Elephant Room Productions

The Next Generation of Filmmaking

Written by Zachary Cleek and Sophie Gravitt Photos Courtesy of Adrienne Marlin

In fall of 2018, a group of students at California Baptist University were tasked with creating a short film. Although each of them had opposing ideas for the project, they endeavored to overcome their differences for the greater purpose of memorable creativity. Eventually they successfully produced the short film “Jet Pack Girl.” This group of creative individuals soon realized they were better together. This was the beginning of Elephant Room Productions.

The members of Elephant Room Productions are Jonathan Cadenhead, Nathan Rierson, Michael Duggan and Allen Fletcher. Years after their first film, in 2020, they all graduated with a bachelor’s degree in film from CBU and continued their pursuit of film making. Since their first film, they have created short films such as “In A Nutshell” and “Breakfast at Midnight.”

“We actually didn’t start out as friends. People usually assume that we were these four buddies that were like let’s make a movie. We were four people who knew each other and our friendship really grew from that” says Duggan.

Fletcher describes what it was like creating “Breakfast at Midnight.” “…we wanted to make something that was a segment of here is a real situation. It’s not absurd, it is just a section of life, and it’s simple and not narrative-based. We are just watching,” says Fletcher. He goes on to describe that the film was centered upon the creation of the characters, Ryan and Riley. “We built the context around their relationship, their world, who they were. We built the whole world around them,” says Fletcher.

Members of Elephant Room Productions discuss an upcoming shot.

“What we did in film school was like an anomaly. The second film was a big learning curve. After the third one, we all thought, ‘Wait, this actually works!’ It was definitely the first time we got to work with actors outside of CBU. We confirmed this was our intention to make this film and to be kind to these people and show the love of God to them,” Cadenhead says.

Elephant Room Productions deeply values the Christian faith. They strongly believe that a group of Christian filmmakers can produce a film with a valuable message that is not explicitly Christian. The gospel remains at the core of their organization even if it is not seen on the surface of their work.

Fletcher describes how the purpose of Elephant Room Productions is communicated in their films.

“Because we are Christians and we have these fundamental beliefs and identity of who we know ourselves to be and who we are in Christ. We are grounded, and that naturally comes through in our work. Who we are impacting along the way in the journey is more important," Fletcher says.

Each member of the group has dreams of his own, but they joined one another in filmmaking to accomplish a bigger purpose.

“We all have our own goals and purposes. However, as a collective, our purpose is more focused on who we are working with rather what we are making. We want to focus on the actor or actress we are working with, or whoever we can show the love of Christ to," Duggan says.

Elephant Room Productions still has many things they would like to accomplish. Some of their greatest dreams involve working with renowned actors in the film business. Cadenhead would love to work with Jack Black, Duggan would choose to work with Timothee Chalamet and Fletcher’s goal would be to work with Margot Robbie. Elephant Room Productions finds that these actors perfectly fit the ambiance of their vision for filmmaking.

If this production group could choose one movie studio to work with, it would be A24. A24 has produced major films such as “Uncut Gems,” “Moonlight” and “Lady Bird.” Films such as these fit the indie theme Elephant Room Productions intends to construct in their films. There is a long road ahead, but Elephant Room Productions is working hard to make their dreams become a reality.

Jonathan Cadenhead enjoys developing quality sound for production.

All members of Elephant Room Productions collaborate behind the scenes

Nathan Rierson focuses on setting a camera in the proper position for filming.

Duggan explains another source of personal inspiration that led the group to create unique films today.

“I think I can speak for Johnny and I this way: Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. Pretty much what we grew up watching as kids inspires us. All of the shows we watched when we were young are now recognized by adults, such as ‘Phineas and Ferb,’” says Duggan.

Elephant Room Productions is not currently working to produce a film, but they are still creating content. Duggan describes that their current project is “Telling our stories. If you ever wondered, ‘What have they written down in their notebooks?’ We are going to release a lot of that by telling the stories ourselves. You might not get to watch it in a full cinematic version, but you will be hearing from our own mouths about our vision.”

The members of Elephant Room Productions advise current film students to stand their ground in the industry. They explain that although selflessness goes a long way, sometimes being a filmmaker means making the tough decision to stand your ground. However, they stressed the important quality of kindness and consideration under every circumstance.

The goal of Elephant Room Productions has remained the same, and that is the ultimate purpose of God’s glory. They hope to inspire filmmakers of the next generation to pursue a career that not only encourages others and entertains people around the world, but also one that is committed to God.

Although Elephant Room Productions is not quite ready for an A24 film starring Jack Black, Timothee Chalamet and Margot Robbie, they are still devoted to creating unique films with captivating visuals and intriguing dialogue in whatever possible capacity. This rising next-generation group of filmmakers is eager to see what their dreams will look like in the future. ◆