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President Barak Obama just sent an additional 30,000 troops to fight a counter-insurgency campaign against the Taliban in Afghanistan. What are they doing? What does the counter-insurgency strategy of "protect the population" look like? Want to find out? Please make a pledge of $5 (or more) today to help complete the post-production of the PATROL BASE JAKER independent documentary film. And become a fan on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/patrolbasejaker/

PROJECT BACKGROUND: I'm directing and producing a feature-length documentary film--called PATROL BASE JAKER--about the US Marines and the practice of counter-insurgency in Afghanistan. I spent the month of October, 2009, on a filming embed with the Marines in Helmand Province, Afghanistan--the Taliban heartland and opium production capital of the world.

This is my second film project. I was the Executive Producer of BROTHERS AT WAR, the award-winning documentary film about an American military family and the Iraq war (http://www.brothersatwarmovie.com). However, PATROL BASE JAKER is my first film as a director and cinematographer. I traveled to Afghanistan and did all the filming and sound engineering on my own--it was a fascinating experience. I shot the film in digital HD on a three different cameras-- a Sony EX-1 XDCAM , Sony Handycam (for night vision) and a Canon 5D Mark II. For sound capture I used Sennheiser shotgun mics mounted on the cameras and Zoom's H4n digital audio recorders placed around each scene.

SYNOPSIS: The US Marines are engaged in a complex set of combat and stability operations against the Taliban and in support of the Afghan Government. Training Afghan military & police, fighting Taliban insurgents, managing reconstruction projects, working with the local Afghan population, and interfacing with other stakeholders in the region are all part of the mix. Through intimate, behind-the scenes access to US and Afghan government and civilian participants in “kinetic” and “non-kinetic” operations, the film follows US Marine combat and civil affairs teams of the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, during their 7-month deployment in Helmand Province. PATROL BASE JAKER takes the audience to the front lines where US policy meets the reality of on-the-ground execution through the context of the Marines' day-to-day life in Afghanistan.

USE OF FUNDS: Please help me reach the film's $45,000 funding goal by February 22, 2010--make a $5 (or more) contribution today (I only receive the pledged funds through Kickstarter if I achieve the goal). I will use these funds to complete the editing and post-production of the PATROL BASE JAKER movie. I funded all the filming and production in Afghanistan myself and I'm looking for your help with funding the completion of post-production. Any additional funds raised beyond the goal will be used to bring the film to military bases around the US for free promotional screenings prior to the theatrical launch of the film this summer (I used this strategy very successfully to promote the BROTHERS AT WAR film with its core audience--the military & veteran community. Check out the press release from Gary Sinise and me about the military base screenings at http://bit.ly/4G3AtA ).

Please let me know if you have any questions, or require additional information. Thank you in advance for your support.

Regards,

Dave

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David Scantling
Director & Producer
PATROL BASE JAKER
dave.scantling@gmail.com

www.patrolbasejaker.com
www.facebook.com/patrolbasejaker
www.twitter.com/patrolbasejaker
www.youtube.com/patrolbasejaker
www.flickr.com/photos/patrol_base_jaker

Project location: Akron, OH

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