First Shift

Official Trailer

2021

Overview

A short documentary series profiling first-generation workers entering skilled trades, told through intimate portraits of five individuals navigating their first year on the job.

New Ground Initiative approached Rolen Studio to help tell the stories of young people entering skilled trades for the first time, welders, electricians, carpenters, and mechanics finding their footing in demanding, rewarding careers. First Shift is a five-episode documentary series, each episode running 12 to 15 minutes and focusing on a single individual.