Benjamin Wilbanks(I)
- Producer
- Writer
- Sound Department
Benjamin Wilbanks was born in the early morning hours of May 12, 1977
in Cleburne, Texas. His parents are David Wilbanks, and Judith Comer
Wilbanks. He has one younger sister, Sarah Wilbanks. Benjamin's first
taste of theater came at age seven when he played a native in the
chorus of Cleburne's local theater company production of South Pacific.
The next few years his mother encouraged his theatrical aspirations by
enrolling him in Casa Mana's acting school in Fort Worth, Texas.
While spending a week with his grandparents in Dallas, Benjamin and his sister Sarah spent a few days as extras in the Steve Martin / Liam Neeson film Leap Of Faith. This was Benjamin's first taste of film production, which encouraged him to take film acting lessons the following summer in Dallas. In his junior year in high school, Benjamin lied about his age to make himself eligible as an extra on Walker, Texas Ranger starring Chuck Norris. More than once Benjamin skipped classes to go to the set and spent more time watching the crew than mugging for the camera.
Throughout high school Benjamin shot videos with his friends, editing them between VCRs, and showing them at Chapel at Chisholm Trail Academy in Keene, Texas.
In 1994 Benjamin auditioned for and was cast in The Promise - an epic musical drama based on the life of Jesus - produced in Glen Rose, Texas. This job with the outdoor theater company was Benjamin's first paying job. An actor. In the first rehearsal, he was terrified that he was going to be told that his casting was a mistake and that he was going to be asked to leave by the director, Mike Meece. Instead, he was chosen to play the part of Malchus, the servant whose ear is cut off by the Apostle Peter in the garden when Jesus is arrested. Benjamin played this part for two seasons in Glen Rose, and two seasons at The Promise in Branson, Missouri when The Promise opened there, as well as a weekend performance in Atlanta, Georgia, and a tour to the Kremlin State Palace theater in Moscow, Russia. In 1996 Benjamin left The Promise in Branson, and moved back to Texas to work in film and television. Again he found himself on the set of Walker, Texas Ranger as an extra. Frustrating to him, Benjamin decided it was time to make a change. He packed up his car and took off to Nashville, Tennessee to live with his uncle and aunt, Tim and Sharon Comer.
While in Nashville, Benjamin found production work fairly easily. He worked regularly with Stephen Yake Productions, and was the Assistant Art Director for the A/V Squad's production of the Bob Carlisle music video Father's Love. In 1998, Benjamin worked with producer Michael B. Seligman on the A Taste of Lexus tour in Dallas and in Washington D.C. where Seligman then moved him to his production office at the Kennedy Center.
After about a month in Washington, Benjamin left Washington and returned to Texas via Nashville. Returning to Texas, he slowly stepped out of production work and found himself working at the Kimbell Art Museum as the manager of the audio tours, and at the Sundance Square Barnes & Noble Bookstore. In April of 2002, Benjamin heard about a turnover in the staff of his old first-love, The Promise in Glen Rose, and felt that there may be an opportunity for him to offer his services and passion to the production that he'd started at. He got a job with the company as the marketing manager, a job that turned into more responsibility than he'd expected. Soon Benjamin found that he was the only full time employee of the entire theater company and unofficially filled the job of general manager, producer and operations manager.
After a stressful two and a half seasons attempting to keep the production together without his old mentor and director, Mike Meece, and facing the difficulties of keeping a tourist attraction outdoor theater open after 9/11, Benjamin felt that his time had come to get out of the outdoor theater company.
Benjamin left The Promise, and worked in television for shows such as It's A Miracle, Biker Buildoff, Rennovate My Family, Design Invasion and more. In the fall of 2004 Benjamin worked on the independent horror film Bit Parts directed by artist and filmmaker Michael McWillie. It was on that set that Benjamin formed a friendship with producer Max Steward, and actress Eryn Brooke. This also was the first major collaboration with friend and collaborator Ron Gonzalez.
After working on bit parts, Ron, Max and Benjamin decided to shoot their own digital horror film, and Benjamin presented his script, The Night Crawlers, to them. In the spring of 2005, Benjamin and Max were working together on developing the fund raising and production company to make the film when the opportunity came for Benjamin to go to Iraq with his uncle, Tim Comer.
In April of 2005, Benjamin and Tim left for the Middle East to shoot create what would eventually become the documentary A Journey To Iraq. The eleven day trip turned into a twenty-one day trip, and nothing on the journey took place according to the schedule or to Benjamin's liking. Editing the project took over a year.
While spending a week with his grandparents in Dallas, Benjamin and his sister Sarah spent a few days as extras in the Steve Martin / Liam Neeson film Leap Of Faith. This was Benjamin's first taste of film production, which encouraged him to take film acting lessons the following summer in Dallas. In his junior year in high school, Benjamin lied about his age to make himself eligible as an extra on Walker, Texas Ranger starring Chuck Norris. More than once Benjamin skipped classes to go to the set and spent more time watching the crew than mugging for the camera.
Throughout high school Benjamin shot videos with his friends, editing them between VCRs, and showing them at Chapel at Chisholm Trail Academy in Keene, Texas.
In 1994 Benjamin auditioned for and was cast in The Promise - an epic musical drama based on the life of Jesus - produced in Glen Rose, Texas. This job with the outdoor theater company was Benjamin's first paying job. An actor. In the first rehearsal, he was terrified that he was going to be told that his casting was a mistake and that he was going to be asked to leave by the director, Mike Meece. Instead, he was chosen to play the part of Malchus, the servant whose ear is cut off by the Apostle Peter in the garden when Jesus is arrested. Benjamin played this part for two seasons in Glen Rose, and two seasons at The Promise in Branson, Missouri when The Promise opened there, as well as a weekend performance in Atlanta, Georgia, and a tour to the Kremlin State Palace theater in Moscow, Russia. In 1996 Benjamin left The Promise in Branson, and moved back to Texas to work in film and television. Again he found himself on the set of Walker, Texas Ranger as an extra. Frustrating to him, Benjamin decided it was time to make a change. He packed up his car and took off to Nashville, Tennessee to live with his uncle and aunt, Tim and Sharon Comer.
While in Nashville, Benjamin found production work fairly easily. He worked regularly with Stephen Yake Productions, and was the Assistant Art Director for the A/V Squad's production of the Bob Carlisle music video Father's Love. In 1998, Benjamin worked with producer Michael B. Seligman on the A Taste of Lexus tour in Dallas and in Washington D.C. where Seligman then moved him to his production office at the Kennedy Center.
After about a month in Washington, Benjamin left Washington and returned to Texas via Nashville. Returning to Texas, he slowly stepped out of production work and found himself working at the Kimbell Art Museum as the manager of the audio tours, and at the Sundance Square Barnes & Noble Bookstore. In April of 2002, Benjamin heard about a turnover in the staff of his old first-love, The Promise in Glen Rose, and felt that there may be an opportunity for him to offer his services and passion to the production that he'd started at. He got a job with the company as the marketing manager, a job that turned into more responsibility than he'd expected. Soon Benjamin found that he was the only full time employee of the entire theater company and unofficially filled the job of general manager, producer and operations manager.
After a stressful two and a half seasons attempting to keep the production together without his old mentor and director, Mike Meece, and facing the difficulties of keeping a tourist attraction outdoor theater open after 9/11, Benjamin felt that his time had come to get out of the outdoor theater company.
Benjamin left The Promise, and worked in television for shows such as It's A Miracle, Biker Buildoff, Rennovate My Family, Design Invasion and more. In the fall of 2004 Benjamin worked on the independent horror film Bit Parts directed by artist and filmmaker Michael McWillie. It was on that set that Benjamin formed a friendship with producer Max Steward, and actress Eryn Brooke. This also was the first major collaboration with friend and collaborator Ron Gonzalez.
After working on bit parts, Ron, Max and Benjamin decided to shoot their own digital horror film, and Benjamin presented his script, The Night Crawlers, to them. In the spring of 2005, Benjamin and Max were working together on developing the fund raising and production company to make the film when the opportunity came for Benjamin to go to Iraq with his uncle, Tim Comer.
In April of 2005, Benjamin and Tim left for the Middle East to shoot create what would eventually become the documentary A Journey To Iraq. The eleven day trip turned into a twenty-one day trip, and nothing on the journey took place according to the schedule or to Benjamin's liking. Editing the project took over a year.
