Before Morning
Austin, Texas | Film Short
Drama
Julia struggles to run the ranch alone. Lucas isn't coming back. Daily tasks and a badly damaged fence line keep her longer than expected. Twilight comes too soon, and she must abandon her work to take shelter inside. Something is coming with the full moon, and it's much worse than a broken fence.
Before Morning
Austin, Texas | Film Short
Drama
1 Campaigns | Pennsylvania, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $23,869 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
151 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
Julia struggles to run the ranch alone. Lucas isn't coming back. Daily tasks and a badly damaged fence line keep her longer than expected. Twilight comes too soon, and she must abandon her work to take shelter inside. Something is coming with the full moon, and it's much worse than a broken fence.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Hi! We're Sarah Danko and Eric Zapata. We met on a film set over 13 years ago, and since then, we've been working professionally in the film and theatre industries on some super cool projects. Some of our favorites include: Fear the Walking Dead, We Can Be Heroes, CW's Walker, Alita Battle Angel, Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, and John Dies at the End. (We're also married, just in case anyone was wondering). We've grown so much over the last decade, and we have loved using our skills to help people tell their stories. This is the first time we will use those skills to tell a story of our own--and we're very excited to share it with you.
Before Morning is a female-driven narrative, set at a time earlier than now, and it follows a woman named Julia. She is gentle and introverted by nature, and she has found herself alone on a harsh, unforgiving Texas ranch. While she does her best to tend to the property, it's not a job for one person. She eventually breaks down under the pressure. The true cause of her stress is knowing that tonight is a full moon. There is a werewolf coming, and she has to kill it.
Before Morning was born from our need to create something visceral with our own hands. We wanted to make a project together that would incorporate the work of some of the artists we've grown with over the years and who we love very much. It's important to create this opportunity to be together, making art in a positive and nurturing space. Hopefully, it will inspire others to do the same.
The story and tone draw from our love of folk tales, fine art, and the sweeping landscapes of Central and South Texas. We love the idea of telling a werewolf story through a gentle, feminine lens, and it felt natural to us to set it in the Lonestar State.
The tone is quiet and still, heavily inspired by the work of American painter, Andrew Wyeth (as seen above and in all the other paintings in this section), and there is an air of mystery and romance that comes inherently to big ol' Texas. Introducing a werewolf to this naturalistic setting amplifies our themes of vulnerability and loneliness, and it brings in a folky element--heightening the story in a way we love!
Our werewolf will be completely practical, bringing even more intimacy and groundedness to our tale. Eric is in the process of building the creature, which actually consists of two versions of the werewolf. There is a creature suit, built for an amazing creature performer, along with a puppet version, complete with animatronics.
We knew we couldn't fake the setting, so we'll be shooting in and around Eric's hometown of Victoria, TX. Luckily, his family has a ranch out there, so we have an amazing location for not much budget at all!
That said, the rest is incredibly challenging. That's where we'd love support from y'all!
Making this film is no small feat, and your support is greatly appreciated! We have a main goal of $20,000, along with stretch goals that will give us a lot more freedom and make this project everything it can be.
$20,000 for our basic needs
This ensures our crew is paid fairly, and gives them a restful place to stay during our 5 day shoot. It will also begin to offset the cost of food and equipment rentals, along with insurance and a snake wrangler.
$25,000 to cover food and equipment rentals
This will fully cover our meals and snacks on set, as well as equipment rentals for the shoot. We need a grip truck and lenses for the week, along with a condor to help create our moonlight for the night shoots.
$30,000 for post-production and festival submissions
This will go towards fully finishing the film (editing, sound mixing, color grading) and entering some festivals!
This project has been in the works for two years, and we are incredibly excited and passionate about it. Thank you for reading our story and for your interest in Before Morning. Please consider making a contribution and sharing our project far and wide (BeforeMorningFilm on Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook). We are thrilled to have so many amazing folks on the team already, and we hope to add some new ones with your support.
Sincerely, Sarah & Eric
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Equipment Rentals
Costs $6,000
We'll need the proper equipment for an outdoor, 5 day shoot that will be able to handle the bright sun and dark nights on a ranch.
Meals and Craft Services
Costs $2,000
We want to make sure our cast and crew are energized with healthy meals and snacks to get us through the days and nights.
Werewolf
Costs $2,000
Can't make a werewolf movie without a werewolf, right? This will cover some of the materials needed to build our monster.
Crew Pay and Accommodations
Costs $9,000
It's important to us to pay our crew a living wage and give them a safe place to stay while we all make cool art together.
Snake Wrangling
Costs $500
A snake wrangler will safely find and relocate any snakes on our outdoor set, so they don't get harmed, and we don't get harmed.
Insurance
Costs $500
To cover ourselves and our rentals.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Sarah Danko
(she/her/hers)
Creator, Producer, Director, Co-Writer, Actor
Sarah began her professional career in Austin, TX, where she has received a number of awards and nominations for her work on stage. Some of her most notable roles include The Pilot in Grounded, a one-woman play written by George Brant (Street Corner Arts), Zuzu in the regional premiere of Dance Nation, and Alice in The Drowning Girls (both with Theatre en Bloc). She can also be seen on AMC's Fear the Walking Dead and CW's Walker. Before Morning is her directorial debut. Sarah moved to Pittsburgh in 2022 with Eric to fulfill dreams of restoring a Victorian home and raising their two cats, Lorraine and Daphne.
Eric Zapata
(he/him/his)
Producer, Creature Designer
Eric is a Special FX Makeup artist and a proud member of IATSE Local 798. He began his career working for makeup legend Robert Kurtzman on films such as John Dies at the End and The Woman. Eric spent 11 years in Austin, TX, gaining experience in different corners of the film industry including Prop Fabrication and Specialty Costumes. Eric's favorite part about working in film is the chance to regularly be around creative souls. He believes as long as you're making cool stuff with cool people, you're winning. Notable credits include Fear The Walking Dead (Seasons 4-8) We Can Be Heroes, Onyx The Fortuitous and The Talisman of Souls (Sundance Official Selection), and Black Flies (Cannes Official Selection).
Lauren Lee
(she/her/hers)
Assistant Director
Lauren Lee is a passionate and energetic young filmmaker on a journey to join the Director’s Guild of America to work as an Assistant Director. She’s training for this goal by working on sets as a professional Production Assistant, specializing in first team and background roles. In her first two years, she’s been staffed on productions such as AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead, HBO Max's Love & Death, and more. Lauren wholeheartedly believes film sets can be both healthy and productive environments for all kinds of creatives to tell their stories.
Andrew Baird
(he/him/his)
Director of Photography
Andrew is an award-winning cinematographer, based in Austin, TX. Since 2005, he has lensed numerous feature films, commercials, shorts, and music videos. His recent credits include Blood Relatives, Scare Package 1 & 2, and the upcoming feature film Shelby Oaks. He has also trained at the prestigious ASC, learning from such industry greats as Larry Fong, ASC, and Checco Varese, ASC. No matter what he is working on, he’s always grateful that he can share his vision and tell stories for a living.
Josh Garrett
(he/him/his)
Editor, Photographer, Producer
Josh Garrett is an editor from Victoria, Texas who enjoys bringing narrative storytelling to non-profits. After leaving a career in municipal media, he is now a freelance photographer and editor, often collaborating on multimedia projects with museums, musical organizations, and arts groups.
His creative work has been featured on Nerdist, the Alamo Drafthouse, Penny Arcade, and SXSW.
Sarah Saltwick
(she/her/hers)
Screenwriter
Sarah Saltwick is a writer based in Austin, TX, a graduate of the Michener Center for Writers at UT Austin, and was a Jerome Fellow at the Playwrights' Center in Minneapolis. She recently completed production on her first short film USE YOUR WORDS. Recent productions/workshops of her plays include Egress at Theatreworks, Salt Lake Acting Company, Amphibian Stage, Cleveland Playhouse; The Pleasure Trials at Dramashop, Moxie Theater, Amphibian Stage, Tender Rough Rough Tender at Northpark University in Chicago, and The Girl Who Became Legend at Zach Scott Theater in Austin. She is also a Co-Director of Holden & Arts Associates, a theatrical booking agency. She shares her home with her husband, musician and visual artist Toto Miranda, their daughter Beatrix, and their cat Lulu.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Hi! We're Sarah Danko and Eric Zapata. We met on a film set over 13 years ago, and since then, we've been working professionally in the film and theatre industries on some super cool projects. Some of our favorites include: Fear the Walking Dead, We Can Be Heroes, CW's Walker, Alita Battle Angel, Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, and John Dies at the End. (We're also married, just in case anyone was wondering). We've grown so much over the last decade, and we have loved using our skills to help people tell their stories. This is the first time we will use those skills to tell a story of our own--and we're very excited to share it with you.
Before Morning is a female-driven narrative, set at a time earlier than now, and it follows a woman named Julia. She is gentle and introverted by nature, and she has found herself alone on a harsh, unforgiving Texas ranch. While she does her best to tend to the property, it's not a job for one person. She eventually breaks down under the pressure. The true cause of her stress is knowing that tonight is a full moon. There is a werewolf coming, and she has to kill it.
Before Morning was born from our need to create something visceral with our own hands. We wanted to make a project together that would incorporate the work of some of the artists we've grown with over the years and who we love very much. It's important to create this opportunity to be together, making art in a positive and nurturing space. Hopefully, it will inspire others to do the same.
The story and tone draw from our love of folk tales, fine art, and the sweeping landscapes of Central and South Texas. We love the idea of telling a werewolf story through a gentle, feminine lens, and it felt natural to us to set it in the Lonestar State.
The tone is quiet and still, heavily inspired by the work of American painter, Andrew Wyeth (as seen above and in all the other paintings in this section), and there is an air of mystery and romance that comes inherently to big ol' Texas. Introducing a werewolf to this naturalistic setting amplifies our themes of vulnerability and loneliness, and it brings in a folky element--heightening the story in a way we love!
Our werewolf will be completely practical, bringing even more intimacy and groundedness to our tale. Eric is in the process of building the creature, which actually consists of two versions of the werewolf. There is a creature suit, built for an amazing creature performer, along with a puppet version, complete with animatronics.
We knew we couldn't fake the setting, so we'll be shooting in and around Eric's hometown of Victoria, TX. Luckily, his family has a ranch out there, so we have an amazing location for not much budget at all!
That said, the rest is incredibly challenging. That's where we'd love support from y'all!
Making this film is no small feat, and your support is greatly appreciated! We have a main goal of $20,000, along with stretch goals that will give us a lot more freedom and make this project everything it can be.
$20,000 for our basic needs
This ensures our crew is paid fairly, and gives them a restful place to stay during our 5 day shoot. It will also begin to offset the cost of food and equipment rentals, along with insurance and a snake wrangler.
$25,000 to cover food and equipment rentals
This will fully cover our meals and snacks on set, as well as equipment rentals for the shoot. We need a grip truck and lenses for the week, along with a condor to help create our moonlight for the night shoots.
$30,000 for post-production and festival submissions
This will go towards fully finishing the film (editing, sound mixing, color grading) and entering some festivals!
This project has been in the works for two years, and we are incredibly excited and passionate about it. Thank you for reading our story and for your interest in Before Morning. Please consider making a contribution and sharing our project far and wide (BeforeMorningFilm on Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook). We are thrilled to have so many amazing folks on the team already, and we hope to add some new ones with your support.
Sincerely, Sarah & Eric
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Equipment Rentals
Costs $6,000
We'll need the proper equipment for an outdoor, 5 day shoot that will be able to handle the bright sun and dark nights on a ranch.
Meals and Craft Services
Costs $2,000
We want to make sure our cast and crew are energized with healthy meals and snacks to get us through the days and nights.
Werewolf
Costs $2,000
Can't make a werewolf movie without a werewolf, right? This will cover some of the materials needed to build our monster.
Crew Pay and Accommodations
Costs $9,000
It's important to us to pay our crew a living wage and give them a safe place to stay while we all make cool art together.
Snake Wrangling
Costs $500
A snake wrangler will safely find and relocate any snakes on our outdoor set, so they don't get harmed, and we don't get harmed.
Insurance
Costs $500
To cover ourselves and our rentals.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Sarah Danko
(she/her/hers)
Creator, Producer, Director, Co-Writer, Actor
Sarah began her professional career in Austin, TX, where she has received a number of awards and nominations for her work on stage. Some of her most notable roles include The Pilot in Grounded, a one-woman play written by George Brant (Street Corner Arts), Zuzu in the regional premiere of Dance Nation, and Alice in The Drowning Girls (both with Theatre en Bloc). She can also be seen on AMC's Fear the Walking Dead and CW's Walker. Before Morning is her directorial debut. Sarah moved to Pittsburgh in 2022 with Eric to fulfill dreams of restoring a Victorian home and raising their two cats, Lorraine and Daphne.
Eric Zapata
(he/him/his)
Producer, Creature Designer
Eric is a Special FX Makeup artist and a proud member of IATSE Local 798. He began his career working for makeup legend Robert Kurtzman on films such as John Dies at the End and The Woman. Eric spent 11 years in Austin, TX, gaining experience in different corners of the film industry including Prop Fabrication and Specialty Costumes. Eric's favorite part about working in film is the chance to regularly be around creative souls. He believes as long as you're making cool stuff with cool people, you're winning. Notable credits include Fear The Walking Dead (Seasons 4-8) We Can Be Heroes, Onyx The Fortuitous and The Talisman of Souls (Sundance Official Selection), and Black Flies (Cannes Official Selection).
Lauren Lee
(she/her/hers)
Assistant Director
Lauren Lee is a passionate and energetic young filmmaker on a journey to join the Director’s Guild of America to work as an Assistant Director. She’s training for this goal by working on sets as a professional Production Assistant, specializing in first team and background roles. In her first two years, she’s been staffed on productions such as AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead, HBO Max's Love & Death, and more. Lauren wholeheartedly believes film sets can be both healthy and productive environments for all kinds of creatives to tell their stories.
Andrew Baird
(he/him/his)
Director of Photography
Andrew is an award-winning cinematographer, based in Austin, TX. Since 2005, he has lensed numerous feature films, commercials, shorts, and music videos. His recent credits include Blood Relatives, Scare Package 1 & 2, and the upcoming feature film Shelby Oaks. He has also trained at the prestigious ASC, learning from such industry greats as Larry Fong, ASC, and Checco Varese, ASC. No matter what he is working on, he’s always grateful that he can share his vision and tell stories for a living.
Josh Garrett
(he/him/his)
Editor, Photographer, Producer
Josh Garrett is an editor from Victoria, Texas who enjoys bringing narrative storytelling to non-profits. After leaving a career in municipal media, he is now a freelance photographer and editor, often collaborating on multimedia projects with museums, musical organizations, and arts groups.
His creative work has been featured on Nerdist, the Alamo Drafthouse, Penny Arcade, and SXSW.
Sarah Saltwick
(she/her/hers)
Screenwriter
Sarah Saltwick is a writer based in Austin, TX, a graduate of the Michener Center for Writers at UT Austin, and was a Jerome Fellow at the Playwrights' Center in Minneapolis. She recently completed production on her first short film USE YOUR WORDS. Recent productions/workshops of her plays include Egress at Theatreworks, Salt Lake Acting Company, Amphibian Stage, Cleveland Playhouse; The Pleasure Trials at Dramashop, Moxie Theater, Amphibian Stage, Tender Rough Rough Tender at Northpark University in Chicago, and The Girl Who Became Legend at Zach Scott Theater in Austin. She is also a Co-Director of Holden & Arts Associates, a theatrical booking agency. She shares her home with her husband, musician and visual artist Toto Miranda, their daughter Beatrix, and their cat Lulu.