Did You Remember The Cat?
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Horror, Comedy
After surviving a house party-turned-horror film, Tara and Mitch’s escape is cut short when they realize… they forgot their cat. Now, the couple must return to the house and brave the eldritch monster that waits inside to save not only the cat, but their relationship itself.
Did You Remember The Cat?
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Horror, Comedy
1 Campaigns |
Green Light
This campaign raised $31,668 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
180 supporters | followers
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After surviving a house party-turned-horror film, Tara and Mitch’s escape is cut short when they realize… they forgot their cat. Now, the couple must return to the house and brave the eldritch monster that waits inside to save not only the cat, but their relationship itself.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Horror is my favorite genre, not only for its ability to scare the viewer, but also because of the opportunity it provides to explore the deeper themes beneath the surface. Often, when watching classic creature features or films where families are forced to fight demons, I would ask myself… “What about their pet? How are they going to escape this horror? Shouldn’t the family save them too?” I raised the question to my co-writer, Autumn Olson, and we began to develop the concept "Did You Remember The Cat?"
(Storyboards by Laur Uy)
While creating this story, we asked ourselves, “What if this was set just after Act 3 of a classic horror, when our protagonists escape and then realize they must go back if they’re to rescue their cat?”. This allowed us not only to craft a story that nods to the familiar horror conventions we expect from a film, but also find a fresh take on the horror and bloodshed that our audience won’t be expecting. Our audience will have the added excitement of piercing together, “What happened here? What has the monster done to their friends? How (or…why?) did they summon this thing?”. We were inspired by classics like "Evil Dead", "Alien", "Shaun of the Dead", and "Jaws", and plan to pay homage to all the stories both we and our audiences love.
TARA - 28yo, with the aura of an elementary school art teacher and an optimism antithetical to your standard horror film. Tara will not let her boyfriend or any damned monster stop her from saving her cat. If she rolls up her sleeves and makes her relationship with Mitch work, then she will never have to talk to him about why it’s not working, right?
MITCH - 28yo, about as colorful as a chartered accountant, the most exciting monster Mitch ever wants to face are his yearly taxes. He is not going to stick around for the friggin’ plot of a horror movie! But his loyalty to Tara exceeds his survival instincts. Mitch cares little when it comes to saving the cat, but he’s with Tara for better or for worse. In this case, for worse.
THE CHOIR - ???yo (human years), It only speaks with a voice stolen from the throat of others. It speaks the words you are too afraid to hear aloud, yet always suspected to be true. It hunts on those who let their thoughts fester, and let things go unsaid. It does not hunger for the vocal cords it feasts upon, but for the fear and chaos it creates between
people.
The team is thrilled to announce that they will be working with the brilliant creature designer Patrick Magee ("V/H/S" series,"Primal Rage", "Men In Black 3", and Universal Horror Nights) and his company Magee FX to bring the Choir to life.
(Storyboards by Chris Hubbard)
MR. WHISKERS - 28 (cat years), a cat. A student in the studies of gravity, often pushing objects off tables or high surfaces. He is also a connoisseur of acapella music, his favorite song being Tara and Mitch’s rendition of “Who’s The Best Littlest Man In The World? (Mr. Whiskers)”.
(Storyboards by Laur Uy)
Our film juggles the genres of both comedy and horror, embracing the absurdity of a couple who hope to save their fading romance by rescuing their pet cat, “Mr. Whiskers”. We hope our audience comes for the horror, blood and gore of our mysterious monster “The Choir”, but stay for the heart of our central theme: “If you love something, then it’s worth fighting for.”
(Storyboards by Kalee DeHamer)
All of the money we raise will go towards the following:
- Production - Our goal is to make this film as efficiently and safely as possible. Production costs will allow us to pay our cast and crew, as well as cover costs for equipment and location. We plan to shoot at a single location over the course of four days to help conserve this portion of the budget.
- FX - The Choir is one hell of a monster, and we are excited to bring it to life through practical effects. This will require both time and materials, but will result in a scares you'll be dying to see!
- Post Production - This includes editors, a sound mixer, and color grading.
- Reach Goals - If we surpass our initial funding goal, we will be able to spend it towards increasing our publicity to advertise this film as well as pay the costs of festival submissions. We are excited to share this film with as many people as possible!
More Ways to Help:
Follow and support us on our Official Instagram & TikTok Pages!
CHECK OUT OUR AWARD WINNING SHORT FILM
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Publicity, Insurance, Legal & Accounting, General Expense
Costs $1,868
We want to hold a large film premiere and invited all of our donators and supporters to show our appreciation.
Pre & Production Expenses
Costs $20,000
Production needs, including set, make-up & hair, our monster "The Choir" will be designed by Patrick Magee and the team at Magee FX.
Cast and Crew
Costs $5,610
Films can only happen via a team effort, we want to raise funds to help support the team.
Post Production
Costs $3,250
Back up for a additional cost including post and PU days for filming.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
PRINCIPLE CREW & CAST
DANIEL FOSTER (Director, Writer)
Daniel Foster is a Los Angeles based writer/director with a B.A. in Film/Media Arts at Temple University. In 2016, Daniel created the small production company Unchained Media, which would go on to develop multiple award winning short films. In 2018, Dan developed and co-wrote the Louix Award winning campaign “Drive Like You Give A F*%^”, starring Shaquil O’Neil. In 2022, Dan’s short film “Don’t Die First” premiered on Alter, and would go on to win fifteen awards on the film festival circuit, including Vimeo’s Short Of The Week. Daniel was writing and directing an unannounced animated short for Skydance Animation before returning to his roots in horror.
AUTUMN OLSON (Writer, Head of Story)
Autumn Olson is a Los Angeles based screenwriter and novelist. She holds a B.A. in both History and Film/Video Communications from Fitchburg State University. In 2020, she was the winner of the Lacoy Screenwriting Grant for her script “Mom’s Coming Home”, which would go on to win Best Massachusetts Short Film at the Shawn Shea Film Festival. After graduating in 2020, Autumn worked as a writer’s assistant on multiple shows in development at Skydance Animation, and was selected to create an animated short film as part of SDA’s Short Film Program. In 2023, her short story “Canned Lights” was selected as the winner of Rusty Fears Short Story Competition (Rusty Quill, UK), which will feature on “The Magnus Archives” podcast feed. When not writing screenplays or novels, Autumn can be found playing with her cats, Artemy and Beatrice.
PATRICK MAGEE (Creature Designer)
Patrick Magee was born in 1976. By the time he was 7 his love of movies was instilled. He saw "An American Werewolf in London", and became fascinated with monster movies. Specifically movies where the monster felt real. Not long after he saw "An American Werewolf in London", he saw "The Making of Thriller". After watching Rick Baker making up Michael Jackson, and he instantly knew what he was going to do with his life. Patrick moved to Los Angeles, after playing college basketball, and began his career in special makeup effects. He worked for a variety of special effects shops including "Screaming Mad George", "Stan Winston's Studios", and "Studio ADI" before moving on, and starting his own business, Magee FX. He has worked on a variety of commercials, music videos, television shows, live events, and feature films. Patrick even had the opportunity to work for Rick Baker on his last big film, "Men in Black 3", while still running Magee FX. While Magee FX continues to acquire a variety of jobs and grow, Patrick enjoys orchestrating a team of artist specializing in: makeup, mechanics, hair, paint, sculpting, fabrication, mold making and all of the elements that go into producing quality special effects and fine art pieces for a variety of settings. Patrick, wanting to showcase what he could do, decided he was ready to make a practical effects film, a creature feature. Knowing that he could execute great makeup effects, and build the ultimate Bigfoot suit, with years of notes, Patrick collaborated with writer-director Jay Lee, and the two of them developed the story "Primal Rage".
ANGEL MAURNAE (Tara)
Angel Maurnaé, also known as Monica in Daniel Foster's award winning short “Don’t Die First”, is a classically trained actor, writer and producer. Originally from St. Louis Missouri, she has made a home in LA starring in original plays such as “Pieces” (Pasadena Playhouse), “Guilty” (Towne Street Theatre), and “Denim Doves”(Sacred Fools Theatre Company). Some of her most notable Film & TV credits include Insecure (HBO), The Neighborhood (CBS) and My Crazy Sex (Lifetime). You can also spot her in various commercials for brands such as Carnival Cruise Lines, Hyundai, eBay.
JONATHAN LEE (Mitch)
Jonathan Lee, known as Jonny H. Lee as his stage name, is a classically trained actor with a modeling background. Being born in Los Angeles, he grew up enjoying film and television as hobbies without cutting his teeth in acting until he turned 24, in which before he obtained a Bachelor's degree from the University of California at Riverside and traveled the world, living in places like the bush of Papua New Guinea for months at a time. Since his industry start, he has been involved in supportive acting roles in About Carson (Feature Film), Midnight Hours (Short Film), and Something Wicked (Short Film). He has worked in various commercials with companies such as Samsung and Jack Black, and his modeling background includes work with Aeropostale.
BRANDON HAMMEL (The Choir, Creature Actor)
Brandon Hammel is an actor and performer who has spent many years in the entertainment industry working in various departments, both behind and in front of the camera, acquiring a wide variety of knowledge when it comes to bringing creative visions to life. Being involved in a multitude of different art forms his whole life and has also given him a very holistic view of creative expression. Brandon has a close connection to horror and SFX makeup and has been performing professionally for over six years, channeling different characters and creatures and bringing each unique role to life, often taking advantage of his tall and lanky build to portray otherworldly beings. There’s nothing that feels more exhilarating than being in a makeup chair and watching himself transform into the part.
CREW
TATA VIVAS (Producer)
Tata Vivas is a producer, writer and director based in Los Angeles. Tata received a dual degree in Theater (Acting) and Narrative Studies from the University of Southern California. After dabbling in the world of musical theater performance in college, Tata found a passion for all things production, leading her to produce her first play in 2019 with the Aeneid Theater Company, ”Duchess of Malfi”. After college, Tata went on to work on set for Snowfall before finding their place in production within animation! When Tata isn't crocheting or playing with their cats (Zucchini and Fig), you can find them at Skydance Animation taking notes as a Story PA for the unreleased film, ”Pookoo”.
AMY YANG (Producer)
Amy Yang is a multimedia artist currently aspiring to work in film development. She received a B.A. in film production from Emerson College in 2022, where she worked on a variety of student productions and video game projects as a production lead. In her free time, she likes to participate in game jams, go hiking, and read about birds.
HELEN RODAS ESCOBAR (Social Media Manager)
Helen Rodas Escobar, born and raised in Los Angeles she graduated from Cal State University, Northridge majoring in Electronic Media Management with a minor in Marketing. She started her career in the entertainment industry as a Studio Page at Paramount Pictures, before realizing her true passion was animation. She was fortunate to join Skydance Animation as an office receptionist, but as the office closed due to COVID 2020 (there was no office to reception) she was promoted to the role of Production Coordinator on the studio's first short film, Blush. She was able to experience the behind the scenes work in developing an animated short film, and saw the hard work and passion that is put into the production. She looks forward to finding ways to utilize social media to bring awareness and excitement around “Did You Remember The Cat”! She is a dog person, but also likes cats (even if she has never had one).
CHRISTOPHER MURRAY (Cinematographer/Camera Operator)
Christopher Murray has over 11 years of experience in film production as a passionate and versatile cinematographer, video editor, and producer who strives to create engaging and impactful visual stories. A skilled camera operator and owner of a RED Digital Cinema camera, Chris has worked on feature films, television, music videos, and commercials for various companies and networks. He also co-founded Neuway Media, a creative agency that offers commercial and video production services for clients across various industries and platforms. As the director of creative and physical production, he lead projects from conception to completion, overseeing the branding, planning, scheduling, and distribution of high-quality content.
When he isn’t operating camera, Murray spends his time operating communication satellites for the U.S. Space Force in the role of Satellite Systems Operator, Master Sergeant. His military connection inspires him to devote his spare time to the Paramount Veteran’s Network and Veteran’s in Media & Entertainment organizations, focusing on aiding veterans in their career transition and job placement in the entertainment industry.
BRENDAN GRANT (Cinematographer/Camera Operator)
Brendan Grant is a cinematographer of narrative films, documentaries, music videos, and commercials. His work has been featured on major networks including Netflix, Amazon, Discovery, New York Post, CBC, and NBC News to name a few. He is also the author of "The Cinematographer's Handbook", and he is the Co-founder of Neuway Media, a boutique video production agency based in LA.
LUKE PALTER (Editor)
Luke Palter is a live-action and animated film editor, most recently credited with editing “Morning Joy”, an Oscar-qualifying animated short film. He has worked in the editing department on animated series such as “ONI: Thunder God’s Tale” (Netflix) and “Trash Truck” (Netflix), as well as the live-action series “For All Mankind” (Apple) and “The Gymkhana Files” (Amazon). After studying music alongside film at New York University, he brought his trumpet with him to Los Angeles and regularly annoys “Did You Remember The Cat” production staff with trumpet anime covers and remixes. He is a cat person.
MERIDIAN GRAY CULPEPPER (Storyboard Artist)
Meridian is a Storyboard Artist from central Indiana currently working in TV and feature animation out on Los Angeles. She learned the art of storyboarding in the throws of 2020 mentoring with Women in Animation and then for some reason became a Story Intern at Pixar Animation Studios that following summer. Since then Meridian has worked on projects such as “WondLa” at Skydance Animation and spends her time teaching animation workshops and sharing the ups and downs of her career journey on her YouTube channel.
ZACHARY MORAWIEC (Previs Artist)
Zachary Morawiec, a Previs Artist and 2019 Student Academy Awards Semi-Finalist, is a seasoned professional with over 4 years of experience, having worked at renowned studios like Pixar, Naughty Dog, and Skydance Animation. Currently, he plays a pivotal role in helping plan live action shots for "Did You Remember the Cat?" by crafting immersive 3D animated previs sequences. Zachary's dedication to storytelling shines as he lays the foundation for captivating narratives, showcasing his artistic vision and commitment to his craft.
CONNOR GRIFFIN (Composer)
Connor first became interested in film music through John Williams’ incredible scores for the Star Wars series. In 2012, Connor enrolled at Temple University in Philadelphia, obtaining a degree in Film & Media Arts and a minor in General Business Studies. To date, Connor has scored over 70 short films, multiple award winning web series, and two feature length documentaries. He has teamed up with Th3rdstream and Jacob Yoffee to write additional music for the shows “Sherwood” (YouTube Premium) and “Vampire Academy” (Peacock). In the summer of 2015, a fanfare of Connor's was licensed as the opening music to the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, a widely televised live event broadcast across the country. Connor currently lives in Los Angeles.
STEWART GRAY III (Digital FX)
Stewart Gray III is a filmmaker and digital artist from Washington, DC whose work spans across the mediums of film, photography, and interactive art. He has worked at the likes of Pixar Animation Studios and Unity Technologies on his path toward merging cinematic storytelling with real-time interactive technologies. He is a recent graduate of Stanford University, and currently based in California.
IAN HEDMAN (Production Designer)
Ian Hedman is a production designer and filmmaker from Austin, Texas. He has designed shorts, commercials, music videos and live events for clients such as Blac Chyna, Intel and NFL. As a writer/ producer he has made award winning horror shorts on Alter and Crypt TV. On the weekends you can catch him at a late night horror screening or an early morning estate sale.
DAPHNE DANIELS (BTS Cinematographer)
Daph Daniels is a director of photography and director based in LA. They received their BFA from the School of Cinematic Arts at USC and work to help elevate LGBTQIA+ voices throughout film and TV. They are an avid lover of cats, Studio Ghibli fan, and puzzles.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Horror is my favorite genre, not only for its ability to scare the viewer, but also because of the opportunity it provides to explore the deeper themes beneath the surface. Often, when watching classic creature features or films where families are forced to fight demons, I would ask myself… “What about their pet? How are they going to escape this horror? Shouldn’t the family save them too?” I raised the question to my co-writer, Autumn Olson, and we began to develop the concept "Did You Remember The Cat?"
(Storyboards by Laur Uy)
While creating this story, we asked ourselves, “What if this was set just after Act 3 of a classic horror, when our protagonists escape and then realize they must go back if they’re to rescue their cat?”. This allowed us not only to craft a story that nods to the familiar horror conventions we expect from a film, but also find a fresh take on the horror and bloodshed that our audience won’t be expecting. Our audience will have the added excitement of piercing together, “What happened here? What has the monster done to their friends? How (or…why?) did they summon this thing?”. We were inspired by classics like "Evil Dead", "Alien", "Shaun of the Dead", and "Jaws", and plan to pay homage to all the stories both we and our audiences love.
TARA - 28yo, with the aura of an elementary school art teacher and an optimism antithetical to your standard horror film. Tara will not let her boyfriend or any damned monster stop her from saving her cat. If she rolls up her sleeves and makes her relationship with Mitch work, then she will never have to talk to him about why it’s not working, right?
MITCH - 28yo, about as colorful as a chartered accountant, the most exciting monster Mitch ever wants to face are his yearly taxes. He is not going to stick around for the friggin’ plot of a horror movie! But his loyalty to Tara exceeds his survival instincts. Mitch cares little when it comes to saving the cat, but he’s with Tara for better or for worse. In this case, for worse.
THE CHOIR - ???yo (human years), It only speaks with a voice stolen from the throat of others. It speaks the words you are too afraid to hear aloud, yet always suspected to be true. It hunts on those who let their thoughts fester, and let things go unsaid. It does not hunger for the vocal cords it feasts upon, but for the fear and chaos it creates between
people.
The team is thrilled to announce that they will be working with the brilliant creature designer Patrick Magee ("V/H/S" series,"Primal Rage", "Men In Black 3", and Universal Horror Nights) and his company Magee FX to bring the Choir to life.
(Storyboards by Chris Hubbard)
MR. WHISKERS - 28 (cat years), a cat. A student in the studies of gravity, often pushing objects off tables or high surfaces. He is also a connoisseur of acapella music, his favorite song being Tara and Mitch’s rendition of “Who’s The Best Littlest Man In The World? (Mr. Whiskers)”.
(Storyboards by Laur Uy)
Our film juggles the genres of both comedy and horror, embracing the absurdity of a couple who hope to save their fading romance by rescuing their pet cat, “Mr. Whiskers”. We hope our audience comes for the horror, blood and gore of our mysterious monster “The Choir”, but stay for the heart of our central theme: “If you love something, then it’s worth fighting for.”
(Storyboards by Kalee DeHamer)
All of the money we raise will go towards the following:
- Production - Our goal is to make this film as efficiently and safely as possible. Production costs will allow us to pay our cast and crew, as well as cover costs for equipment and location. We plan to shoot at a single location over the course of four days to help conserve this portion of the budget.
- FX - The Choir is one hell of a monster, and we are excited to bring it to life through practical effects. This will require both time and materials, but will result in a scares you'll be dying to see!
- Post Production - This includes editors, a sound mixer, and color grading.
- Reach Goals - If we surpass our initial funding goal, we will be able to spend it towards increasing our publicity to advertise this film as well as pay the costs of festival submissions. We are excited to share this film with as many people as possible!
More Ways to Help:
Follow and support us on our Official Instagram & TikTok Pages!
CHECK OUT OUR AWARD WINNING SHORT FILM
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Publicity, Insurance, Legal & Accounting, General Expense
Costs $1,868
We want to hold a large film premiere and invited all of our donators and supporters to show our appreciation.
Pre & Production Expenses
Costs $20,000
Production needs, including set, make-up & hair, our monster "The Choir" will be designed by Patrick Magee and the team at Magee FX.
Cast and Crew
Costs $5,610
Films can only happen via a team effort, we want to raise funds to help support the team.
Post Production
Costs $3,250
Back up for a additional cost including post and PU days for filming.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
PRINCIPLE CREW & CAST
DANIEL FOSTER (Director, Writer)
Daniel Foster is a Los Angeles based writer/director with a B.A. in Film/Media Arts at Temple University. In 2016, Daniel created the small production company Unchained Media, which would go on to develop multiple award winning short films. In 2018, Dan developed and co-wrote the Louix Award winning campaign “Drive Like You Give A F*%^”, starring Shaquil O’Neil. In 2022, Dan’s short film “Don’t Die First” premiered on Alter, and would go on to win fifteen awards on the film festival circuit, including Vimeo’s Short Of The Week. Daniel was writing and directing an unannounced animated short for Skydance Animation before returning to his roots in horror.
AUTUMN OLSON (Writer, Head of Story)
Autumn Olson is a Los Angeles based screenwriter and novelist. She holds a B.A. in both History and Film/Video Communications from Fitchburg State University. In 2020, she was the winner of the Lacoy Screenwriting Grant for her script “Mom’s Coming Home”, which would go on to win Best Massachusetts Short Film at the Shawn Shea Film Festival. After graduating in 2020, Autumn worked as a writer’s assistant on multiple shows in development at Skydance Animation, and was selected to create an animated short film as part of SDA’s Short Film Program. In 2023, her short story “Canned Lights” was selected as the winner of Rusty Fears Short Story Competition (Rusty Quill, UK), which will feature on “The Magnus Archives” podcast feed. When not writing screenplays or novels, Autumn can be found playing with her cats, Artemy and Beatrice.
PATRICK MAGEE (Creature Designer)
Patrick Magee was born in 1976. By the time he was 7 his love of movies was instilled. He saw "An American Werewolf in London", and became fascinated with monster movies. Specifically movies where the monster felt real. Not long after he saw "An American Werewolf in London", he saw "The Making of Thriller". After watching Rick Baker making up Michael Jackson, and he instantly knew what he was going to do with his life. Patrick moved to Los Angeles, after playing college basketball, and began his career in special makeup effects. He worked for a variety of special effects shops including "Screaming Mad George", "Stan Winston's Studios", and "Studio ADI" before moving on, and starting his own business, Magee FX. He has worked on a variety of commercials, music videos, television shows, live events, and feature films. Patrick even had the opportunity to work for Rick Baker on his last big film, "Men in Black 3", while still running Magee FX. While Magee FX continues to acquire a variety of jobs and grow, Patrick enjoys orchestrating a team of artist specializing in: makeup, mechanics, hair, paint, sculpting, fabrication, mold making and all of the elements that go into producing quality special effects and fine art pieces for a variety of settings. Patrick, wanting to showcase what he could do, decided he was ready to make a practical effects film, a creature feature. Knowing that he could execute great makeup effects, and build the ultimate Bigfoot suit, with years of notes, Patrick collaborated with writer-director Jay Lee, and the two of them developed the story "Primal Rage".
ANGEL MAURNAE (Tara)
Angel Maurnaé, also known as Monica in Daniel Foster's award winning short “Don’t Die First”, is a classically trained actor, writer and producer. Originally from St. Louis Missouri, she has made a home in LA starring in original plays such as “Pieces” (Pasadena Playhouse), “Guilty” (Towne Street Theatre), and “Denim Doves”(Sacred Fools Theatre Company). Some of her most notable Film & TV credits include Insecure (HBO), The Neighborhood (CBS) and My Crazy Sex (Lifetime). You can also spot her in various commercials for brands such as Carnival Cruise Lines, Hyundai, eBay.
JONATHAN LEE (Mitch)
Jonathan Lee, known as Jonny H. Lee as his stage name, is a classically trained actor with a modeling background. Being born in Los Angeles, he grew up enjoying film and television as hobbies without cutting his teeth in acting until he turned 24, in which before he obtained a Bachelor's degree from the University of California at Riverside and traveled the world, living in places like the bush of Papua New Guinea for months at a time. Since his industry start, he has been involved in supportive acting roles in About Carson (Feature Film), Midnight Hours (Short Film), and Something Wicked (Short Film). He has worked in various commercials with companies such as Samsung and Jack Black, and his modeling background includes work with Aeropostale.
BRANDON HAMMEL (The Choir, Creature Actor)
Brandon Hammel is an actor and performer who has spent many years in the entertainment industry working in various departments, both behind and in front of the camera, acquiring a wide variety of knowledge when it comes to bringing creative visions to life. Being involved in a multitude of different art forms his whole life and has also given him a very holistic view of creative expression. Brandon has a close connection to horror and SFX makeup and has been performing professionally for over six years, channeling different characters and creatures and bringing each unique role to life, often taking advantage of his tall and lanky build to portray otherworldly beings. There’s nothing that feels more exhilarating than being in a makeup chair and watching himself transform into the part.
CREW
TATA VIVAS (Producer)
Tata Vivas is a producer, writer and director based in Los Angeles. Tata received a dual degree in Theater (Acting) and Narrative Studies from the University of Southern California. After dabbling in the world of musical theater performance in college, Tata found a passion for all things production, leading her to produce her first play in 2019 with the Aeneid Theater Company, ”Duchess of Malfi”. After college, Tata went on to work on set for Snowfall before finding their place in production within animation! When Tata isn't crocheting or playing with their cats (Zucchini and Fig), you can find them at Skydance Animation taking notes as a Story PA for the unreleased film, ”Pookoo”.
AMY YANG (Producer)
Amy Yang is a multimedia artist currently aspiring to work in film development. She received a B.A. in film production from Emerson College in 2022, where she worked on a variety of student productions and video game projects as a production lead. In her free time, she likes to participate in game jams, go hiking, and read about birds.
HELEN RODAS ESCOBAR (Social Media Manager)
Helen Rodas Escobar, born and raised in Los Angeles she graduated from Cal State University, Northridge majoring in Electronic Media Management with a minor in Marketing. She started her career in the entertainment industry as a Studio Page at Paramount Pictures, before realizing her true passion was animation. She was fortunate to join Skydance Animation as an office receptionist, but as the office closed due to COVID 2020 (there was no office to reception) she was promoted to the role of Production Coordinator on the studio's first short film, Blush. She was able to experience the behind the scenes work in developing an animated short film, and saw the hard work and passion that is put into the production. She looks forward to finding ways to utilize social media to bring awareness and excitement around “Did You Remember The Cat”! She is a dog person, but also likes cats (even if she has never had one).
CHRISTOPHER MURRAY (Cinematographer/Camera Operator)
Christopher Murray has over 11 years of experience in film production as a passionate and versatile cinematographer, video editor, and producer who strives to create engaging and impactful visual stories. A skilled camera operator and owner of a RED Digital Cinema camera, Chris has worked on feature films, television, music videos, and commercials for various companies and networks. He also co-founded Neuway Media, a creative agency that offers commercial and video production services for clients across various industries and platforms. As the director of creative and physical production, he lead projects from conception to completion, overseeing the branding, planning, scheduling, and distribution of high-quality content.
When he isn’t operating camera, Murray spends his time operating communication satellites for the U.S. Space Force in the role of Satellite Systems Operator, Master Sergeant. His military connection inspires him to devote his spare time to the Paramount Veteran’s Network and Veteran’s in Media & Entertainment organizations, focusing on aiding veterans in their career transition and job placement in the entertainment industry.
BRENDAN GRANT (Cinematographer/Camera Operator)
Brendan Grant is a cinematographer of narrative films, documentaries, music videos, and commercials. His work has been featured on major networks including Netflix, Amazon, Discovery, New York Post, CBC, and NBC News to name a few. He is also the author of "The Cinematographer's Handbook", and he is the Co-founder of Neuway Media, a boutique video production agency based in LA.
LUKE PALTER (Editor)
Luke Palter is a live-action and animated film editor, most recently credited with editing “Morning Joy”, an Oscar-qualifying animated short film. He has worked in the editing department on animated series such as “ONI: Thunder God’s Tale” (Netflix) and “Trash Truck” (Netflix), as well as the live-action series “For All Mankind” (Apple) and “The Gymkhana Files” (Amazon). After studying music alongside film at New York University, he brought his trumpet with him to Los Angeles and regularly annoys “Did You Remember The Cat” production staff with trumpet anime covers and remixes. He is a cat person.
MERIDIAN GRAY CULPEPPER (Storyboard Artist)
Meridian is a Storyboard Artist from central Indiana currently working in TV and feature animation out on Los Angeles. She learned the art of storyboarding in the throws of 2020 mentoring with Women in Animation and then for some reason became a Story Intern at Pixar Animation Studios that following summer. Since then Meridian has worked on projects such as “WondLa” at Skydance Animation and spends her time teaching animation workshops and sharing the ups and downs of her career journey on her YouTube channel.
ZACHARY MORAWIEC (Previs Artist)
Zachary Morawiec, a Previs Artist and 2019 Student Academy Awards Semi-Finalist, is a seasoned professional with over 4 years of experience, having worked at renowned studios like Pixar, Naughty Dog, and Skydance Animation. Currently, he plays a pivotal role in helping plan live action shots for "Did You Remember the Cat?" by crafting immersive 3D animated previs sequences. Zachary's dedication to storytelling shines as he lays the foundation for captivating narratives, showcasing his artistic vision and commitment to his craft.
CONNOR GRIFFIN (Composer)
Connor first became interested in film music through John Williams’ incredible scores for the Star Wars series. In 2012, Connor enrolled at Temple University in Philadelphia, obtaining a degree in Film & Media Arts and a minor in General Business Studies. To date, Connor has scored over 70 short films, multiple award winning web series, and two feature length documentaries. He has teamed up with Th3rdstream and Jacob Yoffee to write additional music for the shows “Sherwood” (YouTube Premium) and “Vampire Academy” (Peacock). In the summer of 2015, a fanfare of Connor's was licensed as the opening music to the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, a widely televised live event broadcast across the country. Connor currently lives in Los Angeles.
STEWART GRAY III (Digital FX)
Stewart Gray III is a filmmaker and digital artist from Washington, DC whose work spans across the mediums of film, photography, and interactive art. He has worked at the likes of Pixar Animation Studios and Unity Technologies on his path toward merging cinematic storytelling with real-time interactive technologies. He is a recent graduate of Stanford University, and currently based in California.
IAN HEDMAN (Production Designer)
Ian Hedman is a production designer and filmmaker from Austin, Texas. He has designed shorts, commercials, music videos and live events for clients such as Blac Chyna, Intel and NFL. As a writer/ producer he has made award winning horror shorts on Alter and Crypt TV. On the weekends you can catch him at a late night horror screening or an early morning estate sale.
DAPHNE DANIELS (BTS Cinematographer)
Daph Daniels is a director of photography and director based in LA. They received their BFA from the School of Cinematic Arts at USC and work to help elevate LGBTQIA+ voices throughout film and TV. They are an avid lover of cats, Studio Ghibli fan, and puzzles.