The Waiting Room
A FILM BY ARCHER ELLIOT
A rebellious teen skateboarder, mourning the loss of his brother, dies performing a dangerous stunt and wakes up in a waiting room surrounded by all walks of life. He must talk with Melvin, a witty man from the 1920s, and Jenny, a playful little girl with a teddy bear, to decide whether to take an elevator that may return him to life or wait decades for an "appointment" where he will be reunited with his brother.
trailer
The Waiting Room is an entirely student made from start to finish, and Archer Elliot’s debut as a Director. Elliot worked to write and revise the script for nearly two years, including a week refining it at a screenwriting conference in Italy. With a small budget, the story was brought to life due to the hard work and passion of young film students and actors. Elliot and his dedicated Co-Producer and Director of Photography spent six months carefully planning pre-production at LMU. His core crew worked tirelessly day and night leading up to and during shooting, preparing for every possible outcome so the set could run smoothly. What Archer believes to be the key component of the film’s success was chemistry the crew and actors had on set.
“As we were setting up, I watched my actors laugh and horse around, playing ‘monkey in the middle ’ with Jenny’s teddy bear. They were full of energy and life, exactly what that part of the movie was supposed to embody. I turned to my AD and told him to roll the cameras. We filmed the actors playing, nothing scripted, rehearsed, or controlled. Just them living in the moment. Having fun. Enjoying each other’s company. That scene could have never had the effect it did if the actors weren’t happy on my set or if I was telling them how to feel.” - Archer Elliot