Spooky Video Series By Filmmaker Unites New Tampa Neighborhood

NEW TAMPA, FL — It may look like a typical neighborhood in upscale New Tampa. But nothing is quite as it appears.

All 1,400 families living in the subdivision of Grand Hampton are in a government-run witness protection program. Each family has a unique story that brought them to witness protection, and none of them realize the other families in the neighborhood are in the same program.

If that isn't bizarre enough, the government agency that runs the program, called the Connected, is secretly allowing aliens from a far-off planet to experiment on the residents. Children are disappearing and the neighborhood is haunted by a spooky alien presence.

At least that's the storyline for the Youtube series, "Grand Hampton: The Movie Series," created by independent filmmaker Antony Capers, 46, who has turned this eerie science fiction series into a neighborhood affair.

Capers said the Youtube series, which now has 319 subscribers and more than 30,000 views, took on a life of its own.

"During the pandemic, I decided to update my video portfolio so I'd be ready in case COVID began affecting my ability to get work," said Capers, who describes himself as an "artisprenuer."

Originally from Queens, New York, he worked for Marvel Comics before moving to Florida with his son and starting his own video production studio, Reelistic Tales.

Capers and his son, Merric, now 14, began filming in the woods adjacent to their neighborhood. Before long, curious neighbors approached the father and son to find out what was going on.

What began as a few film clips to update Capers' portfolio morphed into a two-year project involving 96 of his neighbors.

"I had the idea for the science fiction plot 13, 14 years ago but never did anything with it," Capers said. "Then, when my neighbors began introducing themselves and expressing an interest, I dusted it off and decided to bring the story to life."

Capers admitted that, although he'd lived in the neighborhood since 2017, he only knew a handful of his neighbors.

That changed as word spread of his film project. Interested neighbors equally tired of sitting at home doing nothing during the coronavirus lockdowns, began offering their services as actors, set builders and prop designers. Children as young as 9 months old and elementary school-age to residents in their 60s have played roles in the series.

"Everybody wanted to get involved," Capers said. "I wanted to get to know my neighbors. But this has brought the community together in a way I never thought was possible."

The series is also attracting accolades outside the community of Grand Hampton.

The Tampa Theatre invited Capers to film at the historic 1926 theater as well as host the premier for the third season on the big screen at the theater Oct. 18. More than 100 of Capers' neighbors attended.

The collaboration by neighbors in Grand Hampton led by Capers also received recognition from the Tampa City Council for bringing "residents together for a creative and fun project that allows neighbors the chance to get to know one another."

Capers said the series features 12 episodes, each about 45 seconds long.

"It's not a big production," Capers said. "We're really doing it on the fly. It's just a way to bring the neighbors together for some creative fun. This is a beautiful neighborhood with wonderful people."

Capers notes that there's no chance of running out of material for the series any time soon because there's an opportunity to tell a different family's witness protection horror story in each episode.

"As long as we're having fun, we'll keep doing it," he said.

Annette Simmons-Brown, who plays one of the main characters in the series, the evil Dr. Annette who is harvesting children's lungs for alien experimentation, agrees.

"Friendships have been forged and made through this," she said.