Our Story

Before I go into the who, what, why etc, let me explain that Running from WisHconsin has been shot. It's in the can. Done. We need money to finish post production (editing, sound design, composing etc.)

So here goes...

My name is Don Walker and I'm the Writer/ Producer and Director of Running from WisHconsin. 'Running' is my 'other' baby (I have a three year old daughter and she doesn't like sharing) and is my first feature length movie.

The movie is about a young actress, Sandy, who's from a small town in Wisconsin who moved to Los Angeles five years ago in hopes of becoming the next big thing.' When the movie starts, she's happily going about the 'grind' as an aspiring actress with auditions, rejections and more auditions. She hasn't 'made it' but she's doing what she loves and she's happy. Then Mom calls. One Motherly guilt trip later, Sandy finds herself back in Wisconsin to find her family is turmoil.

Sandy attempts to reconcile with her Mother while watching her family disintegrate as everyone's secrets and lies.

Sandy sets out to bring the family together but finds that her own secrets threaten to destroy any hope of her family coming together again.

It's a story about coming home again, About relationships between Parents and their children, sibling to sibling  and facing the truth and doing what's right.

But more importantly, this movie is both a PROMISE and a LEGACY.

In December of 2007, my Father's cancer returned. He has won a previous battle two years prior. So the doctors and our family were surprised as they had thought they had eradicated all the cancer cell with the last round of chemotherapy.

Growing up, my Dad was a Marine. Tough and nails and equally as hard to get close to. He was 'old school.' He didn't let his emotions out much. So we weren't close when I was a kid (which is the basis for Sandy's conflict with her Mother). But after my mom died in 2003, we'd started to become closer. It wasn't until my daughter, Mya, was born in August of 2007, when we really started connecting. So four months later, his cancer's back.

'We'll fight it' I think. Two days into his hospital stay, I'm at his bedside with my Wife, daughter when the doctors tell my Dad and all of us, that he has, maybe ten days to live!! It's impossible to explain the emotions that run through you after that kind of information is delivered.

My Dad, ever the Marine, took the news like it was just another order. I later found out he, himself, had figured out that this was going to happen. He 'knew' months prior and in his own way, had been preparing.

He calmly explains to me and my wife that he has an insurance policy and that my five siblings and I would receive 'X' amount of money after he passes and that I was to do something 'Special' with the money and not to 'waste it' on 'toys' (car, tv etc). He didn't say it, but I knew that he didn't have much of material goods to leave us and that the insurance money was his final gift, his 'Legacy' to us.

Without missing a beat, I promised my Dad that I'd make my first feature movie.

At the time I was an unemployed, new Father, with an associates degree in film making from Los Angeles City College with a few shorts under my belt. But I knew this is what he meant. Do something important with the money. I spent every weekend with my Dad (while trying to find a day job to support my family during the week) and explained my plan to him. I'd write the script that would be Running from WisHconsin during the week and go over it with my Dad on the weekends.

My Dad passed away on February 12th, 2008. THREE MONTHS longer than the doctors suggested. Always the Marine. I had a finished script, which my Dad had been able to hear (almost page for page), but more importantly I had time to make peace with my Dad, and loosing him. We shared many stories, some new to my ears, as well as plenty of laughs. He spent quality time with my daughter who will grow up without him.

In the end, I lost him, but I learned who he really was in those last few months.

Those last three months really shaped the various characters of the script, many based loosely on my own family, and motivated me to do whatever I had to to make Running from WisHconsin. For my family, my Dad and my Mom, who was my biggest supporter. 

The Impact

Your support will make a dream, but more, a PROMISE, come true. You'd be helping validate all the hard work that my amazing cast and crew provided over the twelve month shoot. Yes, twelve months!! That's indie movie making folks. I used my inheritance to pay the crew, location fees and catering (actors and crew that are fed are a happy actors and crew.)

Finishing this movie, with your help, can be the difference between the actors and crew continuing to work or possibly propelling them all to stardom (it could happen and it would all be because of you). Think of it...you could have a hand in making someone a star!! THAT'S AWESOME!!!.

So now, it's post production time and it's far more technical, tedious and painstakingly expensive than you could imagine. But we're on the home stretch. I have an amazing editor who's doing a great job. We have amazing music from Tim Greenwood and BACKSPACE RECORDS recording artists 'The Baby Grands.'

The hardest, and MOST expensive part, is  done...the shooting.

What We Need & What You Get

We need $3,000. Your donations will go in part to my editor, the composer as well as royalty free stock footage (all those cool aerials city shots, planes landing, establishing shots that are WAY to expensive to shoot with limited indie resources). Part of the money will also go to festival submission fees so I can get the movie and my actors/ crew on to IMDB (Internet Movie Data Base) so they can enjoy 'industry credit' and recognition for their hard work.

$3,000's not a lot of money' you say? You're right. We're already editing the movie as we speak. My editor and composer are great people who aren't 'in it for the money' but believe in the project. and believe in me. But post  production is editing, sound design and music composing. There's a lot going on and luckily, my guys aren't greedy. We'll finish one way or another, whether we make our goal or not, because I promised my Dad. But with your support, you can help make it happen sooner.Everyone likes to be 'appreciated,' and a little financial assistance can go along way to finishing all this work in a timely manner.

PERKS!

We're offering everything from 'THANK YOU' credits at the end of the movie, free DVD's of the finished movie, free song downloads and full length CD's by Tim Greenwood and The Baby Grands, t-shirts, shooting scripts, Associate Producer credits (on IMDB) and even a personal screening and Q&A session IN YOUR HOME!!!

You work hard for your money and We plan on giving you your moneys worth, in finished movie and perks.

Other Ways You Can Help

Money is great, but you can also help by spreading the word. Share this page with your friends who may be interested or those friends you know who are in the giving mood.' FRIEND' the actors and Director on facebook and. 'LIKE'  our Running from WisHconsin facebook fan page. LET FOLKS KNOW THEY CAN HELP FINISH A REALLY GOOD MOVIE!