"Eloveator" was our final project for Production 1 and easily one of the most rewarding shoots I’ve ever been a part of.
Shot entirely on a Canon C100 in a single room, from the jump, our group was laser-focused on one idea: setting the entire scene inside an elevator. Our professor was very skeptical (rightfully so). We were warned that fitting lighting, sound equipment, and two actors (plus a camera crew) would be challenging in such a confined space. But as a team, we were married to the concept and fully committed to pulling it off. We storyboarded strategically, coordinated tight blocking, and embraced the restrictions as part of the story’s tension. 

Looking back, those limitations only made us more creative.

I served as both lead actor and editor, and this was my first time performing a dialogue-heavy role on screen. Let’s just say Denzel might want to keep an eye on his IMDb page. But seriously, editing Eloveator was where everything clicked. I focused on emotional pacing, power dynamics through shot size and screen direction, and designing sound to elevate the genre tone. Caleb (our director) happened to be one of my dormmates. We went back and forth between different cuts in Premiere Pro. The edit reflects the character tension through deliberate rhythm and eyeline control. Despite the cramped set, the lighting and visual tone stayed true to the look book we developed in pre-vis.  More than a final project, Eloveator was a crash course for teamwork, creative problem-solving, and a blast under pressure. We weren’t just classmates we became a creative family. From pre-vis to final export, we spent hours together before and after class, we even still talk daily in our group chat. The film might only run a few minutes, but it captures everything I want to bring to future projects: craft, collaboration, and maybe just a little chaos.

Starring:
Some Random Guy as James
Naomi Uchitel as Cassie
Crew:
Director: Caleb Chin
DP: Ava Weiss
Sound: Rhythm Cannon
Edited by Payton Jenkins

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