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It's Getting Late with Owen Reed

A documentary crew follows a struggling late-night talk show as an overwhelmed showrunner tries to unite her dysfunctional team in an effort to save the show from cancellation.

  • Marissa Pistone
    Key Cast
    "Alex Teller"
  • Jeremiah Watkins
    Key Cast
    "Owen Reed"
    Dr Phil LIVE!, Kill Tony, Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle
  • Mark Schroeder
    Key Cast
    "David Cohen"
    The Pitt
  • Alexa Blair Robertson
    Key Cast
    "Madisynn Hart"
    Terrifier 3
  • Lance Kinsey
    Key Cast
    "Walter Parker"
    Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Police Academy 1, Police Academy 2, Police Academy 3, Police Academy 4, Police Academy 5, Police Academy 6, Loaded Weapon
  • Branden Wilbarger
    Key Cast
    "Branden / BONAVEGA"
    America's Got Talent, Kesha "Boy Crazy", Stamptown
  • Hank Chen
    Key Cast
    "Daniel Lin"
    Hacks, Life-Size II
  • Tony Baker
    Key Cast
    "Himself"
    One of Them Days, Outlaw Johnny Black, A Black Lady Sketch Show
  • Willie Simon
    Key Cast
    "Himself"
    Just For Laughs: New Faces of Comedy (2025)
  • David Fenstersheib
    Executive Producer
  • Ryan Dougall
    Writer & Director
  • Bill Palmer
    Director of Photography
    America's Got Talent, American Idol, The Masked Singer
  • Project Type:
    Short, Television, Web / New Media
  • Genres:
    Comedy, Mockumentary
  • Runtime:
    43 minutes 48 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 10, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    20,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography

Ryan Dougall is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker. He studied radio and television production at the University of Central Florida, earning a minor in cinema studies, before moving to California to work in production.

An ode to the people he’s met on set, his latest project, It’s Getting Late with Owen Reed, is a docu-style comedy about an overwhelmed first-time showrunner managing the chaotic crew behind a low-budget, late-night talk show. A blend of The Office and The Larry Sanders Show, the project is an opportunity to bring the people who work behind the camera into the spotlight.

Ryan’s debut short film, Michael, Emmadri, and the Mermaid (2019), followed a young girl displaced by Hurricane Michael. Shot in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the film was selected by seven regional festivals and introduced Ryan’s character-driven style of storytelling that often explores themes of vulnerability, ambition, and rebellion.

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Director Statement

It’s Getting Late with Owen Reed is more than just a workplace comedy to me — what started as “let’s make a late-night talk show for YouTube” soon became a reflection of my own journey working behind-the-scenes in television and the creative struggles I’ve witnessed (and lived) along the way. After five years at America’s Got Talent, I had a front-row seat to the big personalities, quiet insecurities, backstage chaos, and moments of real magic that happen when a team tries to make something that connects with an audience. In fact, one of our key cast members, BONAVEGA, is a former AGT contestant I worked with when I was the show’s Contestant Manager. This project was born out of that experience.

Like Alex, our showrunner, I’ve wrestled with imposter syndrome: wondering if I’m creative enough, funny enough, or even capable of pulling off a production of this size. What I’ve learned — and what this project celebrates — is that no one has all the answers. Success comes from surrounding yourself with people smarter, funnier, and more talented than you, and creating something together that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

It’s Getting Late with Owen Reed truly reflects that spirit. Every single person who worked behind-the-scenes on this project either currently works on, or has previously worked on, America’s Got Talent. I called in every favor I could across Los Angeles to make this happen — and we pulled it off on a shoestring budget.

One of the most exciting challenges we set for ourselves was blending scripted mockumentary storytelling with an unscripted, fully improvised live taping of the talk show itself — shot in front of a small studio audience. What you see on-screen is real conversation, real reactions, and real chemistry, later woven into the fictional world of our characters. To create more value for viewers, we’ve made a standalone extended version of the talk show available on YouTube along with long-form guest interviews, stand-up sets, music performances, and more.

It's Getting Late with Owen Reed is a love letter to the creative process: the risk, the chaos, the found family, and the moments where it all somehow comes together. I hope it resonates with anyone chasing a dream, questioning their place, or trying to make something authentic and personal.