THE DEER FILM CAMPAIGN

How do you maintain your sanity, and humanity, in a world out of control?

Joy doesn't sleep. She's on edge, controlling, and often loses her temper with her husband Isaac and her 8 YO son Miles. To cope, Joy goes running. A LOT. But the forest trail holds hidden dangers for Joy. A discarded doll is mistaken for a corpse, a car backfiring as a gunshot.

What is Joy so afraid of?

Out for a run, Joy encounters a deer - calm, serene, beautiful. For the first time we see Joy relax. Suddenly - a GUNSHOT - the film cuts to Joy lunging forward in bed - - It was a nightmare.

Out on a real run, Joy gets a call. There's been a school shooting. Joy takes off in her car, weaving in and out of cars on the highway.

SIRENS. An ambulance passes. Then another.

Joy pulls up to an elementary school and ducks under the police barrier tape. No one stops her. She runs towards the school. Joy reaches a cop in a hazmat suit. He hands her a suit. She pulls it on…

Joy is a first responder crime scene investigator and her job is the cause of her PTSD.

We need more sensible gun legislation. The solution is within our reach, yet it remains elusive.

As of May 2026, there have been 178 mass shootings in the US. We don’t talk about this enough. I decided to make a film about a school shooting, without actually showing one. Instead, I focus on first resonders.

Our everyday heroes.

First responders see the human condition at its worst. But at the end of the day, what do they do with their trauma? They carry it with them.

33% of people who witness a mass shooting develop acute PTSD. 70% of law enforcement never seek support or mental health services, 57% fear negative repercussions, 37% fear being demoted or fired.

First responders face stigma and barriers when seeking support and the help they need to address their PTSD.

Giving voice to those who can't is a powerful act of compassion. Nobody should have to carry a burden like theirs alone. This film is our bearing witness for our most vulnerable citizens, children, and for the everyday heroes who keep us safe.

There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you. - - Maya Angelou

As a young adult I was robbed at gunpoint by three boys who looked no older than 13 or 14. It was as terrifying as it was heartbreaking, seeing children with guns. Since the 1999 Columbine School shooting, children with guns and gun violence in schools became the new normal in the US. Over 380,000 children have been exposed to gun violence. 

24/7 news cycles and social media exploit school shootings for viewership, normalizing gun violence for children and teens. The US film industry glamorizes gun violence as entertainment. 

We are failing our children.

If you’re outraged every time you hear about another school shooting and wonder why nothing seems to change, we hope you'll consider joining us to bring this story to audiences by making a donation, sharing this on your socials, and talking about it. 

All donations at the ASSOCIATE PRODUCER LEVEL or ABOVE ($500) made to THE DEER are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law through our fiscal sponsor, ChangeTheRef.org, a registered 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization. Click here for Change The Ref video and tax deuctible incentives.

We are honored to have ChangeTheRef.org as our fiscal sponsor.

Manuel and Patricia Oliver lost their son Joachim to gun violence in the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida. Their activism for sensible gun legislation is immediate and inspiring. They ChangeTheRef.org, to advocate for change.

This film is dedicated to Joachim’s memory and his activism for more sensible gun legislation.

We’ve already completed three days of filming in Santa Fe, NM. We hope to raise $27,000 for additional filming in a studio in NYC and for editing.

Every dollar we raise will go towards realizing the vision of this story and amplifying its message.

How it breaks down:

CAST 22% | CREW 59% | MISC 19% (Gear rentals, permits, catering, insurance, travel,lodging, etc.)

Support we've already received:

1) A beautiful, fully furnished house on 3 acres of land! A generous in-kind donation we used as our primary filming location and base camp.

2) A DEER! - The New Mexico Fish and Wildlife Agency generouslyloned us  of one of their life-like deer decoys that will be animated with visual effects in post production.