Experiencing Interruptions?

DD-214

When the fighting is done, military veterans are often forgotten. DD-214 is a documentary that follows USMC veteran Sean Sawyer and US Army veteran Edgar Melero as they speak on their lives post military.

  • Jared Drake
    Director
  • Jared Drake
    Writer
  • Jared Drake
    Producer
  • Gerardo Marquez
    Producer
  • Sean Sawyer
    Key Cast
  • Edger Melero
    Key Cast
  • Ryan Croft
    Cinematographer
  • Brad Sommers
    Editor
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    7 minutes 58 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 15, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    0 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes
Director Biography - Jared Drake

Jared Drake was born on August 17, 1987 in Modesto, California, USA. He served in the United States Marine Corps from December 2005 - December 2014. While in the Marines he participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2007 and 2008. After his discharge from the Marine Corps, he was accepted into DePaul University as a double major in Media & Cinema Studies and Digital Cinema with a concentration in Television Production. He is a director and producer, known for DD-214 (2017)

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Director Statement

The purpose of this film is to look at veterans in a different light. Too often people view military vets as people with PTSD who are suicidal, injured, or homeless. One of the biggest causes of this is because of the lack of help and the misunderstanding of the transition from military life to civilian life. In their first year of military discharge, veterans are required to take a transition class; but speaking as a veteran myself, I can say that these classes are nothing more than a check in the box and are hardly helpful. As a community, if we can understand the real struggles of veterans and the struggles associated with starting a brand new life, it will allow us to readjust resources that are available to make this transition smoother. The main take away I want the audience to have is that, although veterans typically enter the civilian world with more emotional baggage than others, they are still human beings like everyone else and sometimes need more support and understanding than what is currently being offered for their service and their sacrifice.