Baird and Noah have been best friends since preschool. 

During grammar school, they were both on the same Little League team – the Astros. Baird played left field while Noah played first base. 

In sixth grade, they dropped a water balloon on Mrs. Hoefling, and received in-school suspension for two days. 

They both had a crush on Nicole Brooks and even though she ended up going to prom with Noah, Baird still drove them to and from the country club.

Baird held Noah’s head back when he first got drunk, and Noah came to collect Baird from the police station when he got his first DWI. 

They received the “Cutest Bromance” senior superlative in the Class of 2014 yearbook and despite the fact that Noah received a full ride to Stonybrook while Baird continued to work as a manager at K-Mart, they still managed to be, well, best friends . . . 

. . . Until one August day at Sagg Main Beach.

Out on the kayak, a summer squall descends upon the beach and throws both Baird and Noah into the gray depths of the Atlantic Ocean. Baird rises to the surface to find himself alone, eclipsed by the swell, and unable to swim. 

He kicks. He splashes. He screams. But no one comes. 

He slips beneath the surface of the water and closes his eyes.

A hand wraps itself around Baird’s torso and raises him to the surface. 

Noah. 

With one hand around Baird and the other stroking the water, Noah wades through the surf toward the coast where lifeguards have already begun a rescue effort. 

When Baird’s lifeless body is laid on the sand, Noah quakes at the idea of losing his best friend. 

When Baird wakes, the euphoria that surrounds him is met with an indiscernible sense of displacement, ambivalence and disappointment. 

Suddenly, the world he has re-entered isn’t interesting to him anymore and the people in it, a burden.

Particularly, Noah – who in the following months does not hesitate to regale anyone who will listen with the story of his best friend’s drowning and how he saved his life. 

After a party at Noah’s new apartment, where he drunkenly recalls the rescue for his new girlfriend, Isla, the realization that Baird’s existence is totally reliant upon Noah, his personality has developed in Noah’s shadow, and he doesn't know who he is . . . Baird changes forever.

In Later Gator, we see a relationship on the brink. Two childhood friends whose differences once made their bond strong now reminds one of his reliance on the other – the absence of his identity. 

THE INSPIRATION

After I graduated from college, it seemed as though the friends I had grown up with were dropping out of my life like dominoes. Sometimes by choice, but also due to a new job, a new location, or an engagement ring. Nevertheless, I realized just how rare it is to maintain a long-lasting friendship. Rare verging on impossible.

Why? Because we change. The childhood camaraderie we held so dearly ages as we do – the faces we associate with them alter and so do the people behind them. We want different things, work different jobs, date different people – we are different.

Later Gator seeks to inspire our audience to take another look at the person sitting next to them and remind us of our ability to accept or reject the inherent disparities in our relationships or continue to live a quiet life of repression.

WHERE WE’RE AT

Right now we are in the midst of pre-production and our team is hard at work assembling the talent, crew, and necessary resources to make this film a reality. 

We are fully cast and staffed with a diverse team of both professional and non-actors as well as industry technicians whose work have screened on platforms ranging from the indie film festival circuit to Netflix. 

We have secured certified Ocean Lifeguards and professional Stunt Coordinator, Greg Robbins, to be on set with us both as actors but also to ensure the safety of our cast and crew during filming.

We are partnering with local businesses and establishments in the East End community of Long Island so that we can successfully immerse audiences in Baird and Noah’s world. 

Our film will be shooting on location in historic Sag Harbor, New York. The small-town environment Baird finds himself trapped in is a metaphor for the hollow personality he occupies. This, combined with the stunning yet arresting ocean beaches of Sagaponack – the setting for his near-drowning – is an extension of Baird’s psyche as he navigates the conflict of his relationship with Noah.

WHERE WE’RE GOING

Looking forward to production – we have the necessary ingredients to make this film and not securing our goal of $5000 will not stop us from shooting Later Gator – it will mean that vital elements of this story will have to be minimized or cut altogether. Our team will be forced to cut corners in order and make more with less, which is not conducive to a creative environment especially when the value being shortchanged is our story, our most important asset.

While this campaign is geared toward raising funds, it is more importantly a clarion call to anyone who has ever questioned a friendship to look closer and imagine your life without that person – consider who you would be if you never met them. Would your life still have value? Would you be closer to the kind of person you want to be? Would you be you?

Your contribution will ensure that this story will be told. Every click, “Like,” “Share,” and tag is a step forward toward getting the story of Later Gator out into the world. 

You can be a part of that by following, supporting, and spreading our story.

CURTAIN UP

Following final delivery, our goal is to enter Later Gator into a robust local, national, and global film festival run with the film eventually living on one of the major film streaming platforms in the industry, Amazon Prime Video.

As a member of our audience, when you follow our campaign, you will receive exclusive updates on the film’s whereabouts and will be among the first to view it upon its online release via Vimeo.

SAFETY

We are closely monitoring the ever-changing landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic and will ensure that our production adheres to safety guidelines as stated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Our cast and crew’s safety is our #1 priority. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW

Talk about us, share our campaign video, check out our super fun Instagram account (@latergatorfilm), and review our awesome incentives. 

If you can’t donate to our campaign, share our story with someone who can. Any contributions we receive will go directly toward supporting our cast and crew, and securing vital resources to ensure that our story on paper ends up on the screen. 

Join us on our journey to share this story and be a part of something awesome.

See you at the beach. Later, gator.