The Parade of Sadness - WCU Senior Thesis Film

Hello! My name is Trent Lakey and I am a senior film student at Western Carolina University. This semester, I am co-producing a senior thesis film titled "The Parade of Sadness", written and directed by my good friend and roommate, Dane Walker. Dane has fashioned his thesis project into a proof of concept; essentially, meaning we are making a shorter version of what we hope to be a feature film one day. In order to craft a professional looking proof of concept, and in order to attract future funding for the long form version of this story, we require some assistance.

The story is as follows: "Two sisters are presented with a grandiose personification of death, as their mother lay dying in a hospice center. Their conflicting views on an afterlife are forced into conflict, as they grapple with the idea of their mother's eternity."

For Dane, this is a uniquely personal story. It is based off of his own experience watching his grandmother die in a hospice center. The story meshes this personal experience of death with a supernatural inevitability personified in the form of the Grim Reaper leading a marching band who follow his steps, their music calling the deceased into death's hands. Though a universal story, it will be surprising through the particular lens we show it through.

Donations will go towards various expenses such as paying our actors, feeding our crew, purchasing costumes and props, and just generally elevating our production value to a professional level. Any donations are welcome and appreciated!

Meet Our Team:

Dane Walker - Director/Writer

Dane Walker is a senior in his final semester at WCU. This proof of concept is loosely based on his time watching his grandmother die in a hospice center. He aims to examine death and the possibility of an after life in this horrific exploration of the supernatural world.

Jack Floyd - Director of Photography

Jack is a senior at Western Carolina University. He is focused on perfecting his cinematography and editing before he graduates. He has worked with Dane numerous times and is excited to make this proof of concept the highest quality of work they have done together. He hopes the people who see it enjoy it as well.

Greg Robles - Co-Producer

Our co-producer, Greg Robles, is a Senior at WCU who began his filmmaking journey as an actor. After a few years of developing his craft in storytelling, he decided to expand his journey by studying the process of what goes on behind the camera. Since then, he has worked on over 15 film projects and is excited to create even more. Greg is thrilled to work with his passionate team and help bring the story of The Parade of Sadness to life.

Trent Lakey - Co-Producer

Trent is a senior in WCU's film program and is passionate about telling personal stories. That is exactly what drew him to signing up as a co-producer for The Parade of Sadness. This project promises to be one of the boldest and most exciting films he's been a part of.