Mental illness is a major epidemic in our society, with millions of men and women afflicted in one way or another by it. Along with the toll it takes on those who suffer from bipolar disorder, multiple personality disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder or paranoid schizophrenia, mental illness also has a dramatic impact on the lives of families, friends and spouses who also must confront the realities of these problems for those they care for.
Now, one new sci-fi/fantasy/adventure web series has a mission – not only to entertain through an incredible story and great characters but also to make more people aware of, and understanding of, the daily struggles of people and their loved ones, whose lives have forever changed as a result of mental illness. Created by Robert L. Lopez, head of KISIO Design (a collective of New England-based writers, actors and directors that brought the series to life), the 13 episode series BENNIGHT BROTHERS follows the adventures of 3 brothers who are united both by the adversity they face on a daily basis through the devastating effects of mental illness – and through a life changing moment that will dramatically affect their destinies. The first 3 episodes are now streaming on its official Youtube and Vimeo pages.
BENNIGHT BROTHERS stars Joseph Marketos as Carter Bennight, older brother to Warner (Marcos David), and Brice Bennight (THE COLD READ’s Curtis Reid). While there’s plenty of sibling rivalry among them, the brothers share one thing in common: much of their lives have been spent isolated from the outside world primarily due to the fact that each suffers from mental illness. Carter suffers from bipolar disorder, and while he is the oldest of the trio he sometimes has a tendency to let his temper get the best of him, not to mention the fact that he often takes out his frustrations on his siblings.
Warner, the youngest, battles schizophrenia while also struggling to emerge from his brothers’ shadow and to understand his own abilities. The middle brother, Brice, struggles with OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) but is also adept in technology and in inventing new things. All too often, though, he finds himself playing the role of peacemaker during Carter and Warner’s disputes. In an instant, their lives are dramatically changed following the death of their father, who leaves behind a startling family secret – a hidden treasure that will be in the grasp of anyone who can assemble thirteen magic keys that will unlock it.
Now, the brothers must overcome their fears of the outside world and band together to collect the keys which will uncover that buried treasure – but they’ve got to do it while staying one step ahead of a mysterious man, Rey Kaylan (Adam Hohler), who may suffer from multiple personality disorder but who has a far more sinister side; one that’s hell bent on destroying the three brothers. The series also stars Anna Rizzo as Caymile F. Iman, who suffers from delusional disorder and suddenly becomes a guide of sorts (an “awaken”, or carrier of light) for the three brothers as she helps them understand the true meaning behind the mythical series of keys they hope to secure.
Rounding out the cast is Mary Tennant as Freya G. Morana, another “awaken” and a woman whose life has been afflicted not only by brief psychotic disorder, but also by two devastating tragedies that have forever changed her life – the losses of her two children in a plane crash, and then the death of her husband in a car crash that she would miraculously survive. Over the course of the season, she slowly finds herself becoming easy prey for the villainous Rey Kaylan – and struggling to fight for her survival.
The concept for BENNIGHT BROTHERS, as well as of one of the show’s key characters, was developed after Lopez witnessed an incident that not only displayed the devastating effects of mental illness but also gave him an incredible new perspective on the daily struggles faced by those who suffer from it. “…I was working at a restaurant in the city, (and) one day on the way to work I got off the bus at my stop and noticed that their was a woman who was yelling and screaming at someone around a corner. I immediately thought to myself, ‘Oh, man, someone’s going to get it’,” he recalls.
“But as I approached to my surprise there was no one there but the woman in an empty alley. My first thought was ‘she’s crazy!’. I stopped and stared at her for what seemed like an eternity. Then a question appeared in my mind, what if she wasn’t crazy, what if I was for not seeing what she could see? That day Warner was born, and for three years many more characters emerged from this world where illness did not exist but they possess special abilities because of these diseases of the mind.”
Finally, in 2012, Lopez set about to bring the story of three brothers whose disadvantages seemingly play into their favor to the web. Beginning with a casting call that resulted in 14 hopefuls who sought to portray the three main characters, Lopez eventually found the actors who would bring them to life (Marketos, David and Reid).
Then came the task of bringing each episode to the screen. For Lopez, every episode of BENNIGHT BROTHERS provided him, his cast and his crew new opportunities to learn the ropes of web series production, and to learn from the occasional mishaps that can come with being a first time filmmaker.
“I think the very first time you attempt to do something in your life that you kind of know how it works but you don’t understand fully; you tend to screw things up a lot. I can say that the mistakes we made in episode 1 were not repeated in episode 2 and the same thing goes for Episode 3. I say that the production process should be renamed to the ‘learning process’ mainly because the things you learn on one production can never fully be applied to every production with very different needs. Needless to say I have learned how to optimize our process to eliminate a lot of waste and unnecessary re-shoots,” he adds.
In addition to bringing viewers the incredible adventures of three brothers whose problems mask their own hidden powers, Lopez also hopes to add a distinctive interactive element to BENNIGHT BROTHERS. “The Bennight Brothers live in a world that mimics our own with slight variations, It is a word that intertwines Magic and technology, where everyone and everything you ever see on the screen will mean something and be connected to someone or something else in that world. The Bennight Brothers web series aims to make an interactive experience that mimics real life events. Never has a story brought you so many lives’ and experiences from different perspectives as this series aims to do.”
Yet, he also hopes to use the series to make a difference in the lives of people who suffer from mental illnesses, as well as those who love and care for them. Those struggles and the bravery of people who endure them each day provide personal inspiration for Lopez. “I’m inspired everyday by those around me both friends and family who unknown to me would develop mental illness in the years it took me to write this great series. Since then I have seen a steady increase in the number of cases worldwide. I continue to be inspired everyday by those who struggle to function and are beaten down by harsh criticisms and ridicule.”
Through BENNIGHT BROTHERS, Lopez and his team at KISIO Design have also partnered with organizations like NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) to make more people aware of mental illnesses – and how all people affected by it can cope with them even if they do not suffer themselves but know someone who does. Also, public service announcements will air at the end of future episodes of the series, which will further help viewers of the series be aware of the issues faced by those who suffer mental illness, and the resources to help those closest to them deal with those issues.
Lopez hopes to continue his missions of producing great entertainment and helping viewers become more aware of mental illness and of resources to help them understand it through crowd funding via his enrollment in the new TV series THE CROWD FUNDING TV SHOW. The BENNIGHT BROTHERS crowd funding campaign page is also available at the link below. For viewers in Buffalo, New York, the half hour show airs each Sunday at 11:30 AM Eastern on WUTV Fox 29.
The program spotlights those who seek to make a positive difference in today’s society through a wide array of projects, and viewers of the series can pitch in to each campaign through either the show’s official web site or by calling a toll free 800 number displayed throughout the TV program. Incentives for funders include gift cards at equal value (bid $5, get a $5 card, and so on) from popular brands like Subway, Sears, Starbucks and more, on up to $100 total.
Connecting with bigger issues and other related stakeholders has clearly been a boon for the production. As of this writing the series has received hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube. Not to imply that the group isn’t serious about their cause, the fact remains that connecting yourself to something greater will make you standout from the crowd.
“(We) hope to raise awareness around the issue of mental illness, (and) we hope that by bringing subjects such as schizophrenia, bi-polar, and obsessive compulsive disorders into a world that turns these diseases into unimaginable abilities, a more conscious and compassionate society may emerge in our world and eventually a way to treat these ailments without discrimination.” While it brings viewers dramatic action, adventure and sci-fi/fantasy elements, BENNIGHT BROTHERS is truly a series that does more than just entertain – it’s one that’s making a difference in the lives of all those afflicted by mental illness.
(Note: Lopez says that he’s working to add closed-captioning to the first episode of BENNIGHT BROTHERS, and will eventually add that feature to the remaining 13 shows.)
To contribute to the BENNIGHT BROTHERS’ official crowd funding campaign, visit:
https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/biOZ0/ab/61mkb2
ON THE WEB: www.BennightBrothers.com
YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/user/BennightBrothers
VIMEO: https://vimeo.com/user21286051
To learn more about the Crowd Funder TV show, visit:
http://www.crowdfundershow.com/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/BennightBrothersSeries
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/BennightBrother
No Comment