Once, We Were Warriors – The Documentary

‘Once, We Were Warriors’ will be an authentic and compelling documentary that casts a light on the lives of injured Royal Marines Commandos on their path to physical and mental recovery in  the beautiful, but formidable French Alps.

Crucially, this documentary will be produced by former Royal Marines Commandos and British Army soldiers, because we believe it takes a veteran, to tell a veteran’s story.

This gives us unrivalled access, rapport and trust with characters to allow for the most honest, raw and authentic storytelling.

10 YEAR ANNIVERSARIES ONLY HAPPEN ONCE.

As we near a decade since combat operations ended in Afghanistan, the opportunity to highlight the continued plight of veterans as they deal with bias and misplaced perception, or how they build resilience and rediscover a sense of self-identity should not be passed over.

We will challenge the perception of what a veteran is and to advocate care for all veterans. The documentary will deliver an opportunity for a contemporary view of what it means to be a veteran, to have served, sacrificed and what it takes to rebuild a life.

At surface level, this is a story of veterans rediscovering purpose and reigniting their passions for life whilst also facing the challenges of an extreme sport – alpine skiing.

Beneath that, this is a story of veterans fighting an internal battle of self acceptance, public perception, and how a person can redefine themselves in the wake of trauma.

What We Need & What You Get

£59,000 is our campaign goal – which our crowdfunding provider takes a 10% cut from.

Productions are expensive, and the time consuming nature of documentaries is even more so.

The remaining £53,000 is spend on initial filmmaking, i.e physically getting us to France and around the UK to film the ski trip provided by the Royal Marines Charity and character interviews and background as they interact with family and go about their lives.

A simple visual example of this breakdown is below.

To add more detail to the graphic –

• 10% of the budget is for taxes, crowdfunding fees and production of some perks, and this has been adjusted for in the budget. 
• 44% or £25,960 is for professional crew and production fees. To add context, up until this point we have developed and funded the project ourselves which is well in excess of £12,000. We will be using Directors, Cinematographers, Producers and professional sound recordists… who can all ski and work independently.
• 22% or £12,980 for cameras, lenses and lighting along with media storage solutions.  Our cine camera systems will be Netflix approved paired with cinema grade prime and zoom lenses to capture our veterans’ incredible life experiences and story with the most flexibility in varying shooting conditions. This incurs a physical cost in data storage and back-ups which means a lot of high performing storage systems and memory cards.
• 16% or £9440 will cover accommodation near the ski group in France, flights for the crew and transport in country. This also covers the same needs in the UK.
• 8% or £4720 for marketing, legal and overheads. Websites, software and digital marketing comes at a cost and so does production insurance, crew and ski insurance. This will protect the raised funds in the unlikely event that a delay happens, such as illness, weather or an infectious virus on a global scale. This also covers fees (carnet) associated with shipping in equipment to Europe.

It goes without saying that all costs and emissions will be kept as low as reasonably practicable, and we endeavour to hire locally where possible.

Perks

A unique, limited edition Poster 

Stickers & patches

T – shirts

Hoodie

BTS Photobook Limited Edition

A group Zoom call with the crew for sponsors and associate producers.

An in situ day – you sit in an edit session and help craft elements of the story followed by a lunch

Special thanks credit at the end of the film

Donator credit – for those that funded the film 

Associate Producer Credit for extra selected, larger sponsors and donors

Early Access – Online

Screening invitation to our event next year (limited to 100 seats).

Digital and DVD copy once released

Should  we be unsuccessful in reaching the £59000 goal, then we have a planned to strip back the crew from 4, to 2. This means we could still get to France, albeit for a shorter period but still film interviews in the UK and develop a short film for round two of funding and to show to investors along with early bird donors.

What is the impact of Once, We Were Warriors?

Once, We Were Warriors is not a story about extreme sports. It is a story about the invisible trauma suffered by former warriors. Faced with the challenges before them and the internal conflict against their own self-identity, they will prove to the world and to themselves, that they’re not broken. Damaged – yes, but not defeated.

• Inspiring Characters – Characters with relatable struggles beyond physical injuries will be shown achieving the impossible

• Outdoor Healing – Showcase the restorative powers of the wild outdoors and highlight that holistic therapy is accessible to all and should be protected, now more than ever.

• Challenging Perceptions – The modern “veteran” isn’t always the old man from yesteryear. They’re in their twenties and thirties and they’re just like us.

• Combat Mental Health Stigma – Promote and encourage conversations around mental health, especially in the veteran community and those that feel its difficult to approach a veteran

So why us?

As a nimble team of professionals formed of veteran Royal Marines, British Army soldiers and creative professionals, we feel totally committed to creating this project to give a voice to the often unheard and misunderstood.

We believe that only our team can tell this story utilising unique access and critically, a deep understanding of what it means to be a veteran thanks to our own experiences as veterans.

As a production team, we are no strangers to loss or trauma and we believe that Once, We Were Warriors creates a rare opportunity to cast a deserving light on the few that have sacrificed so much, for so many. We will be working closely with military charities, not for funding, but for duty of care and doing right by our veterans in order to protect and safeguard.

Other Ways You Can Help.

Some of us just can’t contribute financially, and that’s ok, but that doesn’t mean you can’t help:

We would love it if you could share our plans for the project with everyone you can and start a conversation, even if it’s to create that little bit more awareness.

Remember – this isn’t for us, this is for everyone.

Thank you from the team!

https://www.oncewewerewarriorsfilm.com/