Meet the County Film Offices

Meet the state film office's partners in crime: the county film offices, representing the 6 major Hawaiian islands. The county film commissioners are the location experts for their respective islands, and they also issue shooting permits for city and county property and facilities. These four county film offices plus the Hawaii Film Office make up the "Film Offices of the Hawaiian Islands." Click on the links below to go to the county commissions' individual sites.


Big Island Film Commission
Commish: Marilyn Killeri
Island: Hawaii (Big Island)
Filmography: Black Widow, Picture Bride, Waterworld, Krippendorf's Tribe, Jurassic Park III, Planet of the Apes
Claim to Fame: Black sand beaches, volcanoes, Mauna Kea, cattle ranches
Contact: 808-326-2663, film@bigisland.com



Kauai Film Commission
Commish: Art Umezu
Island: Kauai
Filmography: South Pacific, Blue Hawaii, King Kong, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Lord of the Flies, Jurassic Park I, II, & III, Hook, Mighty Joe Young, George of the Jungle, Outbreak, Dragonfly, 6 Days/7 Nights, Dinosaur
Claim to Fame: Na Pali Coast, lush foliage
Contact: 808-241-6386, info@filmkauai.com

Maui Film Commission
Commish: Benita Brazier
Islands: Maui, Molokai, Lanai
Filmography: Papillon, Jurassic Park I & III, Molokai: The True Story of Father Damien, Die Another Day, Dinosaur, The Hulk

Claim to Fame: Valleys, waterfalls (Maui), ranches (Molokai), pineapple fields (Lanai)
Contact: 808-270-7415, info@filmmaui.com

Honolulu Film Commission
Commish: Walea Constantinau
Island: Oahu
Filmography: From Here to Eternity, Blue Hawaii, Point Break, Godzilla, Pearl Harbor, Punch-Drunk Love, Final Fantasy, Windtalkers, Tears of the Sun, Blue Crush, The Rundown, Charlie's Angels II, The Big Bounce, Fifty First Dates, plus TV series Lost, Hawaii, North Shore, Raven, Byrds of Paradise, Jake & the Fatman, Magnum P.I., Hawaii Five-O
Claim to Fame: Mix of jungles, beaches, and urban environments
Contact: 808-527-6108, info@filmhonolulu.com

Regional Emmy Win for "Kokua"

Surf documentarian Ira Opper's "Kokua," which follows local singer-songwriter Jack Johnson around Oahu's North Shore, and features Jack and Kim Johnson's Kokua Hawaii Foundation, just garnered a regional Emmy Award in the Visual and Performing Arts Program category. The surf/music/environment doc aired last year on Fox's Fuel TV channel, and helped raise awareness on the need to reduce, reuse, and recycle, particularly in Hawaii. Kokua’s production team included local surf shooters Sonny Miller, Derek Hoffman, and Mike Prickett.

The Emmy was awarded by the Pacific Southwest chapter of the Emmy organization, which covers San Diego, Bakersfield, Oxnard, Palm Springs, Palm Desert, San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, and Las Vegas (Opper lives in the San Diego area). Hawaii's own local TV market, however, is covered by the Northern California chapter, which also includes Northern California, and Reno, NV. There are 20 regional Emmy chapters in all. Hawaii garnered one regional Emmy in 2005: KITV's Pamela Young (a 9-time regional Emmy winner) scored for Individual Achievement in Program Writing.

>> Film Kokua starring Jack Johnson receives Emmy award [Global Surf News, 6/29/05]

Would These Places Give You a Headache?

Waipio Valley, Big Island & Lumahai Beach, Kauai

Josef Adalian's article in today's Variety reporting the promotion of Barry Jossen to exec VP of production for Touchstone Television (congrats, Barry!) noted that the production of "Lost," which Barry oversees, involves the "added headache of shooting on location in Hawaii."

While shooting on location can potentially incur more expense and present more unknown variables than shooting on a soundstage, one would think that these effects would be mitigated by the sheer pleasure of being in Hawaii (see pics above and here). Besides, the weather here is generally great, and we have a whole host of resources to help productions manage on-location shoots.

And we do have back-up for those who prefer the more controlled environment of a soundstage. Hawaii has several shooting stages including the state-owned Hawaii Film Studio, a 16,500 s.f., 29' high soundproof, air-conditioned stage nestled at the foot of Diamond Head crater.

If you do ever get a headache from shooting on location here, just take a dip in the warm blue ocean or a nap on the beach.

>> Touchstone TV lifts exec [Variety, 6/28/05]

Lee Stepping Down at ACM

Chris Lee is stepping down from his chairman post at the UH Academy for Creative Media (ACM) to serve as president of new film production co. Legendary Pictures. Lee said, "Basically my job was to get the school up and running. I think it will be more important for me now to market the school and raise funds than oversee the day-to-day business."

The ACM program launched with 70 students taking classes in film production, animation, screenwriting, game design, cinematography, and the like. Starting this year, ACM will be a degree-granting program, with 10 new faculty member teaching 22 courses.

>> UH film school founder to step aside [Hnl Advertiser, 6/26/05]
>> Update: Lee to raise money for UH film school [Hnl Star Bulletin, 6/30/05]
>> Update 2: Oops, Chris Lee has NOT resigned from UH...yet [7/18/05]

City Permit Fee Hike Makes National News

The Hollywood Reporter has gotten wind of Oahu's impending 3000% film permit fee hike. In an article today entitled, rather gloomily, "Filming fee hike may stall Hawaii film boom," THR reports that the Honolulu City Council wants to levy a $300/day film permit fee for major national film and TV productions shooting in city parks, beaches, or facilities.

The article further notes that this fee hike is adding fuel to the fire started by the state legislature's recent failure to pass a 15-20% refundable production tax credit. Film Commissioner Donne Dawson says of the fee hike, "We've expressed our extreme concern. This could not have been a worse message at a worse time."

But there is some potential relief from paying the full revised fee: the City Council bill that raises the fees (Bill 31, CD1) allows for reductions by the mayor or his designee if the production will "feature or promote the State of Hawaii, island of Oahu, and/or city and county of Honolulu. Such promotions may be through the production directly or via indirect promotions related to the production." The city administration is developing a schedule which will allow for a reduction in the fees charged based on meeting qualifying criteria. New fees go into effect on July 1, 2005.

Note that there are no anticipated hikes to any nominal state permit fees assessed for certain state-owned locations.

>> Filming fee hike may stall Hawaii film boom [Hollywood Reporter, 6/23/05]
>> City Council Bill 31, CD1

Chris Lee to Make Legendary Pictures

The Hollywood Reporter and Variety reported today that Chris Lee will be president of Legendary Pictures, a new production company headed by venture capitalist Thomas Tull and backed by $500 million in private equity. The company just inked a 25-picture 50-50 co-financing and distribution deal with Warner Brothers. Legendary is expected to be based on the Warners' lot.

Legendary's investors include a host of VC outfits like ABRY Partners, AIG Direct Investments, Banc of America Capital Investors, Columbia Capital, Falcon Investment Advisors, and M/C Venture Partners. In the face of a declining U.S. box office, Tull attributes the private equity infusion to the profit potential of ancillary and international markets: "I myself would not have done this deal six or seven years ago. But the advent of DVD and overseas expansion of the box office has made the movie business much more attractive as an asset class."

Hawaii native son and former Columbia Pictures/TriStar production chief Lee has supervised such flicks as "Jerry Maguire," "Philadelphia," "As Good as It Gets," "My Best Friend's Wedding," "The Fisher King," "The Mask of Zorro," and "Apt Pupil." Lee returned to Hawaii to serve as Chairman of the University of Hawaii's Academy for Creative Media and is currently producing "Superman Returns" for Warners.

>> Legendary Warners deal [H'wood Reporter, 6/22/05]
>> $500 mil pic fund feeds Warner Bros. [Variety, 6/22/05]
>> Warner Venture With Investors [NY Times, 6/22/05]

Meet the Film Office: Chuckie

Charlene "Chuckie" Kwak
Secretary
Email Chuckie

What I do: Manage administrative functions of the Film Office: maintain staff calendar and schedule meetings; prepare materials for conferences, hearings, and meetings; take meeting minutes and dictation; coordinate travel; type letters, reports, memoranda, contracts, and forms; field phone calls and inquiries; receive visitors; process invoices; maintain purchase order log and office files; coordinate budget deadlines; and process film permits when necessary.

Strangest Inquiry: Too many to list. This is a crazy industry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! STRESSVILLE.

Favorite Films: American President, Pretty Woman, Sleepless in Seattle

Favorite Hawaii Films: 6 Days/7 Nights, Picture Bride

Favorite TV Shows: Lost, Desperate Housewives, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Regis and Kelly, The View

Favorite Hawaii TV Shows: Magnum P.I., Hawaii Five-O, Lost, Mixed Plate

Years of Service: I've worked for the state for thirty-blah-blah years. (I started working at the age of 10, hahahaha!) The Film Office started out as a Special Projects office, then in 1978, it became the Film Office, with a manager and secretary (that was me).

Life Before the Film Office: Followed Jackson and graduated from Kaimuki High School, then earned an Associate Degree from KCC.

Hobbies, Interests, & Activities (besides film): Attending my sons' football, baseball, and basketball games; traveling to Notre Dame annually for a home game; shopping; baking; and making mochi

Film Crew Position that Best Fits My Personality: Set Decorator


>> Meet the rest of the Hawaii Film Office

Cinema Paradise is Coming, Jun 24 to Jul 1

Get ready for the 4th annual Cinema Paradise Film Festival, celebrating independent films from all over the world, and sponsored in part by the Hawaii Film Office. The fest will take place at its new home, NextDoor (43 N. Hotel St.), which was just featured in this week's Honolulu Weekly as part of the exciting urban/cultural renaissance going on in Downtown Honolulu. Get your tickets now--they go fast. Be sure to check out the Hawaii-related films in the program:

* Burnt - Directed by Bryan R. Lee
* Fire - Directed by local bodyboarding legend Mike Stewart
* Mauna Kea: Temple Under Siege - Directed by Puhipau, Joan Lander
* Rolling Down Like Pele - Directed by Laura Margulies
* Silent Years - Directed by James Sereno

And don't miss the Hawaii Film Office-sponsored Youth Media Workshop on Saturday, June 25, 12-5pm, where kids between ages 12-18 will learn how to write, shoot, and edit a 5-minute documentary which will be shown at the festival. Space is limited, so register by sending your name, age, and school to education@cinemaparadise.org, or call 808-550-0496.

Finally, to volunteer to help at the fest, email yayoi@cinemaparadise.org.

Meet the Film Office: Brent

Brent Anbe
Film Permit Specialist
Email Brent

What I Do: Process film permit applications, which entails reviewing the permit, discussing shoot details and outstanding issues with the production, preparing the permit for submission to the authorizing agency (and figuring out who that would be), tracking and following up on the permit's process, and sending back the approved permit to the applicant. Our office processes around 600 permits per year, and each permit can request permission to film in up to 10 different locations! It can be a delicate balancing act between servicing a production's location needs and considering the environmental and cultural sensitivities of a location. In addition to permit-specific work, I also work on various projects to promote the film industry in Hawaii, including developing and producing marketing materials and fielding public inquiries.

Strangest Request: "Hi... would you like to direct my screenplay?"

Favorite Films: Zoolander, Go, A Moment to Remember (Korean Film), Groove, Clueless, Goonies, Heathers, A Home at the End of the World, Cruel Intentions, Crazy/Beautiful, and Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2

Favorite Hawaii Film: The Ride

Favorite TV Shows: Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Will & Grace, American Idol, Saturday Night Live (faves: Maya Rudolph and Rachel Dratch)

Favorite Hawaii TV Shows: Celebrity Mole: Hawaii, Auntie Marialani's Cooking Show =)

With Film Office Since: August 2004

Life Before the Film Office: I began my independent filmmaking career in 2001 upon completion of my Communication degree from the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. Independent film credits include: Ke Kulana He Mahu, Special, and One Night in Bangkok. Prior to joining the film office, I worked in Hawaii's local and national commercial / ad agency production world, interning at Pacific Focus and working at Shooters Film Production. I've also worked and freelanced on local and national commercials, and special events for such clients as American Savings Bank, Oceanic Time Warner Cable, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Sheryl Crow’s “Soak up the Sun” music video, The Travel Channel, Home Depot, and "American Idol: Hawaii Auditions." Throughout my years in production, I've enjoyed working in the production office, and in the camera, casting, art, and props departments.

Hobbies, Interests, & Activities (besides film): The gym, trying new restaurants, the beach, myspace, travel, and drinking coffee and sugar-free Red Bull (not together of course).

Film Crew Position that Best Fits My Personality: Craft Service


>> Meet the rest of the Hawaii Film Office

Hey, Whatever's Cheapest

When it comes to reducing the bottom line, loyalties to particular locations go right out the window. Production companies would rather build Los Angeles in South Africa than shoot in the wallet-reducing City of Angels itself. Countries such as Romania, the Czech Republic, Ireland, South Africa, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, and even Jordan, with their cheap labor and generous tax incentives, are the U.S.'s primary competitors for film and TV productions.

Just another reason that these days, film tax incentives are necessary and vital for building a local film industry...

Check out some of the set-in-A but shot-in-B films that have been produced recently:

• Cold Mountain was set in the American South, but was filmed in Romania.
  >> Climbing Cold Mountain [Channel4]
  >> Hollywood finds production paradise in Romania [Greatreporter.com, 3/4/05]
  
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the upcoming installment of the quintessentially British Potter series will not shoot in the UK, but in some other cheaper locale, probably in Eastern Europe.
  >> Potter follows Bond to film on foreign shores [Guardian Unlimited, 6/3/05]
  
• The latest James Bond film, Casino Royale, is considering moving from its UK base to Prague's Barrandov Studios.
  >> Casino Royale Shoot Moved to Early 2006 [ComingSoon.net, 5/17/05]
  
• The couldn't-get-more-New-York Honeymooners was shot in Ireland.
  >> Behind 'Honeymooners' [The News & Observer, 6/12/05]
  
• Ask the Dust, an upcoming film directed by Robert Towne and starring Salma Hayek and Colin Farrell, is set in Depression-era Los Angeles, but was shot in Cape Town, South Africa.
  >> Rave reviews, no box-office bang [AP, 5/29/05]

Meet the Hawaii Film Office!

Hawaii Film Office Ohana: Brent, Sandi, (Marilyn Killeri, former Big Island County Film Commissioner), Mynette, Donne, Chuckie, and Kevin (Not pictured: Tammy Hasegawa, Film Studio Manager)

Hi, we're the Hawaii Film Office, a.k.a. the state film commission, part of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT). Established in 1978, the Hawaii Film Office is the central coordinator for film and photographic use of state-administered parks, beaches, highways, and facilities. The office works closely with state agencies to assist filmmakers with acquiring film permits, and if necessary, directs them to the appropriate county and federal agencies. The office also provides location and production resource information to filmmakers, manages the Hawaii Film Studio at Diamond Head, promotes Hawaii as a filming destination, and develops the local film and television industry in the islands.

Click on our names above to view our profiles. Ask us about shooting permits, locations, tax incentives, production resources, the Hawaii Film Studio, cultural and environmental concerns, the weather, whatever. Call us or come by--we're here to help you!

Completely clueless about filming in Hawaii? Start by reading our snapshot guide to filming in the islands.

Hawaii Film Office
No. 1 Capitol District Bldg. (same bldg as Hawaii State Art Museum)
250 S. Hotel Street, Ste. 510-B
Honolulu, HI 96813
Tel: (808) 586-2570
Fax: (808) 586-2572
info@hawaiifilmoffice.com

Meet the Film Office: Jackson

[UPDATE, Jan 2006: Jackson is no longer with the Hawaii Film Office. He now works at the Kaho'olawe Island Reserve Commission.]

Jackson Bauer
Film Permit Specialist

What I Do:
Mainly, I process the incoming film permit applications. This entails reviewing the permit, contacting the applicant for any changes or more information, preparing the permit for submission to the authorizing agency (and figuring out who that would be), tracking and following up on the permit's process, receiving the approved permit, and sending it back to the applicant. Our office processes around 600 permits per year, and each permit can request permission to film in up to 10 different locations!

Before any of that happens, though, I am usually in contact with the production, discussing shoot details and needs, and figuring out how we can help make the production successful. It can be a delicate balancing act between servicing a production's location needs and considering the environmental and cultural sensitivities of a location.

In addition to permit-specific work, I also (as part of our office's mission) work on various projects to promote the industry in Hawaii nei. This can mean anything from developing environmental and cultural guidelines and location lists (to better prepare those not familiar with Hawaii's sensitivities), to developing marketing material to entice productions to our shores, and everything in between. Answering phone calls and assisting the public is our number one priority.

Strangest Inquiry: There's way too many to choose just one. Although, I do have a fan club. Shout out to Emily...hey!

Favorite Films: Whale Rider, Star Wars, Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Lord of the Rings

Favorite Hawaii Films: Molokai: The Story of Father Damien, Picture Bride

Favorite TV Shows: Lost, Arrested Development (watch it!), Saturday Night Live, Simpsons, NOVA

Favorite Hawaii TV Shows: Da Braddahs & Friends, Hawaii Five-0 (classic!), Lost

With Film Office Since: September 1998

Life Before the Film Office: Graduated from Hawaii Pacific University with a B.A. in Communications, Visual Communication focus and Certificate of Hawaiian Studies. Also did the Hoaaina Internship Program for the Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, worked at the Hawaii Nature Center, was a Video Lab Specialist at Hawaii Pacific University, and directed a documentary, Kaho'olawe: The Breath of Our Ancestors. Also, I wen grad from Kaimuki (go Bulldogs!).

Hobbies, Interests, & Activities (besides film): Hiking, Camping, Native Hawaiian plants, Hawaiian language, Malama Aina. Freelance as a graphic artist and currently chair the Hawaii Service Trip Program (activity branch of the Sierra Club).

Film Crew Position that Best Fits My Personality: Location Scout

>> Meet the rest of the Hawaii Film Office

Domestic Competition for Productions Growing Fiercer

Every state and their mother seems to be passing new tax incentives to lure film and TV productions. It seems that simply to stay in the game, a state must offer incentives. Here's a quick roundup of some of the latest measures passed:

• Florida: Raised overall cap for 15% refundable production tax credit from $2.45 million to $10 million for FY05-06
• Georgia: 9-12% transferable refundable tax credit
• Illinois: Renewed 25% rebate on resident wages paid
• Maine: Full rebate of Maine taxes paid on wages of non-residents, and 200% rebate of Maine taxes paid on resident wages
• Montana: 12% rebate on resident wages paid, 8% rebate on MT expenditures
• New Mexico: Upped rebate from 15% to up to 20%; doubled film loan cap from $7.5 to $15M; expanded refundable credit to post production, video games and film technologies
• North Carolina: 15% refundable tax credit (promised, but not officially passed yet)
• Oklahoma: 15% refundable tax credit finally got funded with $5 million per year cap; income tax credit equal to 25% of profits from OK film/TV/music investment if profits reinvested in same; tax credits for development of film and music production facilities (passed legislature, awaiting gov's signature)
• South Carolina: 15% refundable tax credit on wages w/SC taxes withheld and expenditures with SC vendors
• PLUS, other locales like Rhode Island, Oregon, and Los Angeles County are currently mulling over incentives.

Here's why everyone's so eager to pass film & TV production incentives:

• Illinois: Tripled production from $25 million in 2003 to $77 million in 2004. Nearly 15,000 jobs were created. Major films shot in IL in 2004 included The Weather Man (Paramount), Ice Harvest (Universal), Ocean’s 12 and Batman Begins (Warner Brothers), Derailed (Miramax), and Roll Bounce (20th Century Fox).
  >> Gov. Blagojevich's landmark film legislation renewed [IL Gov, 5/31/05]
• Louisiana: In 2002, annual production expenditures were just $20 million. That grew to $210 million in 2003 and $335 million in 2004. Major recent productions include Runaway Jury, Ray, The Haunted Mansion, and the upcoming Fantastic Four, All the King's Men, The Skeleton Key, and Dukes of Hazzard. Overwhelmed with the enormous response from productions, the Louisiana Legislature is currently refining its current incentives to make them more state-specific.
  >> Louisiana Film Legislation Passes Senate Committee [BayouBuzz.com, 6/13/05]
• New Mexico: Annual production expenditures went from just $8.8 million to over $200 million, and the local film crew labor pool followed suit. Major productions lured by incentives included 21 Grams, The Missing, The Longest Yard, Into the West, and the upcoming Brokeback Mountain and Niki Caro's (Whale Rider) next film.
  >> New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson Signs Bills to Boost Film Industry [NM Gov, 5/9/05]
• New York: The "Made in NY" tax-incentive program brought an additional $300 million to the city and employed 6,000 locals since January 2005. The city's $5 billion per year film and television production industry supports 4,000 ancillary businesses. Major productions lured by the incentives include Spike Lee's The Inside Man, Martin Scorsese's The Departed (set in Boston!), Mel Brooks' The Producers, and 9 network TV pilots (prior to the incentives, NYC would only see 1 pilot per year).
  >> Tax incentives attract Lee [FilmStew, 6/9/05]
  >> It's a taxing situation as Brooklyn poaches Southie [Boston Herald, 6/1/05]
  >> Lights, camera, millions! [Newsday, 5/25/05]

Help Save Public Broadcasting!

On Thursday, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies passed a spending bill that would significantly cut the budget for public television and radio. Not only is future funding in jeopardy, but 25% of the funds already appropriated for 2006 would be rescinded, and over 50 programs, including many children's shows, would be eliminated.

Because of the large scale of the cuts, Hawaii-related programs could be affected, including those funded in part by Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC), PBS Hawaii's regular roster of local programs, and illuminating documentaries such as Hawaii's Last Queen, and The Massie Affair.

But there's still hope! Though these cuts are expected to pass out of the House, public broadcasting supporters are now looking to the Senate to reject them (just like our state legislative process, bills must be approved by both bodies of Congress). So please contact our U.S. senators (and representatives too)--the more legislators who know about how you feel, the better:

Sen. Daniel Inouye
Tel: (202) 224-3934
Fax: (202) 224-6747
http://inouye.senate.gov/webform.html
*NOTE: Sen. Inouye is on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, so he will be directly involved in discussing this bill

Sen. Daniel Akaka
Tel: (202) 224-6361
Fax: (202) 224-2126
senator@akaka.senate.gov

Rep. Neil Abercrombie
Tel: (202) 225-2726
Fax: (202) 225-4580
Neil.Abercrombie@mail.house.gov

Rep. Ed Case
Tel: (202) 225-4906
Fax: (202) 225-4987
ed.case@mail.house.gov

Rep. Madeleine Bordallo (Guam)
Tel: (202) 225-1188
Fax: (202) 226-0341
http://www.house.gov/bordallo/feedbackForm.html

Rep. Eni Faleomavaega (American Samoa)
Tel: (202) 225-8577
Fax: (202) 225-8757

You can also fill out MoveOn.org's Online Petition to generate automatic emails to your legislators. (Thanks Mike R. for the tip!)

Stop this bill in its tracks! Here's the path of the spending bill that would cut funds for public broadcasting: (click on the links to see a list of committee members)

1. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
>> Bill Approved 6/9/05

2. House Appropriations Committee
>> Pending Approval

3. House Floor Vote

**CROSSOVER TO SENATE**

4. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
[Senator Daniel Inouye is a member of this subcommitee!]

5. Senate Appropriations Committee

6. Senate Floor Vote

7. Conference (Senate & House discuss differences)

8. Congressional Floor Vote

>> Panel Would Cut Public Broadcasting Aid [NY Times, 6/10/05]
>> Congress Looks to Cut Funding for Public Broadcasting [NPR, 6/10/05]

>> UPDATE, 6/24/05: Public broadcasting budget cut defeated [Hnl Advertiser]

To Do: Hobnob with Austin Powers, Local Producers

• Rub elbows with Mike Meyers, the Owens Brothers, Jake Gyllenhaal, William H. Macy, and Helen Hunt at the Maui Film Festival, June 15-19
• Absorb the wisdom of Flight 29 Down producers at their public talk on "Producing a Show in Hawai`i with Local Crew, Sets, and Money" on Friday, June 17, 7-9pm at UH Manoa, Yukiyoshi Room, Krauss Hall (Free)

Permits, Hawaiian Style

Like many states, Hawaii requires film permits for all filming activity that takes place on public lands, waters, and streets. There are 5 film offices in Hawaii that are charged with processing film permits: the state film office and the county film offices of Honolulu, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island.

The state film office is a one-stop shop for securing film permits for state-administered parks, beaches, highways, harbors, waters, forests, and facilities. The office interacts daily with other state, federal, and county agencies on behalf of filmmakers so that they do not have to deal directly with each individual agency. In fact, the film office has memorandums of agreement with the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) that help facilitate and speed up the permit approval process. Most state locations are free; there are a few exceptions with nominal fees.

Permits for shooting on city streets and city/county property are issued by the county film offices. Each county film commissioner liases with the respective county agencies to obtain the necessary approval for shooting.

This streamlined permit process has proven invaluable to producers and location managers who often need to get permission very quickly to shoot their projects at various locations throughout the state, and do not have time to hunt down individual state and county agencies for permits. By having dedicated film permit specialists to push permit applications through the system, productions can avoid delays, which often drive up costs.

"Lost" location manager Jim Triplett says that this "encourages productions to be here because you don't have to go through all these government agencies yourself. The streamlined permit process makes it easier for me to do a shoot like 'Lost,' where everyone's buried with so much work. Every additional layer we have to go through makes it much more difficult to get things done."

Veteran local line producer Dana Hankins says of our permit process: "One phone call and one filled-out form always gets me a prompt response to my permit request, along with personalized attention every step of the way. I especially appreciate having the state and/or county film office track the permit through the various governmental agencies in our 'local' style, as well as offer wording suggestions that help speed up the response. Also, last-minute changes to filming locations are often based on weather and water conditions, so having experienced film offices understand and assist in these fast-paced situations is incredibly helpful."

At the state film office, there are currently two film permit specialists, Sandi Ichihara and Brent Anbe, who are intimately familiar with the ins and outs of securing permits, including all of the special cultural and environmental sensitivities particular to shooting in Hawaii. Sandi and Brent both have close working relationships with representatives at DOT (Airports, Harbors, Highways), DLNR (Beaches, Parks, Forests, Small Harbors), Department of Hawaiian Homelands, and Department of Defense, among many other agencies.

Sandi and Brent are also strongly personally invested in making sure that our locations are protected during shoots and returned to their original condition. In fact, they often negotiate ways for productions to improve the locations they use, such as repaving roads or replanting forests with native species.

>> How to apply for a state film permit in Hawaii [HFO site]
>> County Film Offices: Honolulu, Maui, Kauai, Big Island

To Do: Short Fun in the Summertime

• Watch these short indie films with Hawaii ties at the Hawaii State Art Museum: i scream, floats & Sundays, Kamea and Summer of the Serpent. Part of the "Summertime" exhibit, these films will be shown continuously in the museum's gallery through September 3.

Forbidden Shoot

No more sneaking around snapping NYC subway pics!


Sorry for the long blog hiatus. I just got back from NYC, where shooters are rejoicing now that the proposed NYC subway photography/filming ban is dead (it had been proposed because of terrorist concerns).

Here in Hawaii, permission to shoot on our public transportation, The Bus on Oahu or Hele-On Bus on the Big Island, is granted on a case-by-case basis. Just contact Honolulu Film Commissioner Walea Constantinau, 808-527-6108, info@filmhonolulu.com, or Big Island Film Commissioner Marilyn Killeri, 808-326-2663, film@bigisland.com.

While shooting on public transportation here is generally allowed, there are several places where filming and photography are forbidden in most if not all cases. These places are: the Heiau in Haena on Kauai, and Hanauma Bay, Iolani Palace and grounds, the Royal Mausoleum, and Washington Place on Oahu.