’The Last Shift’ is a Masterclass in How to Make the Leap from DIY Nonfiction to Big-Time Narrative

Richard Jenkins was nominated for an Oscar in The Shape of Water. He's acted in a hundred movies (literally). How did writer-director Andrew Cohn get an experienced actor like Jenkins in his first narrative feature? How did the first-time director approach working with Jenkins? And how the heck did he go from making docs with his friends (and putting them on credit cards) to Sony Pictures releasing his first feature, The Last Shift, in theaters nationwide? Our podcast has all of these answers and more. Cohn discusses how he made the transition from documentary to narrative, being mentored by executive producer Alexander Payne (Election, Sideways), and what it means to “shoot for the edit.” The film hit theaters September 25th.