Meet Matt Banzer | Filmmaker, Photographer, & Marketer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Matt Banzer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Matt, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I’ve always been a creative person, even as a child.
I really wish there was a moment I could look back on when I saw a piece of art, movie, or song and say, “Wow, I want to do this now!” But the reality is that my artistic leaning has always been there.
Film has always been my passion. It encompasses the best of both visual and auditory arts. Film takes many forms, from a narrative story, a documentary, an experimental art piece, a music video, or something silly to put together with friends.
I love the filmmaking process, from pre-production to making the “final edit” 20 times. For me, it’s about the journey rather than the destination. Ok, that’s not entirely true, but the journey itself is still fun.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Filmmaking and Photography have always been my passion.
I’ve worked on award-winning short films/documentaries/video projects since High School.
I met many friends and collaborators in the Aggie SWAMP (Screenwriting, Acting, and Movie Production) Club in college.
Many of these friends and I ran a YouTube Channel called “Beautifully Terrible Productions.” The channel focused on skits, shorts, and other comedy-focused videos. Our most popular series was “HackerPunk,” a cyberpunk parody series about a hacker named JagWyre trying to find CyberSpace.
I consider working on Beautifully Terrible Productions my filmmaking school since we learned from experience about the principles of directing and developed our styles. However, the most important insight I gained during this time was how important collaboration is to me. A project is the most successful when many people with distinct voices put a piece of themselves into every scene. With a strong leader, a creative project with an open environment can lead to something unique and wonderful.
After college, I directed my most ambitious short film, “BagBak,” relying entirely on volunteers from Texas A&M University. At the time, I was living in The Woodlands with a full-time job, so I would constantly have to drive to College Station just to work on the 30-minute film. Some days, I would go to work in Tomball, drive up to College Station, shoot for three hours, and drive back all in one day, and then repeat the process.
“BagBak” was about a dopey college kid who loses a bag of money for a criminal organization and tries to find it before time runs out. The short won “Best Editing” at the “2022 Florida Shorts Festival” and “Best Cinematography” at the “2022 Dallas Movie Awards Festival”.
After “BagBak” was wrapped, I found it challenging to find a similar creative fulfillment. Many of my friends moved to different parts of the country or were no longer interested in filmmaking. I ended up getting laid off from my job and feeling lost.
That’s what inspired me to start Banzer Films. It was a way to express my creative side without the need to conform to one medium. I could do photography, make skits, or make little music videos. I’ve been lucky enough to shoot concerts for Small-Time and Big-Time Artists, create amazing aesthetic videos, and explore the different facets of my creative interests.
Houston is passionate about art. You just have to know where to look.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Buffalo Bayou Park is one of my favorite places downtown. It’s a hangout spot for anyone who enjoys nature in the Big City.
For venues, I hit up 1810 Ojeman. I love how the space holds various artists and doesn’t focus on one genre of music.
I also love going to The End (which hosted my music show “Houston Undercover”) and Bohemeo’s. They’re both run by fabulous people and have great setups. I feel the spirit of Houston the most when I’m at these places.
Some of my favorite eateries downtown have to be Frank’s Pizza, Ramen Tatsu-Ya, and Niko Niko’s. I am still discovering new places to eat in Houston, so if I brought a friend, I’d honestly just explore new restaurants. I only wish I could remember the names of the many taco trucks I’ve eaten at.
My favorite coffee houses are Brass Tacks, The Coffee House, and Campesino Coffee House. I usually do editing and writing work here since I like to be around people, even if I’m not talking to them.
Lastly, I love the Houston Museum of Fine Arts for the number of screenings it hosts. It’s a great way to expose yourself to different cultures.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would love to shoutout my friends and family for supporting me throughout this journey.
Most of my ambitious projects have only been possible because people have volunteered their time and talent towards the dumb stuff I want to make.
I always feel selfish asking for so much from people for free, so I try to put extra effort into every project so everyone involved has something to show on their portfolio.
I also want to thank the friends whose work has inspired me, whether it’s short films, art pieces, or music.
I am grateful to be surrounded by honest people who will tell me when something works or doesn’t. Without them, I don’t think I’d be half as confident about my work as I am.
Obviously, I’d like to thank my family for buying me my first camera and supporting my artistic endeavors from a young age. It’s helped develop me into the artist I am today.

For artistic inspiration, I want to shoutout the Wachowski Sisters for always inspiring me to push boundaries, be true to myself, and be unafraid of being emotionally complex in my work.

Website: https://www.behance.net/banzerfilms

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/banzer.films/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/banzer-films

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BanzerFilms136

Other: Banzerfilms@gmail.com

Image Credits
Credit my personal picture to Dylan Yanes