Lancaster brothers put their DIY talent to the test in Canon video competition

LANCASTER – Two brothers who left Phoenix in January to pursue their filmmaking dreams in California are getting their shot at some exposure as finalists in a Canon-sponsored video contest.

Canon U.S.A. recently announced the names of 15 finalists in its Project Imagination: The Trailer contest, listing Lancaster residents Marc (director) and Matt Geiger (contributor) among the top movie trailer submissions.

The brothers’ video, “Stuck,” was chosen as one of the top videos that, according to the contest guidelines, turns “everyday moments into epic movie trailers to help inspire a Hollywood short film.”

“Stuck” features a guy in a very awkward position of reaching for an empty roll of toilet paper while being faced with other urgent matters. [View it here.]

According to Matt, the film’s actor, the brothers’ creative process is all about being “in the moment” when brainstorming for ideas.

“As we were coming up with ideas for our video, we realized about midway through that we were out of tissue, and we would have to run to the store,” Matt explained. “And we were laughing and saying it’s a good thing we found out ahead of time, otherwise we really would be ‘stuck.’ And that’s exactly how the idea came out.”

Marc, who directed the video, said he believes their film stands out in a unique way from the other finalists’ work.

“It definitely pushes the creativity, and we definitely see that in all of the top 15 videos,” Marc said. “But with our video, we were hoping we had something that everyone can kind of relate to.”

Matt complimented his brother on pushing the video’s creativity with DIY camera effects and editing, which created a convincing sense of anxiety and tension for the storyline.

“When I was sitting on the toilet and the camera was like pulling back – that was Marc pushing the camera on a box,” Matt said. “We had to improvise because we don’t have anything like a dolly. He just put the camera on a box and slid the camera around, and it was so funny to see him do it.”

Aside from a film class in high school, Marc said he is mostly a self-taught video maker. He credits the explosion of online video resources, like YouTube, with exposing him to the works of other filmmakers, while helping him to challenge and hone his own technical skills.

“With the popularity of video websites and social media you get to see so many people who are so creative, and the bar continues to be raised – especially for people like us, who are very competitive,” Marc said.

The Geiger brothers, both in their early 20s, came to California to get into film school. While continuing to pursue their ambition, Marc works for Sprint in Santa Clarita, troubleshooting customers’ phones, and Matt attends auditions to get work as an extra in commercials or television shows – having recently landed a “background part” on an NCIS episode, he said.

But the Canon video contest is very encouraging for the brothers, according to Matt.

“The fact that we made it in the top 15 is motivation for us,” he said. “It shows that we’re getting recognition for what we love to do.”

Viewers may vote on their favorite video through Wednesday, June 10, online at https://imagination.usa.canon.com.

Filmmaker Ron Howard and actor Josh Hutcherson will then select one winning trailer based on its “overall impression, inspiration and imagination,” according to Canon press statements. The winning trailer will inspire a short film scheduled for production this summer, starring Hutcherson and directed by independent filmmaker Kat Candler.

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About the author

Jim E. Winburn is freelance reporter covering news of public interest.

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