Childhood

Raised in a conservative, Christian home, Terry's parents did not own a television. Passionate about photography, he dreamed he would grow up to be a famous archaeologist who would discover the Holy Grail. At the age of six, Terry came across the book "The Unlikeliest Hero" - the story of a WWII army medic named Desmond Doss who refused to carry a gun or work on Saturdays, yet saved the lives of 75 men and won the Medal of Honor. Four years later, Terry met Desmond. That meeting would later develop into a friendship that would impact Terry both personally and professionally.

Instead, he took a detour and found himself in Hollywood supervising chase scenes, most notably for “The Terminator” and “Marked For Death.”

In-between features, he worked with Academy Award® winning cinematographers Conrad Hall and Haskell Wexler to create commercials for Honda, Blue Cross, Nissan and many others.  He produced numerous commercials for Japanese brands: Mitsubishi, Seagrams, and TDK Tapes - working with Madonna, Stevie Wonder and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Terry followed his filmmaking passion by writing/directing the film noir Painted Hero with Dwight Yoakam and Peter Fonda.  His love of imagery rekindled, he became the Director of Photography for the documentary, Where I Stand: The Hank Greenspun Story narrated by Academy Award® winner Anthony Hopkins and directed by Emmy® winner Scott Goldstein.

After working on over a dozen independent films, Benedict felt impressed to create films that inspire and promote positive messages to the global community.  He produced and directed the critically acclaimed and award-winning documentary film, The Conscientious Objector.  Of it, San Jose Mercury News film critic Glenn Lovell said: “…it profiles with singular grace and conviction the amazing life of Desmond T. Doss.”

The film garnered several dozen awards in multiple categories during a two-year run on the international festival circuit including many “audience favorite” awards, a Crystal Heart Award from the Heartland Film Festival and from Boston, a Humanitarian Award. The film played on the International Documentary Association’s InFACT Documentary tour qualifying it for Academy Award consideration.  It continues today to be broadcast internationally.

Benedict scripted the first draft of the theatrical narrative project based on the documentary and is part of the producing team of Hacksaw Ridge directed by Mel Gibson. Currently, Terry has several film projects in development including a new medical action/drama series and an international series focusing on Hope Extreme.

In his documentary work, Terry has been featured in numerous magazines for his work on the forefront of HD technology development and working hand-in-hand with manufacturers:

•       Filmed with Panasonic Varicam® engineering prototypes

•       Filmed with Canon & Fujinon HD prototype lenses

•       Developed postproduction workflow with Sunset Digital for the HD format

•       First filmmaker to shoot a feature length documentary using the Panasonic Varicam® HD format and transfer it to 35mm film

•       Forerunner integrating HD and HDSLR in creative story

Over the last few years, Terry’s spent months filming in India and Nepal focusing on social justice issues - orphans, human trafficking and women’s health issues. He created Hope In Motion; an award winning television broadcast series of shorts for the NGO Asian Aid that set a new standard of message media.

In 2010 Terry’s passion for inspiring students led him to form SHAE, a 501(c)(3) organization with a mission of “creating message media for global change,” in an effort to make a positive difference in the global community with art and media from a Creator-based perspective.

Currently, Terry is filming two documentary feature films about poverty and the sex trafficking business. Another called, The Death of Reasonable Doubt, follows the U.S. Supreme Court death-row case of Troy Davis in Savannah, Georgia.  At its core is the fundamental question of fairness and whether it is Constitutional to execute a man who could be factually innocent but convicted by a fair trial. 

An honored graduate of Pepperdine University, Terry is often found on the speaking circuit.  A member of the WGAw, he continues working as a filmmaker, mentor, husband and father. Terry endeavors to pursue his art by the words of Dr. Martin Luther King.