Veterans Today has been in touch with independent film director

Fernando Beltran who has a film in production simply called P.T.S.D.

Our collaboration with Mr. Beltran began when we asked copyright

permission to use his attention getting images with our articles on

PTSD in exchange I promised to research, review, and promote his

efforts to spread public awareness about issues surrounding PTSD.

Of note, the film P.T.S.D. is not exclusively about Veterans or Troops

with PTSD, although one of the main characters is a Veteran coping

with PTSD. The production is intended to explore PTSD on a much

broader public front that hopefully does much to put a dent in social

stigma towards those with Mental Health issues, and PTSD in

particular.

To Veterans, I can only say that Mr. Beltran assures us that his

presentation is anything but a Rambo image of the crazed Vet with

PTSD. When we read the synopsis of his film and understand his

intent to create an accompanying non-fictional documentary on PTSD

that covers Veterans with PTSD, we can see he is taking an entirely

positive and different approach than what mainstream media and

motion pictures did during and after Vietnam.

Go to Facebook and check out P.T.S.D. the Movie

P.T.S.D. Movie Synopsis

PTSD is a fast-paced, reality-bending psychological thriller that tells the story of four patients, suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), who
decide to participate in a breakthrough scientific experiment searching
for a cure. Instead of finding a cure, the experimental technique takes
an unexpected turn and unleashes the inner personality of PTSD
sufferers, with unwanted and fatal consequences. The four patients come
to realize that there may be an unknown evil force wreaking havoc and,
ultimately, threatening their own lives. They will all come face to face
with evil and have the opportunity at personal and spiritual
redemption.

What is the movie about?

P.T.S.D. is a fictional psychological thriller, based on an original screenplay, about four patients suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. On their quest
to be cured, they decide to become part of a breakthrough experiment
developed by a doctor who has spent many years treating P.T.S.D.
patients. The experiment is unique in its approach and very promising.
However, as soon as it begins, things begin to gradually turn wrong and
patients and doctor confront and unknown force (in the realm of their
subconscious) with the intention of destroying them. The patients need
to regain strength and battle this entity before their fear takes over
their sanity and their lives.

P.T.S.D. is on the vein of successful movies, such as “The Cell” and “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest”; not because of their subject matter, but because of their visual
style, atmosphere, and the interaction between their characters.

Is the movie about Veterans with P.T.S.D?

Only in part. One of the heroes in the movie is a war veteran, and he must find the strength to lead his fellow patients through this ordeal.

Why a psychological thriller? Why not a Documentary or Biopic? Wouldn’t that be more objective and effective in raising awareness?

We don’t believe so. We always wanted to make a psychological thriller but needed a compelling reason to do it. P.T.S.D., give us the opportunity
to tell that story. In addition, we believe a psychological thriller
will be many times more effective than a documentary or a biopic/drama
in raising awareness about P.T.S.D. among mainstream audiences.

As documentarian Michale Grosee wrote once: “Issues are often too impersonal to engage audiences, especially if the issue is new to — or
far removed from — the audience. Instead, [filmmakers] often focus on
engaging audiences by telling the stories of people affected by these
larger issues”.

P.T.S.D. sufferers don’t need the awareness, is the public in general who needs to be aware that P.T.S.D. is very real and affects people’s lives (patients and their
loved ones alike) in a major and destructive way.

In addition to making the psychological thriller, we will (based on the availability of our budget) produce a companion documentary that we will include in the
Special Features section of the DVD when the movie is released. In this
documentary we will attempt to present some of the facts about P.T.S.D.
and showcase a few compelling stories (too many to include them all).
The scope of this documentary has not been decided yet, but we believe
it would be an excellent educational piece to accompany the
psychological thriller and further help those groups and people affected
by P.T.S.D. to continue raising awareness and promoting their cause.

How is P.T.S.D. going to be depicted in the movie?

We believe P.T.S.D. is being presented in a fair and realistic way. The four patients depicted in the movie acquired P.T.S.D. for various reasons and not only due to war. We
are non judgmental about their condition and neither do we present them
as lunatics. Rather, we depict them as human beings with the desire to
be cured and we show a glimpse of their symptoms as there are certain
events in the movie that will trigger their response to P.T.S.D. Without
giving any spoilers we can say that, despite the fact the mental (and
spiritual) strength of the protagonists will be tested, the movie ends
on a positive tone and with a message of hope.

Is the movie going to be controversial?

When it comes to movies, it is practically impossible to please everyone. P.T.S.D. in itself is a controversial subject matter. There is always the possibility that a
percentage of those audiences may not like the movie or be offended by
it. We hope they are in the minority though. There is also the
possibility that some of the images presented may be too intense for
some people, especially those who suffer from P.T.S.D. When the movie is
finished and we see the end result we will let you know how intense we
think it is. Also, we are hoping to shoot the movie with a PG-13 rating
in mind (although we may end up with an R-rating).

When and where will the movie be shot?

That really depends on when our funding efforts are completed. We could be shooting as early as the summer of 2010 or later. We will most likely
shoot the movie in the DC metro area or the Mid Atlantic area. We could
go as far as West VA, Pennsylvania, or New York.

Who stars in it?

Casting for the movie hasn’t begun but we will attempt to bring on board at least one recognizable star. Giving the limited budget for our production we may
not be able to attract the highest-paid stars. However, we believe the
script is strong and we may be able to attract, say, a raising TV star.
We will also hold auditions to find new talent. We may even hold
auditions online through Facebook or via our partner IMadeAMovie.com

When is the movie coming out?

Again, that depends on when we shoot the movie. We are confident we will make a great quality movie and if that is the case we want to promote the movie
at film festivals around the world. We could spend at least a year (if
not more) after the movie has been finished, touring film festivals and
other venues, before the movie can be made commercially available.
However, those who sign up at iMadeAMovie.com as Associate Producers may
receive a personalized DVD of the movie a lot earlier.

How do you plan to fund and promote the movie?

P.T.S.D. will be funded through a combination of traditional funding and a revolutionary new method known as “crowd funding”. We are partnering
with www.IMadeAMovie.com

to raise a good portion of our funding and generate awareness through their PR machine. With IMadeAMovie, anyone can sign up for a nominal fee
and become an “Associate Producer”. These Associate Producers will not
get equity on the movie but they will get access to a password protected
area where they will be able to interact more closely with the
production team (Think of it as a Facebook on steroids). They will also
receive their free DVD (included with their subscription) before anyone
else, as well as other goodies. We believe we are pioneers in the
industry when it comes to this new business model for movies and our
“Associate Producers” will become the first generation of this new
trend.

How can I get more involved with this movie?

There are two ways you can do it, one is to sign up as Associate Producer at http://www.IMadeAMovie.com/ and participate in a more direct way and obtain additional benefits
during and after the movie has been made.

The other way to participate is via Facebook, Twitter and the other social networks we will be soon establishing presence at. If you like what you see
recommend us to your friends and keep an active participation. If you
don’t forget us we won’t forget about you and we will continue taking
care of you.

When the movie is finished we will plan screenings in different cities where we may be able to bring some of the cast and crew (no promises made but we will try!).

We are hoping this movie can become a great PR tool for those who suffer from P.T.S.D. and need to raise awareness in society.

http://www.facebook.com/notes/ptsd-movie/10-questions-about-ptsd-th...

Production Update – May 2010

What a year for our movie project! We began 2010 with just under 100 fans and in less than three months we grew to over 1,500 fans. That’s a tall order for an independent film
that hasn’t even entered the Pre-production phase! So we want to thank
you all for your support. We have a thriving community that comprises of
PTSD sufferers, film lovers, and people in general who want to be part
of this journey.

P.T.S.D. the movie is quickly becoming a niche film and I say it in a very positive way. PTSD is a very misunderstood condition and only the people suffering from it (and
their loved ones also affected by it) really understand its severity.
That’s why I have become so passionate about this project.

Although Facebook is our main bastion of fandom, we are also establishing presence in other social networks, including Twitter, YouTube,
MovieSet, and MySpace,
and we will continue reaching out to more people in order to generate
awareness about the movie and about PTSD.

The Development Phase (getting the money to shoot the movie)

Initially, our intent was to shoot this movie with a micro-micro-budget, but the passionate response from the fan base has forced us to reconsider and
now we want to shoot with a much larger budget (albeit still
small by Hollywood standards). A larger budget will help
us attach recognizable stars to the project and produce a more
compelling film with higher production values. Our budget is way under
$1 million dollars.

We are in the process of raising funding for the movie and talking with investors. Due to securities law, we cannot publicize our investment offering so we are working through our network
or friends to get additional investors on board and in order to
sweeten the deal we are offering associate producer fees to our friends
who recommend us to investors. We are keeping the
investment units (the minimum amount each investor contributes to the
project) very low, in order to allow more people to participate on this
project and eliminate the barriers or entry. We believe our business
plan is very solid and attractive. We are confident we will be able to
raise our budget within a reasonable amount of time. However, investing
in a movie is considered “high risk”
and no return on investment or profits can be guaranteed. That,
unfortunately, is the nature of the film business.

We are hoping to raise a portion of our budget via the “crowdfunding” model, in association with IMadeAMovie.com.
As we have explained before, when someone joins P.T.S.D. on IMadeAMovie as
Associate Producer (for only $50 dollars), a significant part of their
contribution will go toward our production. That’s why it is so
important for us that as many of our fans as possible join P.T.S.D. as
Associate Producers on IMadeAMovie. The
more APs we have, the sooner we will be able to move our project to the
next phase of production.

Next in our list will be to bring on board an experienced Line Producer. This person will help us refine our budget and put in place a schedule we can begin executing as soon as the
funding is complete. We will also hire a casting director to begin
identifying recognizable actors we want to attach to the project. Given
the size of our budget, our best bet is to approach TV actors that may
also have international appeal. We are hoping to get at
least two starts attached to the project.

While we finalize our fund raising effort, we continue rewriting and strengthening our script. We believe we have a riveting story with a great plot and characters.
We are also working on the concept art and storyboards and we will soon
be in talks with several directors of photography.

Please be aware that due to copyright and other legal aspects, we cannot accept any ideas or suggestions in terms of the story, characters, art, etc.
However, from time to time we will be asking for your feedback. Also, be
aware that our Associate Producers on IMadeAMovie.com
will be getting unprecedented access to the production of the movie.
Once again, please consider joining as AP.

The PTSD Documentary - Invisible Wounds

P.T.S.D. the movie is a psychological thriller based on a fictional story. However, we will be launching a parallel project to produce a mini-documentary about PTSD
(with the possibility of turning it into a full-length documentary) to
be included in the Special Edition DVD of P.T.S.D.. Our objective will
be to produce a documentary that will give audiences the opportunity to
learn the real side of PTSD. As soon as we hit 2,000 fans on Facebook,
we will begin the pre-production process on the documentary and we
will be doing fact-checking on all of the potential candidates to be
interviewed for the story. If you want to be
considered for the documentary you have to add your name HERE.

In order to be able to produce the documentary we need additional funds. Most likely we will use one or more crowd-funding web sites to fund the documentary. This is
your chance to get more involved with our movie project.

All in all, our progress is great and we are moving on the right direction. We need your help to continue increasing and strengthening our fan base and
creating awareness about the project.

Please consider joining our project as an Associate Producer in the movie and invite as many of your friends as you can to join us on this incredible journey ahead of
us. Feel free to reach out to me at info@leviathanblue.com if you have
any questions.

Thank you

Fernando Beltran

P.T.S.D. Producer and Director

About the Director

Fernando Beltran y Puga’s directorial debut, Terminal, was the Winner of the 2008 Special Jury Award at the Orlando
Hispanic Film Festival, Official Selection of the prestigious Festival
Tous Courts in Aix-en-Provence, France, Official Selection of the 2007
Pensacola International Film Festival, the 2008 Cannes Film Festival,
and other festival venues.

In addition to his film making experience, Beltran y Puga has performed as an actor for the TV series Missing Persons Unit on TrueTV (formerly Court TV).

Directors Influences: The five Directors that have most influenced me are; Park Chan Wook (Korean Director), David Fincher (USA), Zhang Yimou (China),
Tarsem Singh (India/USA) and Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritú (Mexico).

List of Work:

Fernando Beltran y Puga has produced three movies to date, including Terminal (Director and Producer), the independent feature film Eleven
(Executive Producer), and Reversal (Executive Producer).