The Story
This short follows two sandwich shop employees working an overnight shift in order to finish a large catering order. Chuck is the shop owner who's been hardened by a secret and years of foodservice. His co-worker Quint is a fresh-faced, happy-go-lucky kid who's barely been working for a month. As Chuck and Quint struggle to understand each other, an accident forces them to face their fears and bridge their emotional gap.
The Shift is a narrative about overcoming fear and relinquishing control in the face of uncertainty. Chuck and Quint each approach their work and relationships with juxtaposed personalities as well as intentions. In this character study, the themes of perseverance, companionship, and masculinity are translated into the character’s dialogue as well as their respective responses to fear.
What's the Money For?
This film is a Boston University Production Course Final Film. The Shift has been completed, but we have incurred the costs of many production expenses to bring our vision to the screen. Your contributions will help mitigate equipment fees, COVID-19 costs, and transportation accommodations, among other expenditures.
The majority of expenses went towards specialty lighting we felt was crucial for creating The Shift's visual world as well as providing accommodations for our cast. In addition, we needed to include a budget for the special effects of blood and makeup we used in creating accidents from both the past and present.
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The Breakdown
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Director's Statement
The film is meant to capture the realism of the monotonous shift at a sub shop. Our compositions showcase the essence of the deli’s atmosphere and the intimate, moody nature of the setting. Chuck and Quint are divided by their contrasting personalities and must learn to reconcile their differences for the sake of safety. In order to emphasize their emotional separation that is driven by Chuck’s defenses, we place them on either side of the assembly line, Quint bound to the slicer.
When casting for The Shift, I looked to strike a balance between Chuck's reserved nature and Quint's constant need for conversation. I approached their direction by allowing the three of us to discuss the nature and motivations of their characters, but above all, allow Tom and Alex time to create a relationship that would translate on screen.
By simply working in rehearsals and talking about their personal experiences, they were able to gain a comfortability with each other that made their points of disconnect all the more compelling. We let their natural blocking impulses and delivery create rising tension of their conversation and quieter moments together. Furthermore, I want to push them to develop a relationship that has natural awkwardness, allowing them to sit in the painful or tense moments in order to convey their lack of understanding that becomes a genuine bond by the end of their shared narrative.
The Shift is intended to exhibit a slice of these individual's life. Their jobs and routines have and will continue to carry on long after this night shift has ended. Yet, they will move forward with this physical connection that bonds them to the space and each other indefinitely.
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-Katherine
Vision Statement
“The Shift” is a short slice of life film that focuses on a sandwich shop owner and his new employee. The film explores Chuck's growth as he learns to break old habits for the sake of his coworker and this narrative called to be told in an intimate, quiet manner as they work into the late hours of the night.
We approached the cinematography in a manner that would feel “invisible”. We intended to film and cut this short in a way where the performance carries the narrative without the distractions of stylized shots or editing. This mostly refers to the lack of camera movement as we are telling a slow, personal story. The slicer is a jarring and dramatic moment, but that isn’t necessarily where the story of our film is. This accident is simply that - an accident that occurs during a weekly, mundane night of work.
Our film's lighting is meant to be high contrast and heavily relies on the use of china balls to achieve a very soft but moody effect on the subjects' faces and bodies. The idea is that our characters are working after close on a huge catering order, dipping into shadow and pools of overhead light. With a neutral-colored light and consistent color palette, the performances of both Chuck and Quint will compete the visual world we have developed for the audience.
Meet the Crew
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Katherine:
Hi, my name is Katherine Gotard and I am a junior majoring in Film & Television at Boston University. With a concentration in development and directing, I am eager to pursue my career in storytelling. I am an autonomous worker and incredibly driven to provide creative solutions to tasks at hand.
James:
Hello, my name is James Cherico and I am a junior at Boston University studying film and television production. For me, working in film is a beautiful thing because of the people you work with intensively, creatively, and collaboratively in order to make an idea on the page come to life. I am hoping to become a producer in the industry or go into directing/stage managing live television.
Max:
Hi! I’m Max Tanzer and I am a Junior studying Film and TV at Boston University. I’ve been making my own short films for years and am thrilled to pursue it as a career. My main interests in film are Cinematography and Directing.
Noah:
Hi, I’m Noah Smith! I’m a senior at BU studying film & tv. For this project, I worked on production design! My main interests post-BU include screenwriting and pursuing a Master’s Degree in cinema studies.
Meet the Cast
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Tom
Tom Bair has performed in every medium for years and loves a good script and enthusiastic company. You can find more about him at IMDB, NEactor.com, Actors Access, www.tombair.com, and Casting Networks.
Alex
Hey everyone! My name is Alex. I grew up as a theatre actor, and I’ve studied film acting intensively for the past year. I love the opportunity to express myself and connect with others on a deeper level. I also love inspiring people to pursue their dreams.
COVID-19 Statement
Everyone on set is required to be fully vaccinated and vaccination cards will be checked before their arrival on set. We will also require all crew members to take a COVID-19 test 72 hours before the shoot. Face masks and hand sanitizer will be provided on set to take extra precautions against the spread. The crew will be required to always wear a mask on set, and the actors will be required to wear a mask or face shield in between takes.
