest appearence on Food Network's "The Great Food Truck Race" episode "Music City Madness" while still in culinary school. Since then he has worked on nearly a dozen food trucks, honing his new passion. After a trip to Austin, Texas, he decided to open a stationary take-out trailer located outside of Opry Mills in Music Valley Village. Zac served as a combat engineer in the Marine Corps from 2001 until 2005, with an '04 deployment to Afghanistan. He was the president of Vets 4 Vets while in college and continues to work with OEF/OIF veterans. http://www.sempersliders.com

J.R. Miller is a Vietnam era veteran of the United States Air Force. J.R. received his B.S. in Music Business from Georgia State University and a M.S. in Counseling and Therapy from the University of West Georgia, ultimately becoming an L.P.C. working with children and adults; specializing in addiction, children, and trauma. In 2014, J.R. retired from therapy and reentered the music business. J.R. has written an album under the name High Note Reviews . J.R. also produces and music and his on t.v. show on the NECAT Network called Vet to Vet. The show centers on interviewing veterans who are singer/songwriters. 
 http://www.necatnetwork.org/access-nashville/vet-to-vet/

Todd Clark is a veteran of the United States Army. Todd is eager to learn filmmaking and has a background in graphic design. 

John Cottingham retired in 2018 from Active Duty in the US Army, concluding an honorable career in defense of the United States of America. He served first as an enlisted Arabic Linguist in Marine Corps Reconnaissance from 1997-2002, then applied to the Army to fly AH-64s as a Warrant Officer from 2003, through multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, until he retired as a Chief Warrant Officer 4 on January 31, 2018. He began his acting career upon retirement with the support of his wife, April, and their two children. John and April met in in 2003 and married in in 2005. Their daughter, Ethney, was born in 2006, and their son, Jasper, in 2009. John resides in Paris, TN where he serves his local community as a CrossFit trainer and substitute school teacher while pursuing acting in Nashville, Atlanta, Chicago, and wherever else art will take him. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9744658/

Deborah Seidel received a Fulbright scholarship to study acting in London, and spent many years performing in theater, film, and television in Los Angeles, the Washington, D.C. area, and now Nashville, TN. She most recently played leading roles in the hit play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at Way Off Broadway Productions in Nashville, the horror film The Alpha Test, a short film Translation of Memory, and an episode of Homicide Hunter. Deborah also keeps busy with commercial, print, and video work. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11042027/

A. T. Branch is a West Point graduate and former U. S. Army Captain turned Actor and Alternative Pop Artist. He's currently studying Cinema Production at the Nashville Film Institute in order to enhance his storytelling abilities in front of and behind the camera. https://www.atbranch.com

Curtis Williams is a father of two children born and raised in Nashville, TN, and is a 9 year National Guard Veteran with one tour to Kandahar, Afghanistan. Curtis specializes in Transportation as a Motor Transport Operator and Transformation Management Coordinator for both the military and as a civilian. Curtis started acting as a hobby but found himself more passionate with both the art and work. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10920902/

Ethney Munson is a child actor and daughter of actor and veteran John Cottingham (Munson). Ethney first appeared in Christopher Lee Herod's 48 Hour Film Project Rachel's Wish as one of the leading roles and title character. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10920901/

MORE TBA SOON!!!

(We strongly encourage veterans to reach out to us)

Current Team

Supporters

Followers

Incentives