Canon U.S.A. recently opened the Project Imagination: The Trailer contest for submissions.
For the first time ever, your life can become a movie trailer that inspires a Hollywood film. Based on the concept that anything in life can be made into a movie, and every movie starts with a trailer, Canon’s newly launched Trailer Editor tool at imagination.usa.canon.com allows users of all skill levels, even those who have never picked up a camera before, to easily turn everyday photo and video footage into a creative movie trailer, with titles, Hollywood style voice-overs and epic soundtracks.
- No Purchase or payment of any kind is necessary to enter or win this contest.
- You must be at least 13 years old and a legal resident of one of the 50 United States or D.C.
- The Trailer must not prominently (as determined by Sponsor in its discretion) depict or refer to any brand or trademark other than Canon. If a Trailer prominently (as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion) depicts or refers to any brand or trademark other than Canon, Sponsor will have the right in its sole discretion to remove or blur such brand or trademark.
- If any person or entity other than the entrant (such as, for example, any writer, assistant director, co-director or cinematographer) made any contribution to a Trailer (each a “Contributor”), the entrant must secure in writing prior to entry all necessary Clearances from all such persons or entities for the submission of the Trailer in the Contest and the use by the Sponsor Parties of the Trailer as permitted hereunder. If a Trailer submitted by a Finalist includes contributions from one or more Contributors, the Finalist may, in connection with the Finalist verification process described in Section 8, in his or her discretion identify a maximum of two (2) such individual Contributors (i.e. persons, not companies or other entities) who will be eligible to receive a Contributor Prize (as described below) if the Finalist becomes a Grand Prize winner, upon compliance with the requirements set forth in these Official Rules.
One winning trailer selected by Ron Howard and Josh Hutcherson will ultimately inspire a short film in which Hutcherson will star and produce.
Prizes
Grand Prize: One (1) Grand Prize will be offered. The Grand Prize – approximate retail value (“ARV”) is $4,700 – consists of the following.
- (a) a trip for the winner and one (1) guest to attend the premiere or other event relating to the Film (as defined in Section 10) (the “Film Event”). Each trip will consist of round trip, coach-class air transportation for the winner and the guest between the major airport nearest to the winner’s home and an airport in or near the destination; ground transportation; and a one (1) night stay at a hotel selected by Sponsor (one standard room, double occupancy; room rate and taxes only; size and type of room determined by Sponsor in its discretion). The trip to the Film Event also includes two (2) tickets (one (1) for the winner and one (1) for the guest) for admission to the Film Event. If the winner is under age 21, the winner’s guest must be a parent or legal guardian of the winner. Sponsor has the right in its discretion to require that the winner’s guest be of legal age of majority in the jurisdiction in which the guest resides, unless the winner is a parent or legal guardian of the guest.
- (b) one (1) EOS Rebel T6i EF-S 18-55 IS STM Lens Kit.
Canon EOS Rebel T6i with EF-S 18-55 IS STM Lens
Contributor Prize: Each of the prizes for Contributors is two (2) tickets (one (1) for the Contributor and one (1) for a guest of the Contributor) to attend the Film Event.
- The ARV of each Contributor Prize is $300.
The ARV of all prizes (assuming two Contributor Prizes are awarded) is $5,300.
Submissions
Submissions can be up to 60 seconds in length.
- It must be no longer than one minute (1:00) in duration, including any credits (entrants may, but are not required, to include credits).
- Any text, spoken dialogue and/or singing in the Trailer must be principally in the English language.
The submission must fall into one of six themes: Action/Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Children & Family, Sci-Fi, and Suspense/Thriller.
- Creative contributors Howard and Hutcherson will choose only one to inspire a short film starring Hutcherson.
- Each submission will be judged based on creativity demonstrated through characters and storytelling, how inspiring or imaginative the trailer is, results from a public vote, originality and overall impression.
- The final 15 trailers will be selected and announced on May 27 which is the starting date for the public to vote through June 10 (the “Public Judging Period”).
- With the help from the public voting, Ron Howard and Josh Hutcherson will then choose the best of the best.
To Enter
Visit imagination.usa.canon.com (the “Website”) and follow the on-screen entry instructions. Entrants may be given the option to log into the Website using Facebook or Twitter credentials.
- An entry will not be considered complete if the entrant’s Trailer has not completed uploading by 6:00 p.m. ET on April 29, 2015, even if the entrant initiated the upload before that time. Proof of submission does not constitute proof of entry. Normal time rates, if any, charged by the entrant’s Internet service provider will apply.
- There is a limit of six (6) entries per person and per e-mail address. However, a person who is an entrant is also permitted to be a Contributor with respect to one or more Trailers submitted by other entrants.
- Each Trailer can be entered only once.
- Multiple entrants must not submit the same Trailer.
Contest ends at 6:00 p.m. ET on April 29, 2015.
Please click here to view the timeline of the contest and winning trailer film production.
Consumers can also visit imagination.usa.canon.com to view sample trailers from each genre, a welcome video from Ron Howard and an inspirational trailer from actress and filmmaker Bryce Dallas Howard, who was the first official “graduate” of Canon’s Project Imagination franchise directing the short film “when you find me” in 2011.
- The site also offers tiered options that enable people at any level of expertise to create and submit trailers into the contest as follows.
- Use the Trailer Editor tool to auto-generate a trailer. Upload your footage, select a movie genre, and Canon’s easy-to-use editing tool will make the magic happen.
- Use the Trailer Editor tool with advanced features to create more customization. Upload and edit your footage in Canon’s more advanced editing tool where you can select a movie genre, and decide on music, titles, voice-overs and more.
- Upload a trailer that has already been independently edited. Create a movie trailer the way you want it using your own resources.
….U.S. law governs this contest….
….Each entrant retains ownership of the copyright in his or her Trailer, subject to the grants of rights contained herein. By entering the Contest, each entrant irrevocably grants to each of the Contest Entities and those each of them may designate from time to time (all of the foregoing, the “Sponsor Parties”) the right, during the Entry Period and thereafter, throughout the world, in perpetuity (a) to exhibit, display and distribute the entrant’s Trailer and the entrant’s name, likeness, voice and/or biographical information in all media and formats whether now or later known or developed, including without limitation at the Website and other websites and/or social media platforms and making the Trailer available for public viewing and comment, (b) to incorporate the entrant’s Trailer and/or the entrant’s name, likeness, voice and/or biographical information in advertising, marketing and promotional materials for the Contest, the Film Event and Sponsor, in all media and formats whether now or later known or developed and (c) to excerpt, edit, adapt, reproduce and create derivative works based on the Trailer in connection with any or all of the foregoing. In addition, each entrant also acknowledges that Sponsor intends to authorize production of a film based on one Trailer (the “Film”) and irrevocably agrees that the Sponsor Parties and such spokespersons are not obligated to, but have the right to, use and authorize others to use the Trailer or any component thereof and any ideas, themes, characters and/or settings contained therein in and in connection with the creation and dissemination of the Film. No entrant will have any right, title or interest of any kind in or to the Film or any right to any credit, approval or compensation of any kind in connection with the Film, and each entrant waives any claim of any right, title or interest of any kind in or to the Film and any claim for any credit, approval or compensation of any kind in connection with the Film….
Good Luck!
PRESS RELEASE
Josh Hutcherson To Star In A Film Inspired By One Winning Consumer-Created Trailer From Canon’s Project Imagination: The
Trailer Contest, Now Open For Submissions
Canon Launches Trailer Editor tool to Turn Everyday Footage into A Movie Trailer, With Winner Selected by Hutcherson And Two-Time Academy Award® Winner Ron Howard
NEW YORK, N.Y., February 27, 2015 – Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, announced today that Project Imagination: The Trailer is now open for submissions. For the first time ever, your life can become a movie trailer that inspires a Hollywood film. Based on the concept that anything in life can be made into a movie, and every movie starts with a trailer, Canon’s newly launched Trailer Editor tool at imagination.usa.canon.com allows users of all skill levels, even those who have never picked up a camera before, to easily turn everyday photo and video footage into a creative movie trailer, with titles, Hollywood style voice-overs and epic soundtracks. One winning trailer selected by Ron Howard and Josh Hutcherson will ultimately inspire a short film in which Hutcherson will star and produce.
“There’s something so special about creating a project that has taken root outside of Hollywood. With one winning trailer created from everyday photos and videos as the film’s inspiration, the creative possibilities are endless, and that’s the most exciting part,” said Josh Hutcherson, star of The Hunger Games franchise, who is helping Canon engage a new audience through the Project Imagination: The Trailer campaign. “I’m also looking forward to collaborating on this project with Ron Howard, as he’s inspired me throughout my career.”
Consumer submissions can be up to 60 seconds in length, and must fall into one of six themes: Action/Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Children & Family, Sci-Fi, and Suspense/Thriller. Creative contributors Howard and Hutcherson will choose only one to inspire a short film starring Hutcherson. Each submission will be judged based on creativity demonstrated through characters and storytelling, how inspiring or imaginative the trailer is, results from a public vote, originality and overall impression.
“Most people have more imagination and creativity than they’ve ever given themselves credit for,” said Howard. “And with Project Imagination: The Trailer, I encourage people to have fun with their storytelling. Don’t try to script anything — just go about your everyday life, shoot and collect. You’ll be surprised by how everyday photos and videos can turn into something truly captivating.”
Consumers can also visit imagination.usa.canon.com to view sample trailers from each genre, a welcome video from Ron Howard and an inspirational trailer from actress and filmmaker Bryce Dallas Howard, who was the first official “graduate” of Canon’s Project Imagination franchise directing the short film “when you find me” in 2011. This time around, Bryce directed “solemates,” a 60-second trailer about love, personalizing her family’s love stories by shooting this in her home, with her husband, children, and their grandfather.
Bryce Dallas Howard said, “Creativity is all around us, and some of the funniest, most beautiful, and touching moments happen when you least expect it. This year, I’m joining forces with Project Imagination to invite all of you to get creative and turn your favorite everyday moments into a 60-second trailer.”
The site also offers tiered options that enable people at any level of expertise to create and submit trailers into the contest. For those who have never picked up a camera before, to amateurs and advanced amateurs more familiar with capturing photos and videos, to more advanced filmmakers, consumers can:
- Use the Trailer Editor tool to auto-generate a trailer
- Use the Trailer Editor tool with advanced features to create more customization
- Upload a trailer that has already been independently edited
Project Imagination: The Trailer is the third iteration of Project Imagination, Canon’s ongoing initiative to empower creativity in everyone. The program marks Ron Howard’s third time partnering with Canon, a brand that aligns with his conviction that people’s everyday lives are visually and cinematically worth recording, bringing high quality and ease to photo and video capture with Canon cameras and lenses. It also marks Canon’s third time working with Francesca Silvestri and Kevin Chinoy of Freestyle Picture Company, the production company of the previous Project Imagination films.
“Project Imagination showcases how innovation in storytelling and the power of creativity can engage consumers,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, president and COO, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “To be a true creative enabler, Canon is providing the platform and editing tools for everyone, regardless of their expertise, to participate in Project Imagination: The Trailer.”
The Evolution of Project Imagination
In 2011, Ron Howard and Canon U.S.A. launched Project Imagin8ion, the first photo contest in history to inspire a Hollywood short film. Project Imagin8ion resulted in one film, “when you find me,” directed by actress Bryce Dallas Howard, inspired by eight winning photographs.
In 2012, Howard and Canon teamed up again for Project Imaginat10n, the first photo contest in history to inspire a film festival. Project Imaginat10n resulted in the production of ten films, five of which were consumer directed and five of which were directed by influential celebrities from five diverse backgrounds, Jamie Foxx (entertainer), Eva Longoria (actress), Georgina Chapman (co-founder of Marchesa; fashion), James Murphy (formerly of LCD SOUNDSYSTEM; music) and Biz Stone (co-founder of Twitter; technology). The collective project was inspired by 91 winning photographs, one from each of ten core tenets of storytelling. The 91st photo from the tenth theme, Discovery, was selected by Ron and woven into all films to create a common thread.
Grey New York, Canon’s agency partner for more than thirty years, is developing the creative and digital elements of Project Imagination: The Trailer. Grey Activation & PR is managing the partnerships with Ron Howard and Josh Hutcherson, as well as the promotional, event and public relations efforts.
About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions to the United States and to Latin America and the Caribbean (excluding Mexico) markets. With approximately $31 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranks third overall in U.S. patents granted in 2014† and is one of Fortune Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies in 2015. In 2014, Canon U.S.A. has received the PCMag.com Readers’ Choice Award for Service and Reliability in the digital camera and printer categories for the 11th consecutive year. Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest level of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. In 2014, the Canon Americas Headquarters secured LEED® Gold certification, a recognition for the design, construction, operations and maintenance of high-performance green buildings. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company’s RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss and follow us on Twitter @CanonUSA. For media inquiries, please contact pr@cusa.canon.com.
ABOUT RON HOWARD
Ronald William “Ron” Howard (born March 1, 1954) is an American actor, director and producer. He came to prominence as a child actor, playing Opie Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show for eight years, and later as the teenaged Richie Cunningham in the sitcom “Happy Days” for six years. He made film appearances such as in “American Graffiti” in 1973 and while starring in “Happy Days” he also made “The Shootist” in 1976, as well as making his directorial debut with the 1977 comedy film “Grand Theft Auto.” He left “Happy Days” in 1980 to focus on directing, and has since gone on to direct several films, including the Oscar winning “Cocoon,””Apollo 13,” “Frost/Nixon,” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Ron won the Academy Award for “A Beautiful Mind” as the Director and also producer of the film. In 2003, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts.
ABOUT JOSH HUTCHERSON
Josh Hutcherson has quickly become one of Hollywood’s most accomplished young actors. He has received many accolades including the 2012 Cinema Con award for “Breakthrough Actor,” MTV Movie Award for “Best Male Performance,” the Teen Choice Award for “Best Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy” and Logo’s New Now Next Award for the “Next Mega Star.” Josh is best known for his portrayal of Peeta Mellark in the highly successful franchise, The Hunger Games, alongside Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth. Josh reprises his role in Mockingjay Part 2 in November, 2015. In addition, Josh stars opposite Benicio Del Toro in Paradise Lost, a drama about the notorious kingpin, Pablo Escobar. In 2010, Josh co-starred alongside Annette Bening and Julianne Moore in Lisa Cholodenko’s Academy Award nominated feature film The Kids are All Right. Additional film credits include the animated film Epic, Red Dawn, a remake of the 1984 classic, Journey 2: Mysterious Island, the independent feature film Detention, in which Hutcherson also served as Executive Producer, an omnibus film entitled Seven Days in Havana, which features 7 shorts directed by 7 different directors, Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D, the first ever high definition 3-D live performance feature, Bridge To Terabithia, Zathura, Kicking and Screaming, Howl’s Moving Castle and The Polar Express. Josh won Young Artist Awards for “Leading Young Actor” for his roles in Zathura and Bridge to Terebithia. In addition to acting, Josh is extremely involved with his charity organization, Straight But Not Narrow (SBNN). SBNN is an ally organization that prepares and trains young adults on how to become allies of their LGBTQ peer. In 2012, he was honored with GLAAD’s “Vanguard Award” for his work with the LGBT community.
All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners.
† Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.
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