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2013 marks the 100th anniversary of film production throughout the Hawaiian Islands. For a century, Hawai‘i has hosted some of the best filmmakers of all time. We are proud of the movie magic they’ve made across our archipelago...
Pictured here are the stunningly cinematic mountains, valleys, fishponds and ocean that make up the ahupua'a of Kualoa on the lush Windward side of Oahu. Photo by John Demello.
G E T
T H E
D E TA I L S
AT
H A W A I I F I L M O F F I C E . C O M 2
HAWAII FILM & VIDEO MAGAZINE ISSUE FOUR
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KING VIDOR, LOIS WEBER, VICTOR FLEMING, HAROLD LLOYD, CECIL B. DeMILLE, HOWARD HAWKS, FRED ZINNEMANN, EDWARD DMYTRYK, JOHN FORD, RAOUL WALSH, HOWARD W. KOCH, DICK POWELL, JOSHUA LOGAN, FRANKLIN J. SCHAFFNER, FRANK SINATRA, BILLY WILDER, CLINT EASTWOOD, JOHN G. AVILDSEN, JOHN GUILLERMIN, DINO DE LAURENTIIS, BLAKE EDWARDS, GREG MacGILLIVRAY, JIM FREEMAN, GORE VERBINKSI, JERRY BRUCKHEIMER, MICHAEL BAY, STEVEN SPIELBERG, GEORGE LUCAS, JOE JOHNSTON, LEE TAMAHORI, KATHRYN BIGELOW, TOM SHADYAC, IVAN REITMAN, ROB REINER, PETER SEGAL, BARRY LEVINSON, WOLFGANG PETERSEN, PHILLIP NOYCE, JEREMY LEVEN, PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON, KEVIN REYNOLDS, JOHN WOO, PETER BERG, ROLAND EMMERICH, JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY, DANNY DeVITO, BEN STILLER, LAWRENCE KASDAN, TIM BURTON, JULIE TAYMOR, BRAD SILBERLING, JOHN MILIUS, ANDREW BERGMAN, ROB MARSHALL, ANG LEE, AND ALEXANDER PAYNE
F I L M
O F F I C E S
H A W A I I A N
O F
T H E
I S L A N D S
FilmHawai‘i ISSUE THREE 2011 HAWAII FILM & VIDEO MAGAZINE
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CONTENTS
H AWAII film & video M A G A Z I N E
www.hawaiifilmandvideo.com www.hawaiifilm.com PUBLISHER
James Baker EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Tim Ryan tryan@media-inc.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Katie Sauro ksauro@media-inc.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Gerry Ebersbach, Michael Lienau, John Mason, Luis I. Reyes, Sam Small SALES MANAGER
Katie Higgins
SALES EXECUTIVES
Eric Iles, Paul Yarnold
PRODUCTION MANAGER
A still from the Big Islandshot film Bullitt and the Curse of the Blood Ring.
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8
Editor’s Letter
Production Update: Hawaii to exceed more than $200 million in 2013 production revenues
12 Gov.Abercrombie: American Jungle Misrepresents Hawaii 24 Aloha,Tracy Bennett!
26 Under The Blood-Red Sun Classic Hawaii-Set Novel Gets a Screen Adaptation
28 Production Animal Handler Moves to Oahu 32 Angel By Thursday Filmmaker Sets Sights on HIFF
34 Filming in Paradise: Oscars and Technological Film Achievements Showcase Hawaii 38 Pacific Allied: Providing prop materials to Hawaii productions 40 Production Projects Abound on Maui
42 Tips for Your Next Production
SPOTLIGHT ON THE BIG ISLAND 14 Aloha Doesn’t Have To Mean Goodbye
16 Big Island Film Commissioner Steps Down:What’s Next For Hawaii County 17 Big Island Film Festival: Now Accepting Submissions!
18 Go Big Island!
20 Bullitt on the Big Island
22 Underwater Photographer Harnesses His Passion for the Ocean
On the Cover: Actor Dann Seki (center) confronts his “grandson” Tomikazu “Tomi” Nakaji played by Kyler Shim Sakamoto during a dramatic scene in the Oahu-based live-action film adaption of Under the Blood Red Sun produced by Dana Satler Hankins. Photo by Tim Ryan 4
HAWAII FILM & VIDEO MAGAZINE ISSUE FOUR
John Rusnak DESIGNER
Dawn Carlson, Christina Poisal, Beth Harrison WEBMASTER
Jon Hines
OFFICE MANAGER/ACCOUNTING
Audra Higgins
INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER
Lois Sanborn
Media Index Publishing Group (800) 332-1736 media@media-inc.com
Display Advertising: Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Subscriptions, call (800) 332-1736 for information and rates.
Copyright © 2014 Media Index Publishing Group.All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be used for solicitation or copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. PRINTED IN THE USA.
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ISSUE THREE 2013 HAWAII FILM & VIDEO MAGAZINE
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Editor’s Letter T
hey killed a cow? With a spear? In the jungle? For a television series! Even Dog the Bounty Hunter never killed a cow or arrested one. But in the first episode of The History Channel’s American Jungle, which filmed eight episodes over three months on Hawaii Island, that’s what it looked like. “Local” hunters with dogs chased a frantic cow through a Big Island “jungle,” then speared it. Moooooo. Big Island officials are furious. Hawaii state agencies are incensed. Hawaii Film Office commissioner Donne Dawson is apoplectic. And Governor Neil Abercrombie called American Jungle “a fictional ‘reality’ production with no connection to actual hunters in Hawaii.” (For Neil, that means he’s really angry.) So how did it happen that this series was allowed to film on the Big Island, hunt at night (which is strictly prohibited under Hawaii law), kill a feral cow without a permit, and film on state land without a permit? The bigger question is, how do we stop it from happening again? So let’s wipe clean the collective foaming of the mouths, organize, then discuss civilly how to make regulations to ensure this doesn’t happen again and enforce them rigidly. Technically, American Jungle is producer Ryan Kavanaugh’s first Relativity Media production in Hawaii since he started talking about bringing “big” productions here two years ago. Long Pond Entertainment, American Jungle’s production company, is affiliated with Relativity Real LLC, which is a division of Relativity Television LLC. And yes, Long Pond Entertainment has applied for the Hawaii tax credit since the production
spent the $200,000 minimum to qualify. The production, created by Big Island producer T’Jaye Forsythe, did receive permits to film on county property, but not on state land. Private land would have been okay without permits, but not hunting at night, or killing a feral cow. Big Island film commissioner John Mason said he was not invited for an American Jungle set visit during the three months the production was on island. A visit would have been tough anyway, since film locations were not specified on the production’s county permit. And the production never asked the film office for any assistance, said Mason. “We never got specifics as to where they would be filming,” Mason told Hawaii Film & Video. “They wanted to do what they wanted to do without interference.” Draw your own conclusions. Should productions—especially reality shows—be allowed to operate for several weeks without any set visits by county or state officials? Can we agree that some regulation tightening is in order, at least for the usually free-ranging reality genre? For your consideration: • There should be a closer vetting of the permit application to see what exactly will be going on, and specific filming locations. • Reality shows should be required to have on set state conservation officers, which are essentially environmental police (DOHCARE), to observe that the filming is not in violation of any Hawaii regulation. These officers will ensure that our aina is protected. I believe that the relatively inexpensive reality shows—compared to narrative pro-
gramming—will still want to film in Hawaii and will not fret over being regularly monitored. What we don’t need to do is throw the baby out with the bath water. That means not prohibiting reality shows from filming in Hawaii. That could mean changing the Act 88/Act 89 production tax incentive program to exclude reality shows. As Maui, Kauai, and Big Island film commissioners will tell you, their production bread and butter for years has been reality productions, not the far rarer narrative features and TV. American Jungle as a reality show is an embarrassment to Hawaii in general, its hunters, and culture. But as the reality genre expands and competition within it grows, every state is under the gun to monitor and control the limits of what the productions are allowed to do. In the show’s defense, creator Forsythe said that American Jungle “is an entertainment show, (so) why should anyone be surprised at what we did? No one was surprised at The Sopranos.” He added, “The show captures hunting as it truly is.” In Hawaii, that apparently includes— according to Forsythe—turf wars “as each clan boasts its own special ties to the sacred hunting trails…while others engage in a more spiritual connection, like drinking the blood of their hunted kill.” A cow? If Hawaii laws were violated by American Jungle, let’s hope that Hawaii officials rigorously pursue prosecution, if not for Hawaii’s production industry and Hawaiian culture, then consider the cow. (See more on this story on page 12.) Tim Ryan Executive Editor
STEPHANIE G. SPANGLER stephspang@mac.com www.stephaniegspangler.com
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Production Update: Hawaii to exceed more than $200 million in 2013 production revenues BY TIM RYAN Executive Editor
H
awaii continues its popularity as a feature film, television and commercial shooting location, receiving more than $200 million in production revenues in 2013, with more money still dribbling in.
The final figure won’t be known until sometime in January 2014, but it’s not expected to exceed 2012’s nearly $244 million. As expected, Oahu was location of choice for about 90 percent of productions shooting in Hawaii, while the neighbor islands had a slow year, with the exception of reality shows The Perfect Ten filming on Kauai and American Jungle filming on Hawaii Island. Cameron Crowe’s Untitled Hawaii Project filmed entirely on Oahu for three months, beginning in late September and wrapping December 21, with more than 60 days of filming. The film will be released sometime in 2014. Originally titled Deep Tiki, the film is about a celebrated military contractor (Bradley Cooper) who returns to the site of his greatest career triumphs—Hawaii—and reconnects with a long-ago love, while unexpectedly falling for the hard-charging Air Force watchdog assigned to him. The film also stars Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams, Jay Baruchel, Bill Murray, John Krasinski, and Alec Baldwin. Ben Stiller and Reese Witherspoon were both attached to star back in 2008, but left due to scheduling conflicts. Crowe then spent four years rewriting the script, making the characters younger. Some Hawaii crewmembers on the project included Renee Confair, unit production manager; Alvin Cabrinha Jr., greens foreman; Archie Ahuna, special effects coordinator; Brian Keaulana, stunt coordinator; Torry Takuafu, “B” camera operator; and Randy Spangler, locations manager. According to sources, Untitled Hawaii Project spent “at least” $31 million in Hawaii. That does not include the salaries of stars Cooper ($5 million), Stone ($5 million), and McAdams ($4 million). CBS’s series Hawaii Five-0 continues to dominate TV production in Hawaii, shooting 8
Hawaii Five-0 filmed 23 episodes in Hawaii in 2013, translating to about $55 million in production spend.
23 episodes in 2013, including 12 for its third season and 11 for its fourth. The 23 episodes translates to about a $55-million spend in Hawaii. That doesn’t account for the salaries of Five-0’s ensemble cast. Star Alex O’Loughlin reportedly earns about $140,000 an episode, up from $100,000 in 2010. Scott Caan, in comparison, earned $80,000 an episode in 2010, though that reportedly has increased since then. Though no one is speaking on the record, several Five-0 production executives fully expect the series to return for a fifth season. The series’ move to Friday night from Monday night has boosted its ratings and the show has apparently found a home in that spot. The series posted its largest Friday viewer lift and matches highs in adults 18-49 and adults 25-54, according to Nielsen ratings for November 22. One Five-0 producer recently called the move to Friday nights “a blessing.” “It allowed us to grow, not only creatively, but also build on our loyal fan base,” the producer said. “This season we have added millions more to our live airings. That’s pretty rare for a TV show entering middle age. And I say ‘middle age’ because I truly do believe we’re going to be here for some time...” O’Loughlin is under contract for two more seasons, but made it clear earlier this year that he’s looking forward to a career after Five-0, since his intense workload with the series has kept him out of other potential projects. O’Loughlin said his McGarrett character is the
HAWAII FILM & VIDEO MAGAZINE ISSUE FOUR
longest he’s ever done one role. The actor told the AP that the show had overcome a number of hurdles, including cast troubles and injuries in the second season, but “the show has remained consistently highly rated.” As for how long he’ll stick around, O’Loughlin said, “At the moment, I can’t imagine working any longer than tomorrow… I want to do other things sooner rather than later.” In other Five-0 news, the show’s filming location, the Hawaii Film Studio at Diamond Head, will be able to move forward with some much-needed repairs thanks to the release of an additional $3.5 million in state funding. The new funding is in addition to $1.7 million released by Governor Neil Abercrombie last fiscal year to make improvements at the facility. The Hawaii Film Office is working with a local architectural firm, Group 70 International, to prioritize numerous repairs that are needed at the studio, which dates from 1975 and the original Hawaii Five-O. The funding will also be used to construct a new production and multipurpose building to support film operations. 2014 continues to look promising with the possibility of another series on Oahu and a major sci-fi film for Maui. Writer/producer Shawn Ryan is heading back to the 1950s with a new drama project that got a pilot commitment. The pilot is being co-written by Ryan and Davey Holmes, with The Fast & The Furious’ Justin Lin directing. Lin is a master at car chases and stunts, so it’s
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MTV REACHES FOR THE PERFECT TEN ON KAUAI
T
A scene from Hawaii Five-0, which is expected to return to the islands for a fifth season.
certain he can put a crazy spin on this project. The untitled project is set in 1957 in the Territory of Hawaii, which is on a path to become the 50th state in the Union two years later. Statehood and tourism are about to make a few men very rich, and when the brother of a small-time Hawaiian hustler is murdered, he resolves to wage war on the most powerful man on Oahu. Sony Pictures is producing, with Ryan, Lin and Holmes executive producing alongside Marney Hochman and Danielle Woodrow of Lin’s Perfect Storm Entertainment. Ryan produced the short-lived Hawaii-based ABC series Last Resort (six episodes) with collaborator Karl Gajdusek. No date has been announced when filming will begin. Maui, meanwhile, is in line for a production boom. Fantasy author Danica Fontaine announced in October that she would film her animated sci-fi adventure movie at Maui Film Studios in 2014. MFS owner Socrates Buenger said producers have committed to filming the first of a possible five-part movie series at the 22,000-square-foot Kahului studio, bringing “hundreds of jobs” to the Valley Isle. The budget for Ethyrea: Code of the Brethren, written and produced by Fontaine, is $160 million, 60 percent of which will be spent on Maui, Buenger said. The project by far will be the largest production ever filmed on Maui. Fontaine is conducting a worldwide search for a narrator whose voice is “sultry” and “musical.” Auditions continue until January 31, with the winner announced in late February. It will take as long as five years to complete all the films, with the first having a $105-million budget and a scheduled release date of 2015. The film is being produced by Ethyrea Films and Danica Fontaine with Reliance MediaWorks. The plot: Ethyrea is home to a race of powerful, elemental warriors known as the “Brethren.” Synonymous with truth, honor, bravery, justice, wisdom, and integrity, the Brethren are unmatched masters of Sorcery and Swordsmanship. When Ethyrea finds itself besieged by an evil Sorceress and her army of nightmares, the Royal Brethren must undertake a perilous quest through a long-forgotten realm of horrors to seek out and reunite the lost Armor of Zathyren with its one, true heir. Four of the films will be Ethyrea: Code of the Brethren, Ethyrea: Tribe of the Lost, Ethyrea: The Darkness Within (Part one) and Ethyrea: The Darkness Within (Part two). HFV 10
HAWAII FILM & VIDEO MAGAZINE ISSUE FOUR
he neighbor islands’ production activity has been mostly stagnant in 2013, although Kauai and Hawaii Island each landed reality shows that brought in a bunch of money—but also created some controversies about their activities. Kauai, which has kept quiet about the television series tentatively titled The Perfect Ten (known on-island as Untitled MTV Dating Show), took home the gold. The production, described as a “dating/game challenge show,” shot 11 half-hour episodes on the Garden Island, spending about $4 million. That by far is the most production spend on Kauai this year. Meanwhile, the far more controversial show, The History Channel’s American Jungle, spent three months filming eight episodes on Hawaii Island, spending more than $1 million. (See accompanying story on page 12.) The Perfect Ten is MTV’s vehicle to try to remove itself from the network’s “large number of scripted, reality shows” of the last several years, production sources said. It focuses on “real” people, with “real” dating issues, who are truly looking for someone with whom they are compatible, according to a news release. Those “real people” had to be between 21 and 24 years of age and be “genuinely tired of dating creepers, clingers, and tools.” The contestants chosen had to have “struggled” to find a significant other among all the social media and modern-day dating apps. These people “are fed up with how hard it is to connect, despite all of the connectivity options out there.” In casting interviews, contestants repeatedly told show executives how much easier it is with social media and dating apps to get in touch with “a whole bunch of people, but how much harder it is to connect.” The problem seems to be that there are just too many people available, a production source said. The show’s casting approach consisted mainly of searching through the Internet and Skype video calls. The primary traits producers were looking for were “big personalities, a gift for storytelling and a definable reason as to why things have not been working out,” according to production sources. Compatibility was “very important” in selecting the cast, the source said. At the beginning of each episode, contestants already have a “perfect match” configured for them. Their goal is to solve the puzzles laid out before them in order to overcome their bad dating habits and realize whom they should really be with. According to the casting call notice, the winning couple will win “a boatload of cash” for finding their right match. The series filmed for 34 days, from mid-October to late November. During this period, controversy arose when the production set up a large number of floodlights around the set – a Kalihiwai Ridge house on Kauai’s North Shore – at night, and on the following morning when a camera production team used a low-flying helicopter over the house for filming. The floodlights were an issue because filming occurred during the shearwater birds’ migration season and bright lights attract the birds, disrupting their normal flight patterns. State regulations prohibit filming at night using the mega-power floodlights during the birds’ migration. The helicopter fly-over was a rude awakening to the Kalihiwai Ridge community, which apparently had not been notified by the production about the fly-over filming. The production, which had not applied for a permit, “should have known better,” a Kauai County source said. No Kauai helicopter service would take the job because of the likelihood of complaints, so MTV hired an Oahu helicopter company instead. “To have a helicopter flying low in a neighborhood is unacceptable,” the Kauai County source said. The production hired around 50 Kauai crewmembers for the shoot, in addition to the 80 Los Angeles crewmembers it brought on location. L.A. crew stayed at the Courtyard Marriott in Waialua. Lighthearted Entertainment and Travel Light Entertainment are the production companies for The Perfect Ten. The series airs in early 2014. HFV
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Gov. Abercrombie: American Jungle Misrepresents Hawaii H awaii state government came down hard on The History Channel’s new series, American Jungle, calling the series’ depiction of hunting activities on Hawaii Island “inaccurate, offensive, and in some cases, potentially illegal.” The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) and its Division of Conservation Resource Enforcement (DOCARE) are currently conducting an investigation into whether several of DLNR’s rules and regulations may have been broken during the filming of the program. Activities such as night hunting, both on public and private land, are illegal under Hawaii Revised Statutes §183D-27 and Hawaii Administrative Rules §13123-6. The Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), which oversees DLNR’s hunting program, denied a permit request last spring for the production to film on state forestlands.
The series depicts “clans” that are fighting over access trails to territorial hunting grounds that inaccurately portray restrictive access to Hawaii’s public lands, which are held in public trust for the people. Though the filming may have occurred on private land, the maps depicted in the show clearly demark areas that are under DLNR’s jurisdiction. Comments received by DLNR staff from mainland viewers “made it clear” that the program gives a “warped interpretation of Hawaii’s hunting program.” “DLNR enforces hunting rules in the interests of public and hunter safety, established game management practices, and to provide a recreational and sustainable sporting tradition,” said DLNR chairperson William Aila. “We denied the film permit request because it failed to provide sufficient details to indicate the show’s content, and raised concerns as to possible illegal activities that might be depicted in the series.” The cultural insensitivity of the series is also a concern to DLNR. In the first episode of American Jungle, spears and dogs were used to hunt a cow. However, in an archival review of more than 60,000 historical documents, there is no evidence that native Hawaiians hunted pigs in the forest with spears, let alone cattle, said Aila. Further, cattle are not recognized as game animals in Hawaii and are illegal to hunt without a special feral cattle control permit issued by DLNR under §13-123-12. The Hawaii County Game Management Advisory Commission (GMAC) also expressed its discontent with the series. “GMAC is very disappointed in the History Channel’s new series… The show’s content does not in any way portray the views or actions of the Big Island hunters or residents,” said Willie-Joe Camara, GMAC District 1 commissioner. Inga Gibson, Hawaii director of the Humane Society of the United States, said the film industry provides guidelines for the proper care of animals during production. Concerns regarding the ethical treatment of animals and whether some of the scenes were “staged” have also been raised. Hawaii State Governor Neil Abercrombie also weighed in. “Hunting serves important historical, cultural and practical roles in Hawaii,” he said. “When guided by lawful and ethical hunting practices, hunting supports worthy conservation objectives in protection of native species and habitats against invasive and destructive elements. Portraying our local hunters as primitives demeans our people and their contributions to subsistence and wildlife conservation. “This appears to be a fictional ‘reality’ production with no connection to actual hunters in Hawaii. If we discover any laws or regulations have been broken, we will vigorously pursue legal and/or criminal charges.” HFV
“Hunting serves important historical, cultural and practical roles in Hawaii” – Governor Abercrombie
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SPOTLIGHT ON THE BIG ISLAND
Aloha Doesn’t Have to Mean Goodbye BY JOHN MASON Big Island Film Commissioner
I
will be exiting the office of Big Island film commissioner effective December 31, 2013, a month shy of seven years in office. All of the cliched descriptors of my time in office apply: It’s been a great ride, it seems like only yesterday that I began, it’s over in a flash, thanks for the great memories, etc. The film commissioner position on the Big Island is actually part of County civil service government and resides within the Department of Research and Development. It is an economic development specialist position. Transitional staff within R&D will handle film issues until a decision is made on a replacement and on the process, underway now, of a comprehensive departmental reorganization. Almost immediately upon entering the office in February 2007, the island production community was treated to the arrival of the Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull production juggernaut. It was a spectacular way to start my tenure, and this production, along with several other features including The Tempest and Predators, and high-profile television shows like the syndicated Wheel of Fortune, set in motion several years of “highest ever” production revenue. If that only could have continued.
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HAWAII FILM & VIDEO MAGAZINE ISSUE FOUR
Since those giddy first years, production levels and revenue from production on the Big Island have been more in the average range than in the chart-busting range. The role and functions of the film office are frequently not clear or are misunderstood, even by those close to the action. At the most basic level, film offices provide permits that authorize filming, and at the most refined level, film offices become close collaborators in the entire production process. This process can include identification of locations that fit creative purposes, scouting operations that clinch the deal, advancing the cause of local hiring and use of local production support services, running interference on all kinds of political and community issues, problem solving at all levels, application of advanced people skills and diplomacy, and being a kind of “go-to person” when things get tough or need serious attention. The functionality and skill sets range from the highly administrative, to the practical and hands-on, to the creative and inspirational. The Big Island has many compelling attributes as a filming location destination, and an equal number of challenges. Hawaii and Hawaii Island are well known and revered as exotic tropical locations all around the world. In my almost seven years in office, I’ve never met a production executive or filmmaker who did not want to film in the islands. So what stops them from doing so? No one fully knows or understands the complex interwoven decision-making process that leads to choosing one location over numerous alternatives. But experience has shown that there are three general factors that play a role: • There are the creative and script needs—the film needs to be set somewhere, and the script is paramount, as it drives the whole creative filmmaking process. • There are budgeting and cost factors—the creative requirements of the script are broken down into budget categories. • Then there are local incentives, infrastructure, and support services variables. More and more, this process is being driven by the accounting and budgeting departments with “bottom line” allegiance, rather than to creative factors. To be consistently competitive for high-end production, locales like the Big Island need to have strong packages that include top-tier incentives, facilities that meet industry standards, and local talent and support structures that function to limit the number of resources that have to be shipped or flown in. There are too many people to thank for their support and assistance. Whatever success or good deeds that I can lay claim to, I am deeply indebted to the legions of people on the Big Island and throughout the state for making those achievements possible. I would like to pay a special salute to the Department of Research and Development and to the larger County and Kenoi administration for their unflagging support, and to the Film Offices of the Hawaiian Islands (FOHI) and the Hawaii Film and Entertainment Board (HFEB), organizations at the state level made up of consummate and highly skilled professionals that play pivotal roles in advancing the causes of film and media production in the state. It has been an honor and privilege to serve as film commissioner. Best wishes to all for continued success, health, and happiness. HFV
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Client List • Predator • Battleship • Hawaii Five-0 • George of the Jungle • Krippendorf’s Tribe • One West Waikiki • American Savings Bank • Paniolo • Wind on Water • Tears of the Sun • North Shore • Indiana Jones • Godzilla • River
808.881.1645 Email: mwmtrucking@gmail.com
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SPOTLIGHT ON THE BIG ISLAND
Big Island Film Commissioner Steps Down: What’s Next For Hawaii County BY TIM RYAN Executive Editor
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ig Island film commissioner John Mason has stepped down after nearly seven years of service. Donne Dawson, Hawaii State film commissioner, said Mason, 70, has done “a stellar job. The industry experience he brought to the table has been invaluable for Hawaii County. While we are all sorry to see him go, I am confident that we will find someone capable of stepping into his shoes.” “The strength of the (production) industry is predicated that a film commissioner is on every island,” said Dawson, who at press time was expected to meet with Big Island Mayor Billy Kenoi. “I will convey to the mayor that a new commissioner must be a strong individual with industry experience in that role.” Laverne Omori, Hawaii Island’s director of the Department of Research and Development, which oversees the film office, said the county is considering having the new film commissioner involved in other programs in addition to film. “But we understand the importance of the film industry… there are so many changes going on, but now that the incumbent is leaving, it’s time for us to look at restructuring duties and responsibilities,” she said. Hawaii Island, as with the other neighbor island counties of Maui and Kauai, have difficulty attracting productions for a variety of reasons, prima-
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rily lack of production infrastructure, available equipment, qualified crew, shipping costs, and the general additional cost of filming on another island besides Oahu. Mayor Kenoi, who was not immediately available for comment, told Hawaii Film & Video Magazine in an earlier interview that he “fully supported” building “a significant production industry” on the island. He said he would work to have shipping freight costs for production equipment reduced and would encourage local business leaders to construct production facilities, including “some kind of studio facility.” The County is currently in serious deliberations with state investment groups and private enterprises regarding a media accelerator/incubator based on the Big Island that could jump-start production quickly and change the media landscape on the island in a dramatic and positive way. One issue with the Big Island is that it’s so large that two distinct communities divide it: the dry Kona side and the lush Hilo side, more than 100 miles apart. Both sides are popular for filming, but the last two major productions that filmed on Hawaii Island shot on the Hilo side: the latest Indiana Jones sequel with Harrison Ford, and Predators, starring Adrien Brody. Mayor Kenoi has been frustrated that several recent big feature films and television shows have chosen to film on other islands. To show support and to leverage his position, he was particularly involved about two years ago in efforts to attract the popular Oahu-based television hit, Hawaii Five-0, to the Big Island by pledging to do “anything he could” to woo the producers. A cadre of production and creative executives did location scouts on the Big Island and they very much liked what they saw, but a script still has not been written based on Big Island locations—all of this illuminating the challenges posed in the location decision-making process. Dawson agreed that Hawaii Island is “unique because it is so vast and so diverse.” She continued, “There’s a tremendous amount of opportunity there for film production, but you have to have someone on the ground that is capable of supporting productions and not just going out there to market the industry. You need (a commissioner) who is able to take care of (productions) on the ground once they’re there.” There is some concern within the Big Island production community that the effectiveness of the film office will be compromised by Mason's departure. Because the position is under the jurisdiction of the civil service, it will be months before a replacement is hired. In the meantime, there is a transitional staff member within the Department of Research and Development who will handle production needs. “We’re not Honolulu,” one production worker said. “The mayor is misguided if he thinks things can always be better with change. You can’t play the production game without the right tools.” The Big Island has limited funds to market its locations, sponsor familiarization tours, place trade advertisements, or host marketing functions at film festivals like Sundance or Film Independent’s Los Angeles Film Festival. “If the equation doesn’t change, you will get the same results,” a source said. “(The Big Island) will not move forward with no one at the helm at the film office,” said Dawson. “They need someone who is solely focused on film commission work and nothing else because it is an extremely challenging and complex job.” HFV
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SPOTLIGHT ON THE BIG ISLAND
Big Island Film Festival: Now Accepting Submissions!
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alling all filmmakers: The Big Island Film Festival at The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii is accepting film entry submissions through February 1, 2014. Acclaimed as one of MovieMaker Magazine’s coolest film festivals, the popular event series for filmmakers and film lovers takes place May 22-26, 2014. Specializing in narrative filmmaking, the “talk story film festival” includes multi-location screenings, social events and networking opportunities, celebrity receptions, screenwriting workshops and more. A closing night “Best of the Fest” features a top Hawaiian music concert and movies chosen by the audience from festival entries. Last year celebrity honorees included Vincent Kartheiser, “Pete Camp-
Audience attending opening night 2013 at the Big Island Film Festival.
bell” on the award-winning drama Mad Men, and Kate McKinnon, featured player on the legendary Saturday Night Live. Narrative short films (30 minutes or less) and feature-length (60 minutes or more) completed after January 1, 2013, will be considered. The final deadline for submissions is February 1. All films shot in Hawaii or created by filmmakers who live in Hawaii receive a 25-percent discount on entry fees (verification required). Golden Honu Awards will be presented to the Best Feature and Best Short in Family, Student, Animated, Foreign, Hawaii and Audience Choice categories at a special awards brunch to honor the filmmakers and their works on Monday, May 26. Last year’s feature winner, Chasing Shakespeare, starring Danny Glover and Graham Greene, continues to win acclaim at international film festivals, including AFI Cannes World Peace Initiative. The animated made-in-Hawaii film Strange Frame is also enjoying success on DVD and filmmakers are creatively organizing the island’s first sci-fi convention, Hawaiicon, next fall. The festival is held at The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii, which features an oceanfront setting along Hawaii Island’s Kohala Coast. “Our resort partnership has been win-win from day one, and we are extremely proud to be taking the Big Island Film Festival at The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii into its ninth year,” said film festival executive director Leo Sears. “We’ve watched filmmakers grow and mature into accomplished artists. We’ve seen technology coming within reach of more and younger filmmakers. We have mainstream celebrities, Hawaiian entertainers and chefs contacting us to offer their support and participation. We’ve reached a new level, and it gets better every year.” The Big Island Film Festival is a celebration of narrative filmmaking, with free family films under the stars, international features and shorts, stellar social events, celebrity receptions, screenwriting workshops, film awards and much more in an outstanding island setting. Anchor sponsors include: The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii, Hawaii Tourism Authority/Hawaii County Department of Research and Development CPEP, Redeeming Light International Inc., and many other generous sponsors and supporters.HFV For submission rules and an application, visit www.BigIslandFilmFestival.com. For further information, call 808-883-0394. ISSUE FOUR HAWAII FILM & VIDEO MAGAZINE
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SPOTLIGHT ON THE BIG ISLAND
Go Big Island! BY MICHAEL LIENAU Guest Columnist
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he Big Island is no longer just for the big spenders. Hawaii Island is open for business! From rugged desert terrains to lush valleys, sandy shorelines to tropical forests, Hawaii’s Big Island hosts 11 of the world’s 13 climate zones. This spectacular island has active volcanoes, snow-capped mountains and landscapes that resemble other planets. Twice the size of all the other Hawaiian islands put together and roughly the size of the state of Connecticut, the aptly nicknamed “Big Island” has it all. In addition to the extraordinary landscapes, the Big Island has some of the world’s highestrated resorts, including the Four Seasons Hualalai and the Hapuna Prince Resort. In recent years, it has become commonplace to see the private jets of movie stars and billionaires fill the Kona airport. During holiday seasons, pilots of the rich and famous literally compete for parking their multimillion-dollar aircrafts on this island—known for having some of the most consistent weather in the United States. Tentpole movies with big budgets, from Waterworld to the last installment of Indiana Jones, have been able to afford the extraordinary landscapes and resorts, as have established TV shows such as Wheel of Fortune. In the past, the Big Island has often been overlooked by smaller and mid-level productions because of lack of on-island filmmaking infrastructure. Crew, facilities and equipment have mostly been shipped in from Los Angeles and/or Honolulu, causing Big Island production budgets to struggle to be competitive. But with the recent increase of Hawaii State rebates to 25 percent for Big Island productions, along with the establishment of new production service companies, the Big Island is now open for business for a range of budgets. There are new companies and crews that have relocated to the Big Island, joining other talented industry professionals with impressive credits who live and work here and around the world. It’s a new day on the Big Island, as there are now more crew, equipment and services than ever before. And it isn’t only production that is seeing a boost. Big Island-based Global Virtual Studio (www.globalvirtualstudio.com) is taking advan18
tage of the post-production rebate of 25 percent. A team of vfx artists, editors and sound designers link with artists and facilities around the world to create original transmedia content. “We started four years ago in a small room with two people,” says GVS producer Nikki Nietz. “Today, our in-house team is up to 30 people and we are working internationally with other artists and companies in 15 different countries. We get to live and work in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Not only is the quality of life here absolutely amazing, we take full advantage of our time zone and geographic location, bridging Hollywood with Asia. We believe we have a bright future ahead.” One of the larger production service companies on island is Big Island Gigs (www.bigislandgigs.com). BIG offers on-island crew, equipment and location management. One of BIG’s founders is Kona-raised David L. Cunningham, who helped pioneer independent filmmaking in Hawaii and went on to become
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a studio director in Hollywood, directing TV and features for the major studios. “Everyone wants to film on the Big Island. It is a very special place that is safe and friendly with amazing diversity in close proximity. You want to be in the deserts of the Middle East within 40 minutes of your hotel? How about Southeast Asia jungles? Mars-like landscapes? No problem. It has been a question of affordability that has kept us from really competing,” says Cunningham. “I reached out to a few owners of some mainland-based production companies and asked if they were willing to move their families and companies to the
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The private jet area at Kona International Airport.
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Big Island. It was a leap of faith for them—a belief in a vision that if we pooled our equipment and crews together, we could help jumpstart a more competitive industry that could serve a huge range of productions.” I was one of those company owners that David reached out to. It wasn’t just the sunshine, scenery or my attraction to active volcanoes that persuaded my wife and I to relocate our studio/production company to the Big Island. As a filmmaker from the Pacific Northwest, I have a history of documentary production on volcanoes and geologic disasters. It was shots of red-hot lava I was seeking when I became trapped in the grey ash after Mount St. Helens erupted. This near-death experience led me to produce The Fire Below Us for National Geographic and over three decades of followup films.
I also have a long and special history with the Big Island. Over the years, I’ve traveled here for numerous television and documentary projects and produced a full-length music video for award-winning luau group, Island Breeze. While recently celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary in Kona, my wife and I began meeting with other professionals who had a vision for making the Big Island a location destination and we began to see the Big Island as a place for relocating our family business. Coming from the Pacific Northwest, I love the diverse climate and terrain that only the Big Island offers, not to mention that I am able to shoot any time of the year. For us as a family, this is a great environment to live and work together. We are excited to see the filmmaking potential of the Big Island realized. Aloha, come join us! HFV
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SPOTLIGHT ON THE BIG ISLAND
Bullitt on the Big Island BY TIM RYAN Executive Editor
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ullitt and the Curse of the Blood Ring is the latest action-adventure film based on the Big Island by R & R Productions, an independent production company founded by Richard Gonzalez and Rockwood. The company has dedicated itself to using local talent—cast and crew—in front of and behind the camera. In the Bullitt series of films, Bullitt is the state’s only paranormal investigator, who deals with the forces of evil that include demons, underlings of the underworld, spiritual paranormal connected with the occult, and the dead. In the latest installment, which was in production for about six months, Bullitt is summoned by his girlfriend and newly promoted police detective Holly Stewart. Her first case is a murder that left the victim with bite marks on his neck. Preventing Bullitt from openly helping his
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girlfriend is the police captain, Cecil Rogers (played by Dick Hershberger), who hates Bullitt because of his questionable investigative practices and methods. So Bullitt secretly takes on the case while leaving Holly in the dark about his findings until the bodies start stacking up. The vampire Belema Frademon (played by Rockwood) has arrived on the island to search for his “precious” blood ring that holds the power of his youthful appearance. But that’s been stolen by Crina Dragomir (Lili Alba), who has fled Romania, hoping to escape from the King of the Vampires. With the help of local resident Frank Wilson (Roger Souther) and unbeknownst to Crina, he is here searching for the ring and her. She’s slowly changing into a vampire after being bitten by one in Romania. Bullitt must track down Belema the vampire, and stop Wilson from recovering the ring and killing everyone who gets in his way. Gonzalez, who moved to the Big Island 30
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On the set - Cargo Warehouse with Det. Holly Stewart. (l to r) Cameraman Anthony Ramirez, actress Jill Randall and cameraman Scott Ordway.
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years ago and has worked for Hawaii Gas for 29, and Rockwood, a tattoo artist with his own company, are writing, starring, directing and funding the latest Bullitt episode, which cost them less than $3,000. “These productions take months to write, produce and direct, and take the talent and time of several Big Island actors,” said Gonzalez. “The shooting schedule can be erratic depending on actors’ availability.” Many of the actors work in restaurants, which lessens their availability to do night shots. Two actors live in Hilo on the opposite side of the island from where the film is being shot, and two actors are in Puna near the southeast tip of the Big Island. “We have to accommodate their schedules,” said Rockwood. The first Bullitt debuted in 1999 as a 20minute short, but has now blossomed over the years into full-length features shown in Big Island theaters and on public access television. Gonzalez utilized the Hawaii Actors Network online to look for local artists in Kona “willing to work on projects to improve their skills and have an outlet for their work,” he said. One of those who responded was Rockwood, who also operates his own production company, Beckwood Films. Rockwood and
Gonzalez soon discovered they had a common interest in making films on the Big Island. Through their collaboration, the pair has completed one feature project under Gonzalez’s GIFilms and one short feature under Beckwood Films that was accepted for the 2013 Big Island Film Festival last May. Gonzalez and Rockwood’s collaborative styles are quite different but effective since they completed their first full-length feature together and “we haven’t killed each other,” said Gonzalez. “My style is more of creating an atmosphere conducive to the reality of what can be shot easily and edited, while Rockwood reaches for the Hollywood mainstream… If (Hollywood) can do it, so can we...” he said. The Bullitt movies provide a working set for learning new techniques and skills needed to improve R & R’s production value, and for bringing movies from concept to screen in Hawaii. It’s guerilla filmmaking at its most basic. “We’re not bound by restrictions or limits of any kind, except the money in our wallets,” said Gonzalez. While Gonzalez’s expertise is in writing feature scripts, Rockwood seems to prefer short scripts. “The payoff is quicker on a short,” he said.
Going over the script with the directors. (l to r) Actor Dick Hershberger, director/producer/actor Richard Gonzalez and director/producer/actor Rockwood.
“You’re able to get in, shoot, and get out, edit and release in a relatively short time with limited commitment time for actors.” The pair has created a product that Big Island audiences enjoy and have come to expect from a Bullitt movie. “We are always looking for talented people from the community who have an interest in making movies to join us and be a part of this new idea of bringing locally made films made right here to our local theater,” said Gonzalez. “All that’s needed is the desire to create, actors who are motivated to commit to the project, and have the drive to see it through. Money helps, but it’s not always the main ingredient.” HFV
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SPOTLIGHT ON THE BIG ISLAND
Underwater Photographer Harnesses His Passion for the Ocean BY TIM RYAN Executive Editor
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ig Island-based underwater photographer Bryce Groark is an anomaly. He’s known internationally for his work, not only for his superb eye in capturing the essence of the world’s oceans and the creatures that inhabit it, but for his self-described obsession with saving it from further degradation. For instance, his work has helped stop sharkfinning sales by some Hawaii fishermen. Yet Groark receives little work in his home base. Some 85 percent of his work comes from New York and Los Angeles outlets and “virtually none” from the feature film arena, he says. Groark has filmed in more than 30 countries in the last 3 years alone, and spends about 35 weeks annually “on the road,” including in Egypt, Tahiti, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, Raratonga, Japan, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Indonesia, the Galapagos, Costa Rica, Mexico, St. Lucia and the Bahamas. His clients have included A&E Television, Travel Channel, PBS, Telemundo, Sony Ericsson, PEW Charitable Trusts, Starwood Resorts, EA Sports, The Art Institute of America, Kona Blue Water Farms, Pacific American Foundation, National Geographic, ESPN, Red Bull, Travel Channel, and Four Seasons Resorts. Groark and his wife, Jen, started Living Ocean Productions in Kona in 2004 with the goal of bridging the gap between the scientific community and the general public through underwater imagery. Groark’s award-winning work has been featured in magazines, newspapers, numerous domestic and international television networks, as well as a myriad of international film festivals, aquariums and museums around the world. He’s spent more than 5,000 hours underwater over the past 13 years. “Sharks and whales are my passion,” says Groark. In fact, some of his shark footage is currently on display at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, as well as in multiple anti-shark finning television campaigns across Europe and China. In 2007, Groark’s shark footage was part of a Congressional Lobby Video produced by WildAid with a push to help implement shark legislation within the U.S.
In 2010, Groark assisted in helping Hawaii become the safest place in the world for sharks with the passing of Senate Bill 2169, which prohibits the possession, sale or trade of any shark fin products in the state of Hawaii. He is also the managing director for Ocean Preservation Alliance and sits on the International Board of Directors for WildAid. “You can’t change the world overnight, but by getting influential people involved, you can do a lot,” he says. Remarkably, the former New York stockbroker has no formal photography training and is completely self-taught. “I have a degree in finance,” says Groark, laughing. “I loved scuba diving and always dreamed about how I could make scuba diving a major part of my life.” He quit his job at age 25, then moved to Kauai, where he became a scuba instructor. The scuba company’s owner taught Groark to shoot video of the clients underwater. “I had never taken a picture in my life, but I fell in love with what I was doing, though I hated having to take tourists with me,” he says. “I just decided to start my own business, and 10 years later, it’s working.” As more people saw his early work, he got inquiries for more underwater assignments. “They would call and ask if I could do the job and I would always say yes,” says Groark. “I would make myself learn how to do it. And if the client asked if I owned a certain kind of camera, I would say yes when I didn’t, but go out and buy it.” If Groark has any professional shortcomings, he would tell you it’s self-promotion. “I don’t make much effort to get the word out of who I am and what we do,” he says. “It’s kind of a miracle we’re in business, but I got lucky and nailed it.” Living Ocean Productions doesn’t do any social media advertising, including on Facebook or Twitter. “Underwater (photography) is so super-niche, so there aren’t a lot of people doing what I do,” says Groark. “Our business comes from 100-percent word-of-mouth.” He adds, “I’ve put myself in a bit of a bind because I don’t take jobs just for the money, but for something that has a real purpose that will raise awareness to show how awesome the ocean is.” He’s currently working on three feature films, including Fisher Stevens’ new film about the legendary Dr. Sylvia Earle. Another one deals with finding a solution to the whaling stalemate in the world, and the third is a large-format IMAX film on sperm whales and photographer Bryant Austin. Groark wants to “tap the feature film world, but I’ve never tried, and frankly I don’t know how.” He has never contacted any feature film or television productions planning to film in Hawaii, or even unions, to find out how to break in. Groark explains, “I’m cursed with wanting to help the ocean.” HFV For more information, contact 808-345-4538, or visit www.brycegroark.com, www.livingoceanproductions.com, and www.oceanpreservation.org.
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Aloha, Tracy Bennett! MEET MAUI’S NEW FILM COMMISSIONER BY TIM RYAN Executive Editor
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f newly appointed Maui film commissioner Tracy Bennett can keep his composure kicking field goals and kickoffs while dodging National Football League behemoths, he should have no problem avoiding some of the politics that have plagued the Maui Film Office in recent months. Bennett, of Kihei, is not only a former NFL player, but he is also a 17-year veteran of the film industry, having worked as a unit still photographer on dozens of major motion pictures with budgets ranging from $2.5 to $150 million. Films include Adam Sandler’s 50 First Dates and Just Go With It, Grown Ups and Grown Ups 2, Barbershop and Barbershop 2, Ben Stiller’s Meet the Fockers and Dodgeball, Armageddon, Remember the Titans, Legally Blonde, Get Smart, Along Came Polly, Friday, Next Friday and Friday After Next. Said Bennett, “My feature film experience and the personal relationships I have with hundreds of film and studio executives, directors and actors, including Adam Sandler, Ice Cube, Ben Stiller and Robert DeNiro, should help me bring more film industry work to Maui County.” Bennett fills the vacancy left by the sudden departure of former Maui County film commissioner, Harry Donenfeld, earlier this year. “Maui is in a great position because of our new 25-percent tax incentive, brand new film studio and soundstage (at the privately owned Maui Film Studios), and the many (locations) that we offer both film and television,” said Bennett. “I’m extremely motivated and excited to bring my experience, contacts and relationships to help expand a booming industry here.” Bennett concedes, “Like many other government film offices… our resources are limited.” But one of his focuses is to bring Maui County industry leaders together to collaborate and move the film industry forward. “We need to pool our resources and use every available avenue to promote Maui’s film assets,” he said. Bennett was selected by Mayor Alan Arakawa after a vetting process by the mayor-appointed Film Commissioner Search Committee. “Tracy Bennett has the credentials to move this industry forward,” said Arakawa. The Maui film commissioner works with film, television, new media and industrial media production companies with two related but distinct aspects of the job. The first is to be the “boots on the ground” liaison for film and television projects that come to Maui County, helping to guide productions through permitting, cultural considerations, logistics of filming in Maui County, as well as connecting them with resources needed. The second aspect is promoting Maui County’s assets for film projects, which include soundstages, locations, film services and talent, for the purpose of providing long-term economic development opportunities. HFV
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UNDER THE BLOOD-RED SUN CLASSIC HAWAII-SET NOVEL GETS A SCREEN ADAPTATION
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or filmmaker Dana Hankins, Under the Blood-Red Sun is a story “that had to be told.” And after three attempts to get the movie made since she optioned the book in 1995, Hankins, well known for her sticktoitiveness, finally raised enough money to do 15 days of filming in November, with 99 percent of the actors and crew from Hawaii. “We had an amazing first day of filming with moving, thoughtful performances from our cast, supported by our terrific crew,” said Hankins, who started the filming with a special blessing at Hawaii’s Plantation Village. Additional filming will be done in January, she said. Under the Blood-Red Sun is based on the popular young-adult novel set in Hawaii during World War II. Written by former Big Island resident Graham “Sandy” Salisbury, the book is required reading in many middle-school classes nationwide, with more than three million students reading it. Producer Hankins and author Salisbury searched for eight months before they found what they wanted in a pair of acting newcomers: Kyler Sakamoto and Kalama Epstein, who play central characters “Tomi” and “Billy,” respectively The two characters are central to the story’s theme of friendship under fire. They’re best buddies whose lives are changed by the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. When Tomi’s father and grandfather are sent to an internment camp, the boy worries that his pal Billy will stop being his friend. “If we hadn’t found one or both of these boys, we would have postponed the film,” said Hankins. “Those performances are crucial to what makes the story; what makes the film.” Thirteen-year-old Sakamoto, a Punahou eighth grader, has local stage experience, as does his dad, Circuit Court Judge Karl Sakamoto, who appears in Les Miserables at Paliku Theatre. Hankins described Kyler Sakamoto “as something of an old soul.” Epstein, also 13, has appeared in several Hawaii TV shows, including Hawaii Five-0. He recently moved to Los Angeles with his mom to further his acting career. More than 50 boys auditioned for these central roles, with 14 of the 15 parts cast in Hawaii. The only exception is actor Chris
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Tashima, who won an Oscar in 1997 for the short film he directed, co-wrote and starred in, Visas and Virtue. He plays Papa Taro Nakaji. Led by director Tim Savage, the rest of the Blood-Red Sun cast includes: Autumn Ogawa as Mama Nakaji; Dann Seki as Grampa (Ojii-chan); Wil Kahele as Charlie Bryce; Lee Moore as Keet Wilson; Benen Weir as Jake Davis; Shiro Kawai as Sanji the fisherman; Ming Kay Miyamoto as Reiko, Sanji’s wife; Mina Kohara as Kimi Nakaji; and Aidan James and Marco Lopez as Mose and Rico. Hankins, who hopes to have Blood-Red Sun ready by July 1, doesn’t think the film would attract much attention in a film festival venue. “Under the Blood-Red Sun isn’t edgy, violent, sexy or contemporary,” she said. “Maybe it would be good at a young adult film festival somewhere in the heartland.” The film will not be available for theatrical release, and will instead be distributed through Internet video on demand. Within nine months of being released, Hankins and company want the film to be available to kids watching it on their entertainment devices. “We really think that’s the way to go now,” she said. The story deeply touched Hankins, and she knew it needed to be told, but it took her three attempts over the last few years to raise enough money to shoot the film. “We have fiscal sponsors—mostly companies, corporations, friends and relatives,” she said. “There are a couple of investors who have asked to come on board for a larger amount than our general donations.” Hankins also received the endorsement of the 100th Battalion veterans club after getting an earlier endorsement from the late United States Senator Daniel Inouye. The primarily Nisei battalion was composed largely of former members of the Hawaii Army National Guard. “The Japanese community and veterans being so very humble, I strongly feel this story needed to be told by someone from outside the community and share the values,” said Hankins. “It most likely wasn’t going to be someone from within that community to stick their neck out there.”
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Director Tim Savage.
Actor Dann Seki confronts his “grandson” played by Kyler Sakamoto.
Actor Kalama Epstein in a scene with the film’s star, Chris Tashima.
Hankins’ previous credits include The Tempest, Picture Bride, Bird on a Wire, Blue Thunder and the indie film Chief.HFV
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Production Animal Handler Moves to Oahu BY TIM RYAN Executive Editor
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he next time you get frustrated with your dog for not responding to the “stay” command or when the cat fails to trot over to you when you’re luring it with a bowl of Tuna Delight, count yourself lucky that you don’t have actors and dozens of production crew waiting to film. In addition to working with cats and dogs on set, veteran production animal trainer Sue Chipperton has been bitten by “a grouchy sea lion,” and rammed by a horned male sheep “right in the butt.” “I was facing the other way and something startled the ram and before I knew it, I was literally flying over the ground until I slammed into the side of a barn,” she said. The United Kingdom native has been working with animals since 1994, first at Ocean World in Florida as a marine mammal trainer—where she received that sea lion bite that required 30 stitches. Three years later, Chipperton moved to California after learning that training animals for production work was “actually a profession.” “It never crossed my mind; I was so thrilled,” she said, adding, “I’ve always been an animal lover.” As a child, Chipperton took frequent trips throughout Europe with her family. “I learned about the world from my parents and two sisters,” she said. “One sister was a dancer who worked in Europe and Asia; the other worked in the photographic publicity department of the BBC for close to 28 years. I developed a passion for being on set after many visits with my sister at the BBC, and decided at the ripe old age of 10 that I wanted to become a script supervisor.” Hired at Studio Animal Services in Southern California, Chipperton trained a variety of mammals and reptiles for television, feature films and commercials, including squirrels, primates, deer, pigs, horses, lizards, snakes, and the Taco Bell Chihuahua, Gidget. Just days after arriving in L.A., she was hired as the third trainer on a Pepsi commercial that starred Michael Richards of Seinfeld. Her first feature film was The Fan, starring Robert DeNiro and Wesley Snipes. On that film she trained the Rottweiler owned by Snipes’ character.
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Animal handler Sue Chipperton (far left in top photo) in action on set.
Nearly two decades later, her filmography might make most actors envious: Godzilla, Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar and Gran Torino, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, both Legally Blonde movies, and Six Days Seven Nights, among others. See sidebar on page 30 for the rest of her filmography. Now Chipperton is setting up shop on Oahu, where she is the only production animal “handler” in the state. She may make the occasional trip to Los Angeles, depending on Hawaii’s production schedule, where she is still affiliated with Studio Animal Services. “I absolutely love Hawaii,” said Chipperton. On Godzilla, she trained pigs and a rooster to walk on a beach, a dog to run from a tidal wave on Waikiki Beach, and a Jackson chameleon to move back and forth on a
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branch in the jungle. The pigs were trained to walk on a leash, and had to be comfortable getting in and out of a trailer and hanging around large groups of people. “Pigs are magnificent because they are super intelligent and food-driven,” she said. “If all I had to do for the rest of my life was train pigs, I would be so happy.” During a Hawaii visit in the fall, Chipperton met with several local dog owners interested in getting their pets to do production work. Chipperton said she prefers dogs that have that “rambunctious, outgoing and obnoxious dog quality.” “To me that means with training they’re not going to worry about noise, or worry about what’s going on around them,” she said. “When I go into a shelter situation where it’s always chaotic and there’s lots of noise going on, I look for a dog who isn’t bothered by that.” A major difference for animal trainers working outside of L.A. is finding trainable animals. “In Los Angeles, we work every day and most of the animals we use,” she said. “On locations you can’t own the animals there because there isn’t enough work to keep them. The ones we use are usually someone’s pets.” Chipperton hopes Hawaii dog owners interested in production work are able to
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train their dogs “the basics.” “That means learning how to hit a mark, stay in a situation where a lot of stuff is going on, bark on cue from a distance with either a hand signal or voice command,” she said. Chipperton makes one requirement clear to pet owners. “If they have stars in their eyes that they’re going to be hanging out on set, that’s not happening and not what I want,” she said. “I don’t want to take the owner with me because I want to train their dog.” Treats are often used as a reward when the animal executes the command. She also uses a clicker to let the animal know it has done something right, which is followed by a reward. The most difficult mammal “talent” is what Chipperton calls “flight animals,” like deer or sheep. “Something startles them and they can be off and running,” she said. And the one creature Chipperton will not work with “under any condition” are spiders. “Lions, tigers, elephants, snakes—yes,” she said. “Spiders? No way!” HFV
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Filmography 2014 Godzilla (head animal trainer/coordinator) 2012 Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (dog trainer) 2011 J. Edgar (dog trainer) 2009 Gran Torino (animal wrangler) 2008 Beverly Hills Chihuahua (dog trainer) 2008 Hancock (animal trainer) 2005 Memoirs of a Geisha (animal trainer)
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2004 Sideways (animal trainer) 2003 Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (head trainer) 2002 Legally Blonde (animal trainer) 1998 Enemy of the State (animal trainer) 1998 Six Days Seven Nights (animal trainer) 1997 Lolita (animal trainer) 1997 Face/Off (bird trainer) 1996 Space Jam (animal trainer) 1996 The Fan (animal trainer) 1995 Crimson Tide (animal trainer)
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Angel By Thursday Filmmaker Sets Sights on HIFF
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ext stop for the Oahu-made independent film Angel By Thursday could be the Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) in October. When Hawaii Film & Video Magazine last spoke with Jeff Wallace, the film’s producer, director and writer, the all-volunteer production was a little more than half way through filming and editing of the drama. By the time you read this story about the dedication, focus, and the filmmakers’ love of simply telling “a good story,” Angel By Thursday will have wrapped shooting in early January. Now comes the arduous task of post-production editing. “It feels so good to be so close,” said Wallace, a veteran Hawaii firefighter in Kahuku. “Now we’re trying really hard to make the entry deadline and hopefully make it into the festival in October. We really want to have the Hawaii festival for our premiere screening.” HIFF’s final deadline for feature films is June 6. The film was shot over 36 weekends—just weekends because the crew and actors had weekday jobs to attend to. With such limited time availability, the Tight Spot production also had to shut down some weekend days, for instance, when a cast or crewmember’s family commitment coincided with filming. “All we can do is reschedule,” said Wallace. Some filming still needs to be done at Waimea Bay when the surf is down and the water is placid, a rare occurrence during fall and winter. A scheduled summer shoot there was ruined by heavy rain. The shot will likely be done in April. The Angel by Thursday crew includes Wallace’s daughter, Laura, who is a still photographer, and his wife, Claudia, who is also a producer, production designer, and creative director. “It’s true about working with anyone, but when family is involved, mutual respect for one another is primary,” said Wallace. “I certainly welcome everyone’s ideas, but as the manager here, I have to make my own decisions. It’s a collaborative effort and not some egotistical power trip.” The production completed a crucial beach drowning scene in November that included a mom and dad and their two boys running into the rough surf in Kahuku. The beach was supposed to be Waimea Bay, but the surf was too large. “The day of filming at Kahuku went terrif-
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Crew films the rescue of two drowning boys near Kahuku, Oahu, for Angel By Thursday. Photo Credit: Laura Metzger
Lights, camera, action at a North Shore beach. Photo Credit: Laura Metzger
ically,” said Wallace. “Weather was so good we filmed until dark.” Popular Hawaii actor Jimmy Borges makes an appearance in the scene. Wallace has no plans to end his filmmaking career after Angel By Thursday. “My New Year’s resolution is to keep trying to be creative, tell stories that revolve
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around Hawaii, and keep as many people as possible excited about these projects,” he said. “And it would be nice at some point to be able to pay people.” Angel By Thursday stars Ken Matepi, Olga Kalashnikova, and Russell Subiono. Additional producers are Barbara Logan and Arlene Newman-Van Asperen. HFV
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Filming in Paradise: Oscars and Technological Film Achievements Showcase Hawaii By Luis I. Reyes Guest Columnist
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awaii’s long and fruitful association with the Oscars has been at the forefront of technological innovations created by the Hollywood film industry. Many of Hollywood’s Oscar-winning filmmakers of the past (including Cecil B. DeMille, John Ford and Fred Zinnemann), and in the present-day (Steven Spielberg, Kevin Costner, Clint Eastwood and Alexander Payne), have all offered their own unique cinematic vision of paradise. In addition, Bing Crosby, Jose Ferrer, Henry Fonda, Deborah Kerr, Frank Sinatra, George C. Scott, John Wayne, Gene Hackman, Tom Hanks, Morgan Freeman, Ben Affleck, George Clooney and Jennifer Lawrence are just some of the Oscar-winning actors who have worked on films made in the Hawaiian Islands. At the Oscars ceremony 60 years ago this March, From Here to Eternity (1953), the epic tale of pre-World War II enlisted men, their women and the grim destiny that overtakes them in the days leading to Pearl Harbor, became the most honored film made in Hawaii, winning eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. From Here To Eternity is best remembered today as one of the first post-1945 films to shoot on location in Hawaii, containing one of the most romantic scenes ever put on celluloid at Eternity Beach, and for its pivotal role in the legendary career of Frank Sinatra. The award-winning 2011 film adaptation of Kaui Hart Hemmings’ novel The Descendants became one of the most celebrated motion pictures with a Hawaiian theme in recent memory. The Descendants was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor, and won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay that was shared with co-screenwriter and director Alexander Payne. The first sound film made on location in Hawaii was Fox’s The Black Camel in 1931, a Charlie Chan mystery based on Honolulu’s real life detective Chang Apana. The movie was shot primarily in and around the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in 1931. The Hawaiian Islands were first showcased in Technicolor in 1950 with the filming on Kauai of the MGM musical Pagan Love
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Song. This was followed by the Technicolor remake of Bird of Paradise, which was photographed by Oscar-winning cinematographer Winton C. Hoch (She Wore a Yellow Ribbon) on three islands: Hawaii Island, Kauai and Oahu. During the 3D film craze of the early 1950s that hoped to lure audiences away from the new invention of television, Kauai was showcased in 3D and Technicolor along with star Rita Hayworth in Columbia’s Miss Sadie Thompson. Filmed in 1954 on location in Hanalei and at Coco Palms Resort, Miss Sadie Thompson is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2014. Hayworth performs three songs in the film, including the Oscar-nominated Best Song “Blue Pacific Blues.” Jack Lemmon won an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor for his role as Ensign Pulver opposite Henry Fonda in Mister Roberts, the first film to utilize Kualoa Ranch locations, as well as Kaneohe on Oahu. Breaking away from the confines of traditional film musicals, which were usually shot on studio soundstages and backlots, the film version of the Pulitzer Prizewinning Broadway musical South Pacific was produced in 1958 on an actual tropical island location, Kauai. In an interview with Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, South Pacific star Mitzi Gaynor recalled: “Just think about what director Josh Logan had to go through. First of all, it was in ToddAO. They had a new kind of sound... every director in the business wanted to do the picture, no one had ever been to the island of Kauai before… and who were we? Co-star Rossano Brazzi was a dramatic actor and I had always done high-kick musicals.” The big-budget film production of James A. Michener’s popular historical novel Hawaii (1966), starring Oscar winner Julie Andrews (Mary Poppins), was filmed on
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Makua Beach, Oahu, and was nominated for seven Oscars. Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970), which effectively created the docu-drama form, won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for its stunning recreation of the attack on Pearl Harbor, as did the CGIenhanced and spectacular 2001 Pearl Harbor, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Michael Bay. Steven Spielberg’s and George Lucas’ Raiders of The Lost Ark was nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Director and Best Picture, in 1982, winning four in the technical categories. The opening sequence was filmed on Kauai, doubling for a South American jungle. Spielberg’s groundbreaking masterpiece Jurassic Park (1993) was filmed on Kauai and at Oahu’s Kualoa Ranch. Jurassic Park was awarded three Oscars: Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Visual Effects, produced by George Lucas’ Industrial Light and the magic team of Michael Lantieri, Stan Winston, Denis Muren and Phil Tippett. With the advent of the latest state-of-theart 3D digital format, Spielberg remastered the film for its 20th anniversary 3D re-release last April. Jurassic Park spawned two sequels and a fourth installment, Jurassic World, is in pre-production at the time of this writing. In 2001, the then-Oahu-based company Square USA produced Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, the first fully motion captured
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animated film to get a wide theatrical release. The Oscar-winning Avatar (2010) and its world of Pandora was partially inspired by the spectacular tropical scenery
Filmmakers and movie audiences alike continue to be awestruck by the beauty, culture and the dramatic landscapes of the islands of Hawaii. of the Hawaiian Islands to which director James Cameron brought his actors for a week of outdoor sensitivity training. Robert Downey Jr. earned an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his role in Ben Stiller’s Kauai-shot Tropic Thunder. Most recently, IMAX, the most immersive film technology in existence, was used for the filming of the worldwide box-office hit The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Starring
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Oscar-winning Best Actress Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook), the 75th Hunger Games are set in a treacherous tropical environment, and Oahu’s backcountry jungles and beaches—aided by additional digital jungle imagery—served as the film’s primary location sites. Innovative handheld cinematographer Jo Willems used IMAX cameras for the shoot. Director Francis Lawrence says in the film’s press notes that the notoriously cumbersome cameras added extra challenges to the film. “After you’ve spent days sweating, being bitten by mosquitos, lugging heavy equipment through the jungle and waiting for the long turnaround time for the cameras, when you see the dailies and how unbelievably stunning they are… That is pretty satisfying,” he said. “IMAX photography makes for the most incredible moment in which we see through Katniss’ eyes this gorgeous and threatening new world for the first time; we are all awestruck with her.” Filmmakers and movie audiences alike continue to be awestruck by the beauty, cul-
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ture and the dramatic landscapes of the islands of Hawaii. The locations found here are constantly reimagined by the moviemakers to serve the needs of the story. And then every once in a while, as in The Descendants, Hawaii gets to portray itself on screen. In December, Oscar-winning director Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous, Best Screenplay in 2000) wrapped filming on Sony Pictures’ Untitled Hawaii Project, previously known as Deep Tiki, which was shot nearly entirely on Oahu. Tim Burton spent a week on the island in September filming Big Eyes, a film based on the life of artists Walter and Margaret Keane, starring twotime Oscar-winning actor Christoph Waltz and four-time Oscar nominee Amy Adams. Locations included the site of the Keanes’ actual home and the downtown Honolulu courthouse. HFV Luis I. Reyes is a motion picture publicist, film historian and co-author of The Hawaii Movie and Television Book, now available from Mutual Publishing of Honolulu. Contact 808-732-1709 or visit www.mutualpublishing.com for more.
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Los Angeles • New York • Miami • Hawaii New Toll Free Phone: 1-888-907-3557 New Toll Free Fax: 1-888-337-3454 info@wilhelminahawaii.com wilhelminahawaii.com ISSUE FOUR HAWAII FILM & VIDEO MAGAZINE
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Pacific Allied: Providing prop materials to Hawaii productions
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emember some of those towering lush plants on ABC’s hit series LOST? Or the massive concrete hotel debris strewn along Waikiki Beach for the recent Godzilla filming? How about the giant Nautilus in Journey to the Center of the Earth: The Mysterious Island? Well, to quote the Seinfeld character Elaine Benes: “Fake, fake, fake!” Yup, a lot of those were sculpted props carved from Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam manufactured by Pacific Allied Products, Ltd. at Campbell Industrial Park in Leeward Oahu. A few years ago, production people in Hawaii and the mainland discovered Pacific Allied Products and quickly figured out that it would be vastly less expensive to have the foam blocks needed for props and other uses purchased here, rather than shipping them from the mainland. “There has been a significant increase in film and television production in Hawaii, so when they learned we were here, our business just kept increasing,” said Debbie Serrao-Kuamo’o, Pacific Allied’s EPS division manager. “Most productions have just heard about us by word of mouth.” Pacific Allied provides productions with foam blocks, usually 8 or 16 feet long, by 4 foot 3. If requested, they
Foam “jet engines” for ABC’s LOST.
Founded in 1965, Pacific Allied Products, Ltd. is Hawaii’s leading plastics manufacturing company. The company initially produced wall panels using Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam. Recreational products such as ice coolers, surfboards, and swim rings evolved over the years. EPS Foam have innumerable possibilities and can be used for various production sets and art projects and is Made in Hawaii.
Hawaii (808) 682-2038 Toll Free (888) 824-3626 www.pacificalliedproducts.com 38
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will cut them to more manageable lengths and sizes—like 2’x4’s— but all prop carving is done by the production companies, said Serrao-Kuamo’o. “Our expertise is manufacturing the blocks; they’re experts at carving them into the shapes they need, like for backdrops,” she said. The foam blocks are manufactured into various densities ranging from 1.0# through 2.4#. The lighter density is easier to carve, said Serrao-Kuamo’o. The denser, heavier foam is used to walk on or hold heavy objects. The process to make the blocks takes 7 to 10 days to include curing. Founded in 1965, Pacific Allied Products is considered Hawaii’s leading plastics EPS foam manufacturer whose recreational products include ice coolers, surfboards and swim rings. In 1985, Pacific Allied became a partner in AFM, Inc. qualifying it to be the AFM trade name for roofing and housing products, including laminated roofing systems, wall panels, Contour Taper Tile, Perform Guard insect resistant insulation, and drainage boards. In 1992, the company purchased equipment to manufacture a full line of PET bottles for the soda industry. In 2005, a new 30,000-square-foot PET manufacturing plant was added, enabling the company to produce more than 200 million bottles annually. The company has made it a practice to be a zero-waste company, reprocessing clean scrap material into new products, eliminating much of the waste that would otherwise end up in Oahu’s landfill. Pacific Allied also developed a program to collect and recycle as much EPS foam as possible, whether produced locally or A statue of Buddha made from foam and painted imported. gold. EPS is 98 percent air but can quickly fill garbage cans, dumpsters and valuable landfill space. Modern technology makes it possible to recycle EPS efficiently and safely with no harmful emissions. To be recycled, EPS must first be compacted using high-volume extruder technology. EPS scrap is ground up and heated, dramatically shrinking it to a little over one percent of its previous volume. The result is a compact material that can be converted to useful products such as cafeA foam banyan tree also teria trays, video and audio tape bodies used by LOST on its and cases, rulers, desktop accessories, picsoundstage. ture frames, hangers, plant trays, and more. For more information on how to get Pacific Allied materials for your next production, visit www.pacallied.com or call 808-682-2038.
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Production Projects Abound on Maui BY SAM SMALL Small Wonder Video Services
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t was a busy and varied fall production season for Small Wonder Video Services on Maui, filled with sailboats, acupressure massage, a big art party, and Elvis’ triumphant return to Hawaii. Michael Gach has been a leading acupressure expert since the ‘70s. He created some of the first instructional videos back in the day, which were in need of a serious overhaul. Small Wonder went beyond just shooting new videos and, in partnership with Web marketing expert Richard Taubiner, we created an entire online product launch for a new fivemonth, video-based, self-paced master class. Using social media, e-mail and Web marketing, we created success for Michael with hundreds of new students. The program will be offered
Small Wonder shoots a series of videos for acupressure expert Michael Gach.
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One of Small Wonder’s many productions this past fall.
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twice a year. Teralani sails several catamarans out of Lahaina every day offering “snuba,” whale watching and luxury sunset cruises. Their display of company logo-ware used to occupy a big space inside their boats and needed constant cleaning. Small Wonder fixed all that, shooting stills and motion to create a video brochure that’ll display on high-resolution monitors and on the Web with direct links to purchase. This December, Elvis returned to Maui. Darren Lee is the world’s leading Elvis impersonator and he’s moving his show from Las Vegas to take up permanent residence in the Lahaina Theater. “Burn’n Love” is a high energy, authentic portrayal of Elvis’ famous concerts here in Hawaii. Small Wonder shot the show and an intimate interview with the star to edit commercials and promotional videos that dominate their new website and communicate just how much fun this show will be. Thank you very much, Darren. Several times a year, the Maui Arts and Cultural Center stages “ArtMixx,” a big, free outdoor party to promote a major installation in its art gallery. Over 2,500 people came out to play and dance in a virtual environment that Small Wonder created, along with Jim Langford of Pow Creative Media. Our live-switched multi-camera shoot was projected on a huge screen, along with 3D digital art that was interactively triggered by actions taking place on stage. Additional video projections were spatially mapped to different surfaces around the site, including a wall of water, for a very cool effect. The whole space was lit up, pulsing with life, and it all looked great. Demand for Small Wonder’s production services keeps growing, across a wide range of client needs. We look forward to more ahead. HFV
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Tips for Your Next Production BY GERRY EBERSBACH Guest Columnist
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n the last five years or so, the world has seen the music industry experience an enormous collapse of its infrastructure due to innovations in computer technology and its music delivery to the general public. Moreover, the nature of this change made dealing with huge companies and many of the attendant middlemen generally unnecessary. Parallel changes have also occurred in the independent film industry. Unlike the music industry where it is possible for an unknown artist to have work produced and exposed to the public at little expense, production of films and videos has remained relatively costly. Fortunately, digital distribution avenues are a major way an independent filmmaker can hope to make back some of that expense. Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Instant Video, and cable Video On Demand are some of these new avenues. Each has its own
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Unlike the music industry where it is possible for an unknown artist to have work produced and exposed to the public at little expense, production of films and videos has remained relatively costly. niche in distribution options. Careful planning in advance for utilizing these venues will save time and money. For instance, it is advisable to have all licensing cleared before attempting to place a film for broadcast. Licensing for all music should be in place for worldwide usage, preferably in perpetuity. If music represented by organi-
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zations such as ASCAP or BMI is used, prepare a complete cue sheet. Any images should be licensed, including any logos, brand names and paintings that appear in a background. Actors should sign release forms and any SAG issues should be resolved beforehand. If possible, have your film available on HD with a trailer and synopsis. HFV Pacific Music Productions, Inc. has been serving the audio needs for the commercial, film, and video markets of Hawaii since 1987, and has been providing audio programming for Hawaiiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s major airlines for more than a decade. This year, we are pleased to announce we have become the vendor for Video On Demand for Hawaii-related films on Oceanic TimeWarner Cablevision. For contact information please see our ad on this page or Gerry Ebersbach at 808-521-0767.
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