Jacob's Brother
Lake Charles, Louisiana | Film Feature
Comedy, Drama
Mental illness is one of the most misunderstood issues of our time, and its representation in film often falls short. Borrowing from the life of our producer, Tim Rafferty, our story offers a realistic depiction of the funny and often heartbreaking experience of learning to manage a mental illness.
Jacob's Brother
Lake Charles, Louisiana | Film Feature
Comedy, Drama
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $13,120 for pre-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
134 supporters | followers
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Mental illness is one of the most misunderstood issues of our time, and its representation in film often falls short. Borrowing from the life of our producer, Tim Rafferty, our story offers a realistic depiction of the funny and often heartbreaking experience of learning to manage a mental illness.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
JACOB’S BROTHER is a film about MIKEY, an aspiring comedian, fresh off his first hospitalization in a psych ward. Mikey struggles to maintain his new routine—eating healthy, staying out of trouble, avoiding drugs and alcohol. But Mikey also refuses to accept his diagnosis—Bipolar Type I, considered the most severe form of this illness—and soon falls back into his old, bad habits. This strains his relationship with his adopted mother, IRIS, and his younger, more successful brother JACOB.
The meltdown that led to his hospitalization also earned him a community service sentence: 100 hours at a homeless shelter. While working there, he meets JERI, the shelter coordinator and a former addict herself, and BOLO, a volunteer with schizophrenia. As Mikey’s life once again unravels, he’s forced to make a choice: accept his diagnosis and manage his mental illness or risk losing his family, career, and sanity.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
As the saying goes, not all wounds are visible. Mental illness affects us all—either personally or through someone we know. In fact, almost everyone on this production has struggled with mental illness in some form or another. And often, suffering from a mental illness renders a person invisible. Like our homeless epidemic, mental illness makes us uncomfortable, and sometimes, in our all-too-human fashion, we ignore the things that make us uncomfortable. Confronting those tendencies head-on is at the core of our purpose with this film.
Personally, I’ve battled depression since I was in my early teens. But my introduction to the story that inspired this particular film came through a creative partnership with Timothy Rafferty, star of the “Rent Tim” video series and namesake of a popular entree at KD’s Diner in Lake Charles, LA. We are both Louisiana natives who spent the first 25+ years of our life in Lake Charles. We both currently reside in Los Angeles, but Lake Charles continues to hold a special place in our hearts.
RETURNING TO OUR HOMETOWN
We plan to shoot the entirety of this film in our hometown of Lake Charles, Louisiana. Our story is about a comedian with Bipolar Disorder, and Lake Charles is a town of extremes—at once, both urban and rural, industrial and creative. It is also the setting of the true story that inspired the film. But Lake Charles isn’t just a location for the film; Southwest Louisiana is home to an abundance of talent, and we are sourcing the majority of our cast and crew from the Lake Area.
WHAT YOUR SUPPORT MEANS
By donating to our production, you are supporting a group of young, diverse filmmakers who aim to create a film that both entertains and spreads an important social and emotional message: no matter what you’re going through, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. And most importantly, you are not alone.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
LEGAL EXPENSES
Costs $2,500
Contracts, licenses, etc...
SCOUTING TRIP
Costs $3,000
Travel and other incidental expenses for a tech scout in Lake Charles.
PRE-PRO CREW
Costs $2,500
Starting very soon, we will need a budgeting/accounting department and a casting director in SWLA.
FESTIVAL SUBMISSIONS
Costs $1,000
We want our film to find as wide an audience as possible, and this is a great path to distribution.
FESTIVAL INCIDENTALS
Costs $1,500
Digital cinema packages, marketing at festivals, (some) travel...
MARKETING
Costs $2,000
Online and print ads. Plus, other promotional media.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Share this update!
About This Team
Brian Bourque | Writer, Director
Lake Charles native. Nicholl Fellowship semi-finalist, writer and director of award-winning documentary and short films, currently in his final year of the MFA Screenwriting program at CSU Northridge.
Tim Rafferty | Executive Producer
Lake Charles native. Actor, stand-up comedian, and improvisor, having trained at Playhouse West and the Upright Citizens Brigade theater. Tim has experience producing micro-budget short films in Louisiana.
Katharine White | Director of Photography
Award-winning director and cinematographer with experience in film, music video and commercial productions.
Tyler Walker | Marketing Director
Lake Charles Native. Nicholl Fellowship semi-finalist, award-winning advertising creative director, currently serving as digital director to Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards.
Nita Curtis | Production Manager
Budget Analyst for the Internal Revenue Service, producer of numerous short and feature films. She is also currently in her final year of the MFA Screenwriting program at CSU Northridge.
John Escobar | Editor, Script Supervisor
Film editor from San Gabriel, CA. John studied Cinema and Television/Radio at Pasadena City College. He is a prolific producer and editor of narrative and commercial productions.
Sydni Dunn | Public Relations Director
Lake Charles native. Media relations professional with experience in higher education, government, and nonprofit, whose work has appeared in publications like The New York Times and VICE.
Jacob Rafftery | Producer
Lake Charles native, and the eponymous "Jacob." Former accountant for State Street Bank and operations analyst for Bright Horizons currently an account executive for FareHarbor.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
JACOB’S BROTHER is a film about MIKEY, an aspiring comedian, fresh off his first hospitalization in a psych ward. Mikey struggles to maintain his new routine—eating healthy, staying out of trouble, avoiding drugs and alcohol. But Mikey also refuses to accept his diagnosis—Bipolar Type I, considered the most severe form of this illness—and soon falls back into his old, bad habits. This strains his relationship with his adopted mother, IRIS, and his younger, more successful brother JACOB.
The meltdown that led to his hospitalization also earned him a community service sentence: 100 hours at a homeless shelter. While working there, he meets JERI, the shelter coordinator and a former addict herself, and BOLO, a volunteer with schizophrenia. As Mikey’s life once again unravels, he’s forced to make a choice: accept his diagnosis and manage his mental illness or risk losing his family, career, and sanity.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
As the saying goes, not all wounds are visible. Mental illness affects us all—either personally or through someone we know. In fact, almost everyone on this production has struggled with mental illness in some form or another. And often, suffering from a mental illness renders a person invisible. Like our homeless epidemic, mental illness makes us uncomfortable, and sometimes, in our all-too-human fashion, we ignore the things that make us uncomfortable. Confronting those tendencies head-on is at the core of our purpose with this film.
Personally, I’ve battled depression since I was in my early teens. But my introduction to the story that inspired this particular film came through a creative partnership with Timothy Rafferty, star of the “Rent Tim” video series and namesake of a popular entree at KD’s Diner in Lake Charles, LA. We are both Louisiana natives who spent the first 25+ years of our life in Lake Charles. We both currently reside in Los Angeles, but Lake Charles continues to hold a special place in our hearts.
RETURNING TO OUR HOMETOWN
We plan to shoot the entirety of this film in our hometown of Lake Charles, Louisiana. Our story is about a comedian with Bipolar Disorder, and Lake Charles is a town of extremes—at once, both urban and rural, industrial and creative. It is also the setting of the true story that inspired the film. But Lake Charles isn’t just a location for the film; Southwest Louisiana is home to an abundance of talent, and we are sourcing the majority of our cast and crew from the Lake Area.
WHAT YOUR SUPPORT MEANS
By donating to our production, you are supporting a group of young, diverse filmmakers who aim to create a film that both entertains and spreads an important social and emotional message: no matter what you’re going through, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. And most importantly, you are not alone.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
LEGAL EXPENSES
Costs $2,500
Contracts, licenses, etc...
SCOUTING TRIP
Costs $3,000
Travel and other incidental expenses for a tech scout in Lake Charles.
PRE-PRO CREW
Costs $2,500
Starting very soon, we will need a budgeting/accounting department and a casting director in SWLA.
FESTIVAL SUBMISSIONS
Costs $1,000
We want our film to find as wide an audience as possible, and this is a great path to distribution.
FESTIVAL INCIDENTALS
Costs $1,500
Digital cinema packages, marketing at festivals, (some) travel...
MARKETING
Costs $2,000
Online and print ads. Plus, other promotional media.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Share this update!
About This Team
Brian Bourque | Writer, Director
Lake Charles native. Nicholl Fellowship semi-finalist, writer and director of award-winning documentary and short films, currently in his final year of the MFA Screenwriting program at CSU Northridge.
Tim Rafferty | Executive Producer
Lake Charles native. Actor, stand-up comedian, and improvisor, having trained at Playhouse West and the Upright Citizens Brigade theater. Tim has experience producing micro-budget short films in Louisiana.
Katharine White | Director of Photography
Award-winning director and cinematographer with experience in film, music video and commercial productions.
Tyler Walker | Marketing Director
Lake Charles Native. Nicholl Fellowship semi-finalist, award-winning advertising creative director, currently serving as digital director to Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards.
Nita Curtis | Production Manager
Budget Analyst for the Internal Revenue Service, producer of numerous short and feature films. She is also currently in her final year of the MFA Screenwriting program at CSU Northridge.
John Escobar | Editor, Script Supervisor
Film editor from San Gabriel, CA. John studied Cinema and Television/Radio at Pasadena City College. He is a prolific producer and editor of narrative and commercial productions.
Sydni Dunn | Public Relations Director
Lake Charles native. Media relations professional with experience in higher education, government, and nonprofit, whose work has appeared in publications like The New York Times and VICE.
Jacob Rafftery | Producer
Lake Charles native, and the eponymous "Jacob." Former accountant for State Street Bank and operations analyst for Bright Horizons currently an account executive for FareHarbor.