The Waiting Room: An Everyday Purgatory
Oakland, California | Film Short
Drama, Fantasy
The Waiting Room is a story about an oddball young man, desperate for work faces who faces rejection and isolation until a kindred spirit offers him an escape through a portal to another world. It's a story about how your imagination can you set you free, if you let it.
The Waiting Room: An Everyday Purgatory
Oakland, California | Film Short
Drama, Fantasy
1 Campaigns |
31 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$3,605
Goal: $15,000 for production
The Waiting Room is a story about an oddball young man, desperate for work faces who faces rejection and isolation until a kindred spirit offers him an escape through a portal to another world. It's a story about how your imagination can you set you free, if you let it.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The Waiting Room is a rumination on the modern workplace, the disconnection created by our devices, and an ode to anyone who dreams of opening a door to a new horizon, and a world that is full of possibility.
THE STORY
The Waiting Room follows our main character, Guy, an oddball with a creative soul and a whimsical spirit who finds himself in need of a job. The story takes place in an extraordinarily ordinary waiting room that is both recognizable and forgettable all at once.
Severance
The Waiting Room is as much a physical holding place as it is representative of the holding cells we cram our creative selves into within our minds.
While waiting for his interview, Guy attempts to interact and connect with his fellow waiting room occupants, but their preoccupation with their devices, and themselves leaves Guy feeling isolated and rejected. That is until a woman (Tiff) arrives and makes an overture to our floundering oddball by sharing her comic book series with him.
Someone Great
Before Guy can explore this interaction further, Tiff has disappeared. In his pursuit of Tiff, he stumbles upon a portal to another world, and an escape from the mundane world before him. At a crossroads, Guy must decide if he wants to conform to the expected or take the path to the unknown.
The Matrix Resurrections
On A Sunbeam - Tillie Walden
It turns out the route to freedom is and always has been through your imagination.
LOOK & FEEL
The Waiting Room is a hybrid of live action and animation. Imaginative and fantastical portions of the piece take on an animated form, while the live action look and feel is characterized by nostalgia and eeriness. Stylistically, the live action is a mix between lo-fi dreamscape and 80's brutalism. A muted color palette that leans into green and blue undertones communicates the coolness and impersonal nature of the world.
Birds of a Feather - Billie Eilish
CHARACTERS
Guy - Our quirky, offbeat and socially out-of-tune protagonist is a creative young Black man who finds himself in need of money, which means in need of a job. His fervent imagination often transports him from reality as he day dreams of worlds, and ways that don't quite exist.
Tiff - the figurative 'White Rabbit' of The Waiting Room, appears abruptly brimming with individuality and character. Mirrors of each other in their offbeat style of dress, Guy finds a kindred spirit in Tiff, and genuine connection. Tiff embodies the alternate route that Guy so desperately needs.
She leads Guy down the 'rabbit hole' or in this case through a door to a world that is brought to life by their imagination.
WHY NOW?
The Waiting Room is a story that needs to be told, because too often we forget that our imagination is our most powerful tool. This is a story that says ‘What if ?’ and says it loudly and boldly.
I wrote this film years ago as an expression of the frustration I felt working in a corporate environment that at its best, didn’t appreciate creativity, and at its worst, actively stifled it. Inspired by a friend who saw beautiful and sometimes creepy characters enmeshed in the world around us, I thought how sad that such a beautiful creative mind is stuck behind a desk with only doodles to exercise his greatest gift, his imagination.
So, I wrote The Waiting Room, an ode to everyone, everywhere who wishes they could open that door to a new horizon, and a new world that is full of possibility.
And a reminder that we must imagine before we can become. So, let’s DREAM BIG.
NEXT STEPS
The money raised in this crowdfund is ESSENTIAL in putting together the necessary pieces to craft an immersive world with compelling characters and talented crew to bring a much needed story to life. After we commence this crowdfund, we plan on the following milestones, with a release date in the Winter of 2026!
Production Days: Mid - Late August
Post-production: August - October
Release: October - December 2026
If we raise MORE than our goal of $15,000 we will use any extra funds for the following & in no particular order:
- Pay our cast & crew their actual day rates (most will be working at a discounted rate)
- Spend more time and budget on the animated portion of the film.
- Commission a custom soundtrack to make this film feel unique, suspenseful and immersive.
- Shoot the full Director's Cut (including an additional 2 minute opening scene!)
There are so many ways to support this film aside from the monetary assistance!
Do you have access to a location that's a perfect fit?
Do you have lighting or camera equipment you'd be willing to discount?
Do you believe in the power of imagination, and want to help a feel-good story get made?
SHARE this campaign with friends, family, and film lovers!
FOLLOW us on IG @thewaiting.room_film and REACH OUT if you're interested in getting involved.
INTRODUCE us to potential collaborators or donors.
Every bit of engagement amplifies this project.
Thank you for helping us bring it to life.
And most importantly, KEEP DREAMING!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Location
Costs $1,500
We need the right location to serve as The Waiting Room. This is where the majority of our filming will take place!
Production
Costs $7,000
This will include adjusted day rates for crew, and equipment rental for two production days, as well as set design and wardrobe!
Talent
Costs $2,500
This will cover the day rate for our 6 actors + a few background actors!
Post-Production
Costs $4,000
This will cover the cost of editing, illustration + animation, and sound design.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
We are a small but mighty team!
Connected by the belief in the power of narrative storytelling, and the role imagination can play in our collective future, we are committed to bringing the Waiting Room to life!
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The Waiting Room is a rumination on the modern workplace, the disconnection created by our devices, and an ode to anyone who dreams of opening a door to a new horizon, and a world that is full of possibility.
THE STORY
The Waiting Room follows our main character, Guy, an oddball with a creative soul and a whimsical spirit who finds himself in need of a job. The story takes place in an extraordinarily ordinary waiting room that is both recognizable and forgettable all at once.
Severance
The Waiting Room is as much a physical holding place as it is representative of the holding cells we cram our creative selves into within our minds.
While waiting for his interview, Guy attempts to interact and connect with his fellow waiting room occupants, but their preoccupation with their devices, and themselves leaves Guy feeling isolated and rejected. That is until a woman (Tiff) arrives and makes an overture to our floundering oddball by sharing her comic book series with him.
Someone Great
Before Guy can explore this interaction further, Tiff has disappeared. In his pursuit of Tiff, he stumbles upon a portal to another world, and an escape from the mundane world before him. At a crossroads, Guy must decide if he wants to conform to the expected or take the path to the unknown.
The Matrix Resurrections
On A Sunbeam - Tillie Walden
It turns out the route to freedom is and always has been through your imagination.
LOOK & FEEL
The Waiting Room is a hybrid of live action and animation. Imaginative and fantastical portions of the piece take on an animated form, while the live action look and feel is characterized by nostalgia and eeriness. Stylistically, the live action is a mix between lo-fi dreamscape and 80's brutalism. A muted color palette that leans into green and blue undertones communicates the coolness and impersonal nature of the world.
Birds of a Feather - Billie Eilish
CHARACTERS
Guy - Our quirky, offbeat and socially out-of-tune protagonist is a creative young Black man who finds himself in need of money, which means in need of a job. His fervent imagination often transports him from reality as he day dreams of worlds, and ways that don't quite exist.
Tiff - the figurative 'White Rabbit' of The Waiting Room, appears abruptly brimming with individuality and character. Mirrors of each other in their offbeat style of dress, Guy finds a kindred spirit in Tiff, and genuine connection. Tiff embodies the alternate route that Guy so desperately needs.
She leads Guy down the 'rabbit hole' or in this case through a door to a world that is brought to life by their imagination.
WHY NOW?
The Waiting Room is a story that needs to be told, because too often we forget that our imagination is our most powerful tool. This is a story that says ‘What if ?’ and says it loudly and boldly.
I wrote this film years ago as an expression of the frustration I felt working in a corporate environment that at its best, didn’t appreciate creativity, and at its worst, actively stifled it. Inspired by a friend who saw beautiful and sometimes creepy characters enmeshed in the world around us, I thought how sad that such a beautiful creative mind is stuck behind a desk with only doodles to exercise his greatest gift, his imagination.
So, I wrote The Waiting Room, an ode to everyone, everywhere who wishes they could open that door to a new horizon, and a new world that is full of possibility.
And a reminder that we must imagine before we can become. So, let’s DREAM BIG.
NEXT STEPS
The money raised in this crowdfund is ESSENTIAL in putting together the necessary pieces to craft an immersive world with compelling characters and talented crew to bring a much needed story to life. After we commence this crowdfund, we plan on the following milestones, with a release date in the Winter of 2026!
Production Days: Mid - Late August
Post-production: August - October
Release: October - December 2026
If we raise MORE than our goal of $15,000 we will use any extra funds for the following & in no particular order:
- Pay our cast & crew their actual day rates (most will be working at a discounted rate)
- Spend more time and budget on the animated portion of the film.
- Commission a custom soundtrack to make this film feel unique, suspenseful and immersive.
- Shoot the full Director's Cut (including an additional 2 minute opening scene!)
There are so many ways to support this film aside from the monetary assistance!
Do you have access to a location that's a perfect fit?
Do you have lighting or camera equipment you'd be willing to discount?
Do you believe in the power of imagination, and want to help a feel-good story get made?
SHARE this campaign with friends, family, and film lovers!
FOLLOW us on IG @thewaiting.room_film and REACH OUT if you're interested in getting involved.
INTRODUCE us to potential collaborators or donors.
Every bit of engagement amplifies this project.
Thank you for helping us bring it to life.
And most importantly, KEEP DREAMING!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Location
Costs $1,500
We need the right location to serve as The Waiting Room. This is where the majority of our filming will take place!
Production
Costs $7,000
This will include adjusted day rates for crew, and equipment rental for two production days, as well as set design and wardrobe!
Talent
Costs $2,500
This will cover the day rate for our 6 actors + a few background actors!
Post-Production
Costs $4,000
This will cover the cost of editing, illustration + animation, and sound design.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
We are a small but mighty team!
Connected by the belief in the power of narrative storytelling, and the role imagination can play in our collective future, we are committed to bringing the Waiting Room to life!