In 2012/2013 Brandon Bray and I created a short documentary called “Let Us Begin.” The film chronicles the recalibration of the Porter family, after their lives are interrupted by Debbie Porter’s diagnosis with Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) on May 18, 2009.
At this time, there is no known cure for ALS, and while life expectancy of an ALS patient averages about two to five years from the time of diagnosis, those numbers mean nothing to Debbie. She is determined to beat ALS as she did cancer.
Debbie and Frank are an amazing couple who let us share their story in hope of furthering the conversation about ALS. She is a fighter and one of the strongest women I’ve ever met, and it was a privilege working with Debbie and her family on this project. May this piece inspire others to share her story and take one step toward ending the disease.
The short film gained national recognition in 2013 with the following awards and festival appearances:
One Show Entertainment Bronze Pencil Award 2013
Cine Golden Eagle Award 2013
Telly Award 2013
Anchorage International Film Festival Official Selection 2013
New York City Independent Film Festival Official Selection 2013
Cincinnati Film Festival Official Selection 2013
Columbus International Film Festival Official Selection 2013
Reel Health International Health Short Film Festival Official Selection 2013
Fandana Film Festival Official Selection 2013
These shots come from the One Show Entertainment Awards in LA from June 2013. “The One Club exists to champion and promote excellence in advertising and design in all its forms. It is the world’s foremost non-profit organization devoted to elevating creative work in the industry. It seeks to celebrate the legacy of creative advertising and to use that legacy to inspire future generations. The One Club is the ‘keeper of the flame’ for advertising creatives.”
Collaborators on the project include Brandon Bray and Stephen Dorman. Brandon Bray is a wildly talented film director/producer/editor in Washington, DC and owns Bray Creative, LLC. Bray has achieved numerous awards over the past 3 years and is one of the most talented creatives I have the honor of working with. Stephen is our go to audio mixer and hails from Portland, Oregon.