New Web-Series "Psience" Premieres: First Impressions

Director/Writer: Leigh Silverstein.

"Psience" is a new mystery web-series that premiered April 18th online. It is an intensely character driven drama about five young adults recruited to become special “magic welding” individuals. Simply known a psientists, their training is nothing like what an apprentice would normally learn from a master of the arts.

Instead, they are on their own. They have to discover what their true potential is from within and Brett (Christina Schimmel), a fully indoctrinated psientist, will help guide them. But there is more to this teacher than a meets the eye.

The title is an apt play with two words that describes two realms of disciplinary study—psychic development and scientific investigation. With the former, the learning is all about intuition. Until everyone can telekinetically move the pinwheel, they cannot symbolically progress to the next level. For the latter, hypothesis and conclusive results are required to achieve success.

But as for how anyone can develop their magical potential, that’s one of the mysteries being explored with this series. In a scene from the first segment that’s reminiscent of how Harry Potter was forced to practice Occlumency—the art of closing one’s mind to the outside world— with Severus Snape, Sam Runlip (Chantria Tram) nearly screams, “I don’t know what to do!”

All Brett will say is to just continue practising to this first year.

This series also explores how these students tackle the frustrations of becoming a fully pledged mage. But they also have to struggle with the everyday life of living in an enclave, a Toronto neighbourhood nearly devoid of life. When they master their inner vision, they seem to be allowed to leave, like in when Sydney Benest (Chrissi Chau) finally decides to head off in episode two.

Instead of seasons, this web-series divides their episodes into issues, and that may be a cleaver play on words to explore the individual issues each character has. When they accept who they are, they can discover more recognizable forms of magic, like druidism or necromancy.

And with a strong cast of new up-and-coming performers—Chrissi Chau, Matthew Gin, Ryan Fisher, Chantria Tram, Reanna Sartoretto, and Terry Jansen—to populate this world, what some viewers will find is an Orwellian realm that Writer/Director/Producer Leigh Silverstein, a film graduate from Ryerson University (most have gone on to pursue prestigious careers), has created.

Shades of Patrick McGoohan’s "The Prisoner" can also be felt with this web series. Unlike the remake by AMC, this one stays faithful to what can be done on camera without fancy effects. This series focuses more about the alliances being forged than to wow the viewer with a fantastical set design.

And when this series reveals an uncomforting truth about how these recruits can never leave the neighbourhood simply known as "The Co-op," some viewers may want to cue The Eagle’s etheric “Hotel California” to play in the background. Instead, they should listen to what this series' soundtrack is like. Sound designer Michelle Breslin has done a remarkable job at recreating some of those bassy tones from that song to complement the autumn landscape captured by cinematographer, David Nguyen.

"Psience" will release all the individual segments comprising the five episodes of this web series issues through Blip T.V.

Silverstein promises that the story will be continued in written form starting at the end of April. These chapters will become the substance for the filming of season two, although no timetable has been set for filming at this point.

For more information visit:

Pscience TV Homepage


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