Director and screenwriter Brock Heasley chatted about writing and directing the new sci-fi thriller “‘The Shift.”
Heasley also discussed being a filmmaker in the digital age.
The movie was released on Friday, December 1, 2023 via Angel Studios. Kristoffer Polaha stars as Kevin Garner, a man who embarks on a journey across worlds and dimensions to reunite with his true love Molly, who is played by Elizabeth Tabish.
The narrative unfolds as a dystopian drama and sci-fi thriller, where a mysterious adversary, “The Benefactor” (Neal McDonough), disrupts Kevin’s reality.
The digital age
On being a filmmaker in the digital age, Heasley said, “It certainly makes things a lot easier. Not working with film canisters is a part of the digital age. Coming out of Fresno, California, where there is not a whole lot of filmmaking going on, has enabled me a chance to do that. With social media, if something is good, the word spreads very quickly, and that is what we are hoping for this weekend with this film.”
“People are able to see this movie, and have the opportunity to tell all their friends about it. Angel Studios has provided a way for people to get the word out even more with their ‘Pay It Forward’ program,” he said.
“The digital age is a huge opportunity for us storytellers to get this story out there, and in way that haven’t been done before,” he added.
Brock Heasley: Writing with the end in mind
Brock noted that when he wrote this screenplay for “The Shift,” he did so with the end in mind. “I never start writing unless I know what the end is,” he explained.
“Once I know the end, that’s where it all begins for me, for sure,” he added.
Going for several themes
Brock shared that he was going for several themes while crafting this film. “My favorite movies are the ones that have a lot of different ideas,” he said.
“Movies where you ask 10 different people what they mean, and you would get 10 totally different answers,” he explained.
“I hope ‘The Shift’ is like that for people. Also, if people decide to see it again, I hope it means something different to them the second time around. I think this movie will promote conversations like that,” he concluded.
