Yelling at each other isn’t working. Ignoring each other isn’t working. I am creating this documentary to try and bridge the growing gap in our country so that we can remember how to talk to each other with respect. Because if we don’t, the Ship of State is going to sink with ALL of us trapped onboard.

The last few weeks have shown us that people are so fed up with injustice and systemic racism and oppression they’re ready to march in the streets. 

Good. 

It’s also made it abundantly clear just how far the roots of oppression reach down into the fabric of this country, and how hard some people will fight to keep them from being uprooted. 

There are, however, some good people out there who just don’t understand what’s happening in the world, or how we came to be here. And until we understand that, it’s impossible to find a way forward that works for everyone. 

Hopefully, you watched my video above with my nice shiny studio setup, but here’s the simplest taste I can give of what it feels like to be Black in America in 2020. 

My name is B. Dave Walters, and I say words about things. I am a filmmaker, writer and screenwriter mostly known for my work in the diversity and inclusion segment of the Tabletop gaming space. You may have seen me recently speaking on a number of panels about Black Lives Matter, and where we go from here.

However, I am first and foremost a Black man in America, which is basically like being a Black bear in America.  I’ve spent years writing about racism and inequality, and how to heal it and I recently returned to making videos on the topic. 

Back in 2016 after the deaths of Philando Castille and Alton Sterling, I took to writing about what it’s like to be Black and that was the birth of the “Dear America, From A Black Guy” series. Four years later, everything I said here is truer than ever: 

Dear America, From A Black Guy Part 1

Dear America, From A Black Guy Part 2

The simple answer is: I am asking you to help me do this work on a much higher level: 

Here is a Youtube playlist of my recent videos on the George Floyd Protests and Black Lives Matter.

I have created this project as a flexible funding goal; I will continue doing this work no matter what. My intention is to be able to make a documentary that explains three basic things: 

• How systemic racism and inequality have built the world we live in. Little things like how slavery was never actually abolished, which once you understand that, things like the school-to-prison pipeline, and ‘war on drugs’ are revealed to be as insidious as they were always intended to be. 
• Why ‘good people’ do racist things. Why your aunt feels the need to keep posting ‘All Lives Matter’ or your racist uncle hasn’t missed church in 20 years and is OK with kids in cages. And more importantly how something called ‘moral framing’ can help you reach him. 
• The need to actually listen to each other with respect. I hosted a radio show for 7 years, I know how to talk into the void.  My goal is to engage with people I disagree with in order to try and find some sort of common ground.. 

Because if we don’t find a way to communicate openly with each other, and respectfully disagree when necessary the planet is doomed.  Right now a pandemic is spreading because some people would rather ‘own the libs’ than wear a mask.  They’d not just rather die they’d rather kill because of ideology, and that my friends is INSANE.  It has to stop, and we have the power to make a difference. 

As I said in the video above, $100,000 is the minimum for a full-length documentary; any less than that will still be dedicated to creating revolutionary digital content aimed at advancing the national conversation on race and justice. 

Documentary film making is still film making, and as such has four main phases:
Pre-Production, where we cover things like:
*Script writing – yes, documentaries have scripts!
*Creative concept – EXACTLY what are we going to feature, and what are we going to say? *Meetings and research – the past is murky and the present is complicated; we need to be accurate.
*Location scouting + permits: If the COVID-19 pandemic breaks, we’ll need permission to go places! 

Production, where we actually make the movie!
*Video equipment – better equipment means a better looking final product.
*Professional crew – I literally can’t do it all alone! I know a lot of people and can call in some solids to get good deals, but I need to pay people for their time and expertise.
*Studio rental, props, set design – we’re bound to outgrow my home studio pretty quickly! *Actors, on-camera talent, voice overs – dramatic recreations, etc. 

Post-Production, the most important and most often overlooked part of film making:
*Transcription of interviews – we’ll be recording a LOT of interviews, and someone has to write that all down.
*Logging of footage – keeping track of everything we shoot, and where it fits into the film (or Director’s cut).
*Stock footage and production music
*Graphics and animations – if I have ONE WISH we’ll be able to start our movie with something that tells the history of racism in America like this 

COULD YOU IMAGINE THAT? 

Distribution, releasing the film into the wild:
*Duplication – blu-ray is still a thing!
*Compression for internet usage

People are in pain.  People are dying, and maybe we can help.

I don’t have any illusions that one documentary is going to fix all our problems. But if we can manage to open one person’s mind or spark some new conversations, our work will be done. 

Save one person, save the world!  

Risks & Challenges:

We think the time for this story is now, and we are committed to making the best film we can as quickly as possible. That said, documentary is an art, not an exact science, and there could be some bumps along the way. If production obstacles cause delays, that could mean that we get the film out to you, our backers, later than anticipated. 

However, we’ll be pumping out content all along the way. The protests are going, the election is four months, and unarmed black people are still getting murdered by the police. Now is not the time for silence! 

Please support this project if you can, and even if you can’t: Please signal boost!