To honor my mother, Linda Conrad, and deal with my emotions with her condition I decided to write / direct / produce an animated short. My mother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in her early 40s. She has been with this disease for almost 20 years now. Recently, she was told she has two years left to live. In these precious last years, I need to show her that I’m going to be OK when she’s gone. I am an animator, and I can think of no better way to express this than through my art. The message is simple, how do you tell your mom when she’s going to pass away that thanks to her you are where you are today?

My mom is a strong, intelligent, beautiful woman who got Parkinson’s in her early 40’s. It ripped our family apart as the disease took everything from her. Her career as an electrical engineer, her role as a mother and wife, and her own ability to walk and talk. She became a prisoner in her own body just fighting to survive every day. She struggled with her faith and her identity day in and day out.

Before Parkinson's, Mom cooked, cleaned the house, did the laundry, and kept us in our studies and on time. This was all while balancing a career; she had to work 10x harder just to be recognized by her peers (remember this was the 1980s & 90s, a woman engineer was rare). My brother and I were born in Arizona but when it came time for her to transfer, she asked my dad where HE wanted to live most. Dad said he loved Colorado so she went there to get a job so Dad could live in the place he loved most. This was a kind and selfless woman... a woman of few words because actions always speak louder than words. My Dad talked enough for the both of them my mom would always say.

My story is about telling your mom at the end of her life that you're going to be ok. That’s all our parents really want to know in the end that their kids will be happy, safe, and survive when they're gone from this world. My mom is my hero and I want to tell her it’s ok to hang up her cape and rest now.

The story is called "Lighthouse" because no matter how dark and stormy life gets, moms are the ones that guide us with the light of hope, kindness, and love. Light always breaks the darkness.

Thank you for your time,

-Mark Conrad

About Me:

I have been working in the entertainment industry for 4 years now. I graduated from Gnomon School of Visual Effects and am currently working as a Character Animator for Genies. I know what this project will take. It may seem like a large sum of money, but I refuse to let artists work for free. You spend years of your life crafting your skills, and those are the rules of making art. This funding will get us through the development phase so we can start a Kickstarter for production. I have pulled together a team and employed 20 of my colleagues in the LA area. I have cut out all my extra spending and set aside as much as I can afford without bankrupting myself because my mom would kill me if I did that. You can help us get the rest of the way there!

I'm an artist at my heart. I love to tell stories and give people a chance to tell theirs. My parents joked with me that when I was a kid I would run up to anyone and talk to them no matter who they were. I was not afraid of people and I wanted to listen to everyone around me because each person has a story to tell. Stories inspire us to do great things, and that’s why I’m starting this project for my mom.

I hope you will share my dream of bringing my mom’s and every mom’s story to life. So please, donate what you can spare. Let’s show our moms we know and appreciate all the work they do for our families. Thank you for your support!