Paint with a Hammer

Some knowledge doesn’t live in books. It lives in hands.

My dad, Bernard Pelletier, spent fifty years under horses.

He shod them, rebuilt their feet, and saved horses nobody else would touch: laminitis cases so bad most people would have put them down. He learned how from the best equine vets in the country, from half a century of getting it right one hoof at a time, and from wild mustangs.

In the 1990s he went out to the Nevada herds to study their feet. He took x-rays. He made plaster casts of their hooves. He still keeps one of those casts. Those wild feet showed him what a perfect hoof is supposed to look like, and he spent the rest of his career shoeing toward it.

He’s 68 now, retired, and he’s giving it all away.

THE APPRENTICE

Lane is 24. He grew up learning from viral hoof-trimming videos. Now he’s learning from the real thing.

My dad teaches him for free. He gave Lane most of his own tools. He doesn’t stand back with his arms crossed. He picks up the hammer, forges the shoe, gets under the horse right beside him and talks him through every nail.

THE SON BEHIND THE CAMERA

I’m his son.

I know the ring of an anvil. I’ve done my share of blacksmithing, and I know what hot steel does when you hit it right. But I never got under a horse.

My oldest brother, Cody, did. He shod horses for years and took over the business my dad built. When the time came, Cody handed that business to Lane.

My dad to Cody. Cody to Lane. That’s how this craft has always moved: hand to hand.

I ended up with a camera in my hands. I’ve spent ten years making documentaries for Bloomberg, CNBC, NBCUniversal and USA Today. This time I’m pointing it at my dad.

This film is how I make sure what he knows doesn’t disappear.

THE HORSES THAT TAUGHT HIM

The same mustangs that taught my dad the perfect foot are now being rounded up by the thousands. Pushed into holding pens. Sold for next to nothing. Some end up in the slaughter pipeline.

That news is what made me pick this film back up. Paint with a Hammer puts those horses in front of the people who love horses most, while it can still change.

WHERE WE ARE

2018: I made Inside, a short film about my dad. It’s where all of this started.
September 2026: We started shooting the feature.
October 2026: Dr. Ric Redden, one of the most respected equine podiatry vets in the world and an old friend of my dad’s, joined Lane under the horse on camera.
[2028]: Our goal is a festival premiere, with my dad and Lane in the room.

THIS CAMPAIGN: $100,000 BY DECEMBER 31

This keeps the cameras rolling through 2027 and gets us out to the herds. Gifts made by December 31 count for the 2026 tax year.

WHAT YOUR GIFT DOES

$100: Puts your name in the film’s credits
$700: Funds a day of editing
$2,500: Funds a full shoot day with my dad and Lane
$3,500: Funds a week of editing
$5,000: Funds the trip to the wild horses

Every donor gets updates from the shoot: the forge, the horses and the herds. Every gift of $100 or more puts your name in the credits.

UNDERWRITE A PIECE OF THE FILM

For donors who want their gift tied to something they can point to:
$35,000: The original score
$60,000: The festival run, with my dad and Lane at the premiere
$120,000: The impact tour to barns, farrier schools, rodeos and ag colleges

Leadership donors receive producer credits and are invited to spend a morning at the forge with my dad and Lane.

BE OUR MATCHING DONOR

We’re looking for one lead donor to match the first $25,000 we raise, dollar for dollar. Every gift doubles until we hit it.

For either one, email tristan@paintwithahammerfilm.com or call 828-556-3950.

HOW TO GIVE

Online: the Donate button on this page
Donor-advised fund: search Entertainment 2 Affect Change (EIN 46-2660255) and write “Paint with a Hammer” in the notes
Stock, crypto, check or wire: email tristan@paintwithahammerfilm.com and I’ll send the details the same day

Giving $1,000 or more? Give directly and more of your gift reaches the film.

CAN’T GIVE RIGHT NOW?

Forward this page to one person who loves horses: a farrier, a vet, a barn owner, a rider. That’s how this film gets made.

THE FULL BUDGET

The complete film is budgeted at about $1.08 million. This campaign is the first piece. We’re also pursuing major documentary grants, mission-aligned sponsors and a small circle of leadership donors.

Making the film: $645,000

Production, about 50 shoot days including the trip to the herds: $130,000
Editing, about nine months: $165,000
Original score, sound design and mix: $70,000
Color, graphics, music and archival rights: $55,000
Crew and producing: $140,000
Legal, insurance and contingency: $85,000

Getting it seen: $400,000

Festival run, with my dad and Lane at the premiere: $60,000
Trailer, key art and publicity: $70,000
Distribution deliverables: $35,000
Impact tour to barns, farrier schools, rodeos and ag colleges: $120,000
Release and distribution: $115,000

QUESTIONS DONORS ASK

Is my gift tax-deductible?
Yes, for US donors, to the extent allowed by law. Paint with a Hammer is fiscally sponsored by Entertainment 2 Affect Change (E2AC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. E2AC receives your gift and makes sure it goes to this film. International donors are welcome, though tax benefits usually apply only in the US.

How much of my gift reaches the film?
94% of online gifts. 97% of checks, wires, stock and crypto.

What if you don’t reach $100,000?
Every dollar still goes into the film. The goal sets the pace. Your gift counts either way.

Do donors have a say in the film?
Credits recognize support, not control. The story stays honest. That’s the only reason it’s worth funding.

When will I see it?
We’re aiming for a [2028] festival premiere. Donors hear first.

Watch the short that started it all: https://vimeo.com/199268145

My dad spent fifty years taking care of other people’s horses. This is a chance to take care of what he knows. Thank you for being part of it.

Tristan Pelletier
Director, Paint with a Hammer
tristan@paintwithahammerfilm.com

Paint with a Hammer is a fiscally sponsored project of Entertainment 2 Affect Change (E2AC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.