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Adam Fanton, a UCLA alumnus, and his twin brother Darren, a USC alumnus, speak with director Mart

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Taylor Handley, who previously guest-starred on “The O.C.”, stars in “Zerophili

Football may be at the forefront of the infamous UCLA-USC rivalry, but competition extends beyond just the field. Hollywood also owns a piece of the war, thanks to the universities’ equally prestigious film programs.

Think Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas. Rob Reiner and Ron Howard. Adam Fanton and Darren Fanton? Twin brothers Adam, a UCLA alumnus, and Darren, a USC alumnus, attended the rival schools after working together closely on graphic design projects throughout high school. Two summers ago, after going separate ways, the two were reunited for the biggest opportunity of their undergraduate careers.

“(Director) Martin Curland called me (through the USC Special Effects Club) about if I knew any alumni (to work on his film “Zerophilia”), but I said I was very interested and he took me up on my offer. He really liked my work ethic,” said Darren. “We found out that there were a lot of visual effects that we were going to need on the project. So I brought Adam and began work.”

“Zerophilia,” which opens in Los Angeles on Friday, follows Luke, a teen who has a rare genetic condition that forces him to switch genders and ultimately, his sexuality. The Fantons’ graphic skills helped to bring the gender switch to life.

Adam’s degree in Design | Media Arts from UCLA aided his work on physical effects on set as well as with the opening animated title sequence as the film’s special effects supervisor. Darren, whose studies were more concentrated in film production at USC, was named visual effects supervisor for “Zerophilia,” concentrating on green screen and postproduction effects.

“They’re very competitive and have very different personalities,” said Curland, who describes Adam as more free-spirited and pegs Darren as the business-minded brother.

However, choice of schools aside, the pair tends to stick together. “We both got into graphic design and visual effects the summer after eighth grade,” Darren said. “We worked together for snowboard designs, posters and T-shirts for local companies.”

The two even created a graphic design club together to teach graphic design to their friends and classmates and work on graphic design projects for their high school.

“We always worked together whether it was inside or outside of school,” Adam said. “It was always really competitive. If he made something really good, I would try to make something better and it would just go back and forth, but it was to our benefit.”

Though the competition was healthy, the Fantons often have conflicting visions.

“We had our areas, but we also overlapped a lot,” Darren said. “We helped each other, but we did have different ideas on how to pull off a shot.”

Although the brothers were only 20 years old when working on the film, their youth and inexperience did not phase director Curland.

“I was asking incredible things of them but they did whatever they needed to get it done,” Curland said.

Adam and Darren also left a positive impression off camera through their energy and enthusiasm, according to Curland. “(Enthusiasm) can generate a positive set and it really shows up on screen. They contributed more than they realize,” he said.

The Fanton brothers now live together in Los Angeles and have not yet collaborated on a feature film since “Zerophilia.” However, the film remains a big part of their lives.

“It was a huge learning experience for us,” Adam said. “We did have our fights, and it was difficult, but with time we were able to understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses and it ended up working fine. Whenever I work on a set I remember everything from those four weeks in Oregon.”

“I couldn’t ask for a better film to work on for my first feature film,” added Darren. “I learned more from the ‘Zerophilia’ film shoot than from all my four years of classes combined.”

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