Hawaii Indie Film Survey

The late Kayo Hatta, Hawaii indie film pioneer, on the set of her new short "Fishbowl."

Aloha indie filmmakers! The Hawaii Film Office is taking a tally of independent made-in-Hawaii films that have been or will be completed in 2005. Your participation will help us to better understand the local indie film landscape and the needs of the local film industry.

We will not disclose ANY individual responses without your express written permission, but may make aggregated information public (e.g., total # of indie features, total $ spent on indie films, etc.).

If you completed or will complete a made-in-Hawaii indie film in 2005, please fill out our INDIE FILM SURVEY. If you made more than one film this year, please fill out a new form for each individual film. Mahalo!

RELATED PREVIOUS POSTS:
>> The Meaning of "Independent"
>> Indies in Hollywood's Wake
>> IFP Hawaii?
>> Filmmaker Magazine: "25 New Faces of Indie Film"

Beware of Film Scams

Joseph Medawar was arrested last Friday for bilking $5.5 million from investors for a TV series on the Dept. of Homeland Security that never materialized. Investors included churches and even California state legislators. Medawar fraudulently claimed that the series was endorsed by President Bush himself.


Showbiz has always had a very close ugly stepsister: scams. From minor offenses like a "producer" inflating or being vague about his credentials, to the "casting couch," to bogus film investments, to film festivals that charge high submission fees and make false promises of distribution, to script stealers, the entertainment industry has always attracted con artists, crazies, and crackpots.

Hawaii's film industry has had its share of scams over the years. Most of these have been targeted toward Hawaii's aspiring actors, many of whom are attractive, young, and naive folks who have an earnest desire to "make it" and live the glamourous Hollywood life.

Yesterday, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin's Tim Ryan alerted the Hawaii Film Office to one such scam that he recently found on Craigslist. The scam involves a "casting service" called "Global Casting Network" that poses as various film productions seeking non-union extras and actors, offers a toll-free number to call, then does a bait-and-switch by asking you to pony up over a hundred bucks for your portfolio to be featured on its Web site. Tim will cover the story in his weekly column next Wednesday, but in the meantime, here's what I've been able to dig up:

• Global Casting Network is a widespread entertainment scam that started several years ago under the name Exposed Casting. After getting tons of complaints, they changed their name to Star Search Casting, then PrimeTime Entertainment, then ShowTime Entertainment, and now Global Casting Network.
• The company has managed to scam thousands of unwitting aspiring actors, despite many complaints logged with Attorney Generals all over the U.S.
• The company takes your money and never makes good on its 30-day money back guarantee.

Find out more information about this scam at RipOffReport.com.

This is just the most recent scam in a string of Hawaii entertainment scams. Past scams include:

• a modeling agency that charged exorbitant fees for photos and "workshops," and never paid its models;
• a company purporting to represent Warners, Fox, and Columbia for casting and hiring production assistants, only to make people rack up minutes at a 900 number;
• a phone scam in which fake mainland producers called up Hawaii actors and told them to wire money in exchange for a role in a feature film;
• an "entrepreneur" who tried to enlist the state's help to acquire the Walt Disney Company and relocate it to Hawaii;
• a company charging $7,000 in exchange for training and a job as a production assistant;
• and a "movie producer" looking for a "tennis & golf partner, to train for a movie. Raw food chef a plus."

To everyone reading this: please be skeptical of EVERY ad, service, claim, product, person, production, company, or organization you encounter in the entertainment industry. For every legitimate thing, there are probably 10 scams. Do your research before applying, submitting, calling, paying, etc. Here are a few tips on how to check if something's legit:

• Google it: The commercial Internet has been around for over ten years now. Use it. Try other search engines too (Yahoo, AskJeeves, MSN, etc.) to get different results.
• Ask around: Chances are, scammers have scammed before.
• Look for bad grammar and bad spelling: Most con artists aren't Ivy League graduates. Though Ivy League grads have their share of phonies and crooks (oh, and bad spellers) among them.
• If a URL is provided, look for shoddy Web site design.
• Do a WHOIS search to find out whom a Web domain is registered under.
• Check the Hawaii Office of Consumer Protection site for the latest Hawaii scams and for what to do when you think you've fallen victim to a scam.
• Check the Better Business Bureau site to seek out past complaints by company or charity name.
• Check About.com's Urban Legends & Folklore site.
• Go with your gut: if it smells like a scam, chances are, it is a scam.

RELATED PREVIOUS POSTS:
>> Tim Ryan, Local Scoopmeister
>> The Glamourous Film Industry

News Tidbits

• Oprah Winfrey has bought 63 acres at Mokae near Hamoa Beach from Hana Ranch Partners, adding to the 102 acres she already owns on Maui. In addition, Oprah, Hana Ranch, and the Maui Coastal Land Trust are undertaking a joint conservation project to protect another 192 acres in the Haneoo and Hamoa districts from development.
• Made-on-Oahu 'tween series "Flight 29 Down" premieres on Discovery Kids on NBC on Saturday, October 1 at 12pm Eastern. The series will also air on the Discovery Kids Channel on Mondays and Fridays at 8pm and 11pm Eastern starting October 3.
• The 25th Annual Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival has put out an APB for volunteers:

CALL FOR LVHIFF VOLUNTEERS!
Be a part of one of the World's Largest International Film Festivals!
Meet Actors, Directors, Screenwriters from around the world.
Areas in need of volunteers:
* Box Office which processes tickets and assists patrons
* Hospitality which greets and assists international filmmakers and delegates
* Theatre Operations which collects tickets and distributes and collects award ballots
Many other volunteering opportunities to choose from.
Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival 2005
Volunteer Orientation/Training Sessions to be held on (pick one)
Wednesday, September 28, 6:00 pm
Tuesday, October 4, 6:00 pm
Tuesday, October 11, 6:00 pm
Located at the HIFF Box Office
735 Iwilei Rd. Ste. 102A, Honolulu, HI 96817
(across from the Dole Cannery Theaters)
Or contact volunteer*at*hiff.org
(808) 528-3456 ext. 13
www.hiff.org

Tax Incentives Suck...Who Said That?

In the interest of being "fair and balanced" (sorry for quoting Fox News), let me introduce you to Lowell Kalapa, president of the Tax Foundation of Hawaii, "a private, nonprofit educational organization dedicated to informing the public, more specifically the taxpayer, which means all of us, about the finances of our state and local governments in Hawaii." Kalapa and another unnamed individual were the sole public opponents of the tax incentive bills last year that sought to increase Hawaii's refundable production tax credit from 4% to 15-20%.

Kalapa writes a column in the Hawaii Reporter, touting his sometimes eyebrow-raising views. He must at the very least be given credit for being brave enough to regularly rant against perceived wrongs, abuses, and incompetencies in Hawaii's state and local governments. In Kalapa's latest column, "Ultimately We All Pay for Lawmakers' Ignorance," he rails against the idiocy of the bottle bill, the gas cap, and special interest tax incentives, including Act 221 and its opacity.

I'd like to comment on one of Kalapa's points as I think it represents a widely held misperception of Act 221. Like many others, Kalapa seems to regard job creation as the sole measure of success for Act 221. It is certainly one of the primary goals of the tax incentive, but we must remember that it is the quality of these kinds of jobs (highly skilled, highly paid, forward-looking) more than the quantity that matter. I mean, take large-scale pineapple production in Hawaii for example. It started declining in the mid-60s, and ended with Dole shutting down its plants over a decade ago in favor of cheaper foreign locales. Manufacturing and mass production in general has moved out of the U.S. and/or has become much more automated and computerized. So if people are looking for Act 221 to spark an industrial revolution that creates heaps upon heaps of jobs, they're either looking in the wrong century or the wrong hemisphere.

In developed nations of the 21st century, it is no longer the quantity of jobs that indicates economic and cultural progress, but the quality of them. Besides, with Hawaii's unemployment at an all-time low, record visitor numbers, and increased immigration from the mainland, do we really want to create an excess of jobs that we'll have to import workers to fill (as the local construction industry is currently doing)? Have you sat in 5pm traffic on the westbound H1 lately?

As for Kalapa's other gripes, he should take 'em up with the State Legislature (as I'm sure he will). In fact, if any of you reading this has gripes, suggestions, or proposed solutions to any issue or problem that can be changed through legislation, you can all take a hint from Kalapa and contact your legislators. The next legislative session is quickly encroaching upon us (January 2006), so start airing your opinions now. John Gardner, Secretary of Health, Education & Welfare under Lyndon Johnson and founder of Common Cause, said "The citizen can bring our political and governmental institutions back to life, make them responsive and accountable, and keep them honest. No one else can." So go forth and do it.

>> Ultimately We All Pay for Lawmakers' Ignorance [Hawaii Reporter, 9/26/05]
>> How a Bill Becomes a Law
>> How to Submit Legislative Testimony
>> Hawaii Legislature FAQs

RELATED PREVIOUS POSTS:
>> Tech Comm'ty: Don't Denigrate Act 221
>> Act 221 = $108M So Far
>> From Your Mouth to the Legislature's Ears
>> Numerology: 221, 215, 235-110.9
>> "Widespread Support"
>> Elegy for Film Bills and Mahalo
>> Schoolhouse Rock Redux

The Meaning of "Independent"

"Independent" has gotten lost in translation. Here are the new faces of "indie" film.

To the ire of many truly independent filmmakers (read: ones not backed by "Indiewood" distributors), this year's Independent Spirit Awards (housed at the new Film Independent organization, formerly IFP/LA) is allowing films made for under $20 million to qualify for nomination. This announcement has prompted NYC film blogger The Reeler to launch into full acrimonious snark mode:

Variety reports today that the budget ceiling for this fall's Independent Spirit Awards nominees has been locked in at $20 million. But not a penny more, OK?

That is not a misprint: If you cannot make your indie film for twenty f**king million dollars, then you are just going to have to settle for an Oscar or a Golden Globe or some other quotidian hardware that will defy and forever sully your carefully cultivated indie cred.

[I]ndeed we have long been deprived of awareness for films budgeted below $20 million—the "economy of means" that so hamstrung the likes of Sideways and that tiny DreamWorks pic House of Sand and Fog at the Spirit Awards a few years back. While we are at it, why don't we up the limit on budgets eligible for the John Cassavetes Award from $500,000 to $5 million? After all, Cassavetes did star in Rosemary's Baby, and that one was glued together with bubble gum at $3 million. Just an idea.

Well said. So kids, if your film cost less than $20 million to make, is over 70 minutes long, and was shown for at least one week in a commercial theater in 2005, or was shown at the L.A. Film Festival, New Directors/New Films, New York, Sundance, Telluride, or Toronto in 2005, you can submit it for consideration for the Independent Spirit Awards by Sept. 23 (early postmark deadline) or Oct 14 (final postmark deadline). Nominees will be announced on Nov. 29.

>> Film Independent Spirit Awards 2006
>> Independent Spirit Awards: Past Nominees & Winners [.pdf]
>> Film Independent Announces Call for Submissions for Independent Spirit Awards [Press Release, 9/22/05]
>> Independent Spirit Awards: All this Can Be Yours for the Low, Low Price of $20 Million [The Reeler, 9/23/05]

RELATED PREVIOUS POSTS:
>> Indies in Hollywood's Wake
>> IFP Hawaii?
>> Filmmaker Magazine: "25 New Faces of Indie Film"

Coming Soon: HIFF

The 25th Annual Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) begins in just 3-1/2 weeks. It's going to be an exciting festival this year, as you'll find out when HIFF's 2005 site launches tomorrow. There was a record number of submissions this year, so you know there'll be lots of good stuff to see. HIFF is even going to keep a blog during the fest.

Programmer Anderson Le has announced that festival honorees will include Sonny Chiba, known to American audiences as ninja-turned-sushi chef Hattori Hanzo in "Kill Bill Vol. 1," and Zhang Yimou, "5th generation" Chinese film icon and director of "Raise the Red Lantern," "Ju Dou," and more recently, Hero" and "House of Flying Daggers."

Also, Roger Corman, known alternately as "King of the Bs," "King of the Drive-Ins," and "Godfather of the Indies," will be honored. Corman directed a version of "Little Shop of Horrors" starring a young Jack Nicholson (a 35mm feature famously shot in 2 days and 1 night) and a slew of B-horror films adapted from Edgar Allan Poe stories. Corman also had a keen eye for talent, and gave early breaks to many now famous directors, including Jonathan Demme, John Sayles, Peter Bogdanovich, and Martin Scorsese. Corman's company, New World Pictures, also served as the American distributor for Ingmar Bergman's "Cries and Whispers" and Federico Fellini's "Amarcord." Perhaps not so coincidentally, a new film category, US Independents, makes its debut this year at HIFF.

There are many more great films, programs, and luminaries I can't tell you about, so make sure to check HIFF's site tomorrow to find out for yourself.

>> Hawaii International Film Festival
>> Godfather of indies to be honored [Hnl Star-Bulletin, 9/25/05]

RELATED PREVIOUS POST:
>> Asian American Film Festivals

Hawaii Film/TV Hodgepodge

Why Josh Holloway got hitched after he got "Lost"...what Daniel Dae Kim is doing this weekend...the cost of the bling bling Naveen Andrews and Maggie Grace wore to the Emmys... what Chris Lee is up to lately...what local stuntman Darin Fujimori said about working on Clint Eastwood's "Flags of Our Fathers" in Iceland. Read all about it in Michael Tsai's latest Hawaii film/TV round-up in the Honolulu Advertiser.

>> Keeping up with castaways off the set [Hnl Advertiser, 9/23/05]

RELATED PREVIOUS POSTS:
>> Kudos to "Lost" on Asian American Representation
>> Big Emmy Wins for "Lost"
>> Chris Lee to Make Legendary Pictures
>> Lee Stepping Down at ACM
>> Oops, Chris Lee has NOT resigned from UH...yet
>> Black Sand Beaches in Iceland

"Boarding School" is now "Makaha Surf"

A press release issued by MTV offshoot The N network yesterday noted that production on "Makaha Surf," formerly called "Boarding School," has begun on Oahu. The 'tween-targeted half-hour TV series is "an intense dramatic series that drops in on the world of four passionate girls and one dream -- to shred on the waves as world-class professional surfers." The N has already picked up 20 episodes, with a premiere set for April 2006.

Kenny Miller, the N's VP of programming and production, said, "The N is totally stoked to be producing this series with MarVista and Brookwell McNamara. Makaha Surf promises to take our audience on a ride they won't soon forget."

>> The N Commences Production on Makaha Surf In Hawaii [PRNewswire, 9/22/05]

RELATED PREVIOUS POST:
>> To Do: 'Tweens & Skaters

Paranoia + Hard Work + Ratings = "Lost"

This week's Honolulu Weekly features a cover story by Becky Maltby on the paranoia that pervades through the production ranks of "Lost." The Weekly puts its stories online a week after they're published offline, so here are some excerpts while you wait:

• Are we paranoid? No more than anyone on the Lost payroll...."I'm really pissed off," [Lost's publicist] snapped over the phone from L.A., after hearing that I had interviewed two people from the Lost crew without her permission.... "This is why I hate the local press. You guys don't listen," she continued. "And the wrong information gets printed. Everything you read in the Star-Bulletin is wrong!"
• I explained to her that the article was about daily work life on the set....I didn't want to find out what's in the hatch, I just wanted to talk to a gaffer, best boy, maybe a dolly grip... "Those people are not media trained!" [the publicist] retorted.
• Despite [the on-site producer's] alleged training in media relations, her defensive wall comes across as fairly hostile. A heavy silence follows the question: Do you want the show to stay in Hawai'i? "Well we wouldn't be here if we didn't want it to stay here," she finally blurts. When questioned further on the subject there is another long pause. "It sounds to me like you're digging for a lot of dirt."
• So why all the Woodward-and-Berstein treatment? It all comes to keeping the season plot secret...

Maltby's article then goes on to feature 3 crew members: Local residents Doug Olivares (camera operator) and Joyce McCarthy (2nd 2nd assistant director), and L.A. resident Steve LaPorte (make-up dept. head). Each is excited to be part of such a hit show, but each acknowledges that there is a lot of hard work and long hours that go into making it, much like any film or TV production:

• Doug Olivares says, "To outsiders, Hollywood is so glamourous and they go ga-ga when they see actors.... It's not as romantic as people think. Sometimes you have to drive to the North Shore and then back home after wrap, people fall asleep at the wheel--there are those issues. But it's nice to have a hit here again. It employs people. We get our paycheck, we go out and buy from vendors and the production company buys things from vendors--services and goods--and we're paying taxes on it, so that all helps the economy."
• Joyce McCarthy says: "I'm always working.... It's very weird because you don't participate in everyday life and you try to get everything done on the weekends."
• Steve LaPorte says: "[The show] requires a lot of film-qualify work, labor-intensive. Some people think it's just a show about dirt and sunblock and it's really a lot more than that."

All that hard work and paranoia has paid off: yesterday, the show's season premiere garnered its highest-ever ratings, with 23.1 million people tuning in.

>> The Lost Files: What’s it like to work on the set of the most popular—and secretive—show on television? [Hnl Weekly, 9/21-27/05] (check back next week for direct link to article)
>> ABC's 'Lost' finds big ratings in Wednesday debut [Reuters/Hollywood Reporter, 9/22/05]

RELATED PREVIOUS POSTS:
>> "Lost"'s Wet Premiere
>> Speaking of Blogs...
>> Musings on "Best of Honolulu 2005"
>> Tim Ryan, Local Scoopmeister
>> The Glamourous Film Industry (+ the People in it)

Notorious H.N.L.

Mark David Chapman & John Lennon

Beyond the picture-postcard palm trees and sunshine, Hawaii is rife with dark stories. One of these is the story of John Lennon's killer, Mark David Chapman, who called Hawaii home for a number of years, and planned his infamous murder here. A British production company recently shot an independent feature biopic of Chapman, utilizing Hawaii locations such as the state library and Ala Wai boat harbor. Here's Chapman's Hawaii story:

After seeing a map of Hawaii, Chapman decided to come here in 1977 to have a last hurrah in paradise before committing suicide. He spent his savings on a lavish stay at the Moana Hotel and then changed his mind about killing himself. He moved into the YMCA to stretch his dollars. But then he got depressed again and tried poisoning himself with carbon monoxide, only to be thwarted by a Japanese fisherman who tapped on his windshield to see if he was OK. To Chapman, the fisherman was an angel of God who had given him a second chance. He checked himself into a mental health clinic and was admitted to Castle Memorial Hospital under suicide watch. He bounced back, got a job at the hospital, and married Gloria Abe, a Japanese American woman. But his demons came back and he lost his job. He got another job as a night security guard at a luxury apartment building and tried drowning out his sorrows with alcohol.

That's when his obsessions began to flourish. He first became obsessed with art, then with getting out of debt, then with Catcher in the Rye. He was so obsessed with J.D. Salinger's novel that he wrote the Hawaii attorney general to try to change his name to Holden Caulfield. Finally, he became obsessed with John Lennon, calling him a hypocrite for preaching love and peace while being a multi-millionaire.

Chapman planned on going to New York. He bought a .38-caliber gun at a Honolulu gun store and left for New York in October of 1980. He studied the Dakota building, where Lennon lived, and bought bullets for his gun. But then he backed down and returned to Hawaii. A few months later, his demons reappeared, prompting him to make bomb threats and harass the Hare Krishnas downtown. Finally, Chapman returned to New York, where here shot and killed John Lennon on December 8, 1980.

Today, Chapman sits in Attica Correctional Institution. In 2004, he was denied parole for the third time. He's up for parole again next year.

Chapman's is just one of Hawaii's many notorious tales that have been subjects of films. Others include the Massie Affair in which a white woman accused five Hawaiian and Asian men of rape, launching a national race war; the quarantine of Hansen's disease sufferers on Molokai; the crystal meth epidemic; prostitution in downtown Honolulu; and the overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom by white land robbers.

>> Mark David Chapman: The Man Who Killed John Lennon; Chapter 4 :Escape to Paradise [By Fred McGunagle for Court TV]

The Rock Wants to Come to the Rock

Snippet from a recent interview with The Rock a.k.a. Dwayne Johnson:

Question: Any interest in developing your own project?
The Rock: King Kamehameha would be a project--the Hawaiian king who united all of the islands. I've always liked to refer to him as 'The Braveheart of Hawaii.' Only he kills his own people when they didn't listen.

>> On-Set Interview: The Rock, "Doom" [Dark Horizons, 9/21/05]

HISTORY LESSON:
>> Kamehameha the Great [Hawaii State Gov't]

Honolulu: Hipster Haven

Ironic hipsters can get their midnight munchies fix at the kitschy Wailana Coffee House, a 24-hour Waikiki dining staple since my parents went on dates here (!). Come here for Spam, beige vinyl, and waitresses with bee-hive hairdos. John Waters would be proud.
(Photo: 'onokinegrindz.com)

According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, "Honolulu is starting to put itself on the hipster map" thanks to the club/cafe cluster that has recently sprung up downtown and to the new nightlife scene in Waikiki.

As one SoCal transplant / Honolulu aficionado puts it, "The best of all worlds is nature, beach, weather and culture. [Honolulu] doesn't have the best of everything, but at least it has everything. It doesn't need to be Manhattan. It's not Paris, but it's subtle and kind of hidden."

Among the list of places deemed hip by the article are Indigo restaurant, The Contemporary Museum, and clubs like the Living Room, where the "Lost" stars can sometimes can be found. And, much like New Yorkers started doing in the late 90s with Alphabet City, young Honolulu hipster-artists are trying to shoo away the druggies from the downtown/Chinatown area. There is now a healthy smattering of hip hotspots within blocks of each other, including The ARTS at Mark's Garage, Bar 35, thirtyninehotel, the Hawaii Theater (where Aimee Mann will croon later this month), and Next Door, home of the Cinema Paradise independent film festival.

The founder of thirtyninehotel is hopeful of Honolulu's blossoming into hipsterhood: "People are developing more urban sensibilities. Lots of people are moving here from the mainland." It's true. While it's no Williamsburg (thank GOD!), Honolulu is much more hip than it was a few years ago--hip enough to keep NY/LA production types from getting bored on their days off. But who am I to say? After all, hipness is in the eye of the beholder.

>> Honolulu gets hip [Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9/18/05]
>> Raising Hotel Street [Honolulu Weekly, 6/15/05]
>> Cosmopolitan venue brewing Next Door [Hnl Star Bulletin, 6/21/05]
>> Hotel Street venue gets makeover for movies [Hnl Advertiser, 5/16/05]
>> Will The Last Hipster Please Turn Out The Lights? [New York Magazine, 11/29/04]

RELATED PREVIOUS POSTS:
>> Cinema Paradise is Coming, Jun 24 to Jul 1
>> IFP Hawaii?

"Set-jetting" in Hawaii

Elvis at the Coco Palms Resort on Kauai.

From "Blue Hawaii" to "Jurassic Park," from "Hawaii Five-O" to "Lost," Hawaii has played host to some pretty famous productions. Now, Hawaii is playing host to a slew of tourists--"set-jetters," as they're called-- who want to visit the old sets of these productions (and, by the way, spend money while they're here). Now that's what I call effective (and free) marketing, wouldn't you say?

>> Lights! Camera! Hawaii perfect paradise location [Reuters, 9/19/05]

RELATED PREVIOUS POSTS
>> Elvis Was Here
>> "You’ve Seen the Films, Now Visit the Set"

Big Emmy Wins for "Lost"

Congrats to J.J. Abrams for winning the Emmy for Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series for the effects and suspense-laden, feature film-like pilot episode of ABC's "Lost." And congrats to the crew and cast of the show for nabbing the top Drama Series Emmy.

These 2 awards plus the 4 Creative Arts Emmys from last week make for a total of 6 Emmy awards (out of 12 noms) for "Lost" in its maiden year. The show tied sister ABC show "Desperate Housewives" in the number of total awards. Both were beat only by one show, HBO's "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers," which won 9 awards.

>> Festive Mood, Big Surprises Rock the Primetime Emmys [Emmys.org, 9/18/05]
>> ‘Lost’ finds Emmy gold [AP via Hnl Star-Bulletin, 9/19/05]
>> UPDATE: Local 'Lost' Boy Wins Emmy [KGMB9, 9/19/05]
>> UPDATE: Emmy dominance lifts Hawai'i's role in 'Lost' [Hnl Advertiser, 9/20/05]
>> UPDATE: ‘Lost’ inthe moment [Hnl Star-Bulletin, 9/21/05]

Emmys & Hawaii

As we all now know, "Lost" is not only a commercial hit, but a critical one too. In addition to accolades and nominations from AFI, the DGA, and the Golden Globes, the series just scored 4 Emmys at this year's Creative Arts Emmys ceremony:

• Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series: April Webster, Mandy Sherman, Alyssa Weisberg, Veronica Collins Rooney
• Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series: Mary Jo Markey for "Pilot"
• Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore): Michael Giacchino for "Pilot"
• Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series Kevin Blank, Mitch Suskin, Archie Ahuna, Jonathan Spencer Levy, Benoit "Ben" Girard, Laurent M. Abecassis, Kevin Kutchaver, Steve Fong, Bob Lloyd for "Pilot"

And the show is up for 6 more awards at this Sunday's Primetime Emmys ceremony (8/7c on CBS):

• Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series: Naveen Andrews as Sayid
• Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series: Terry O’Quinn as John Locke
• Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series: J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof, Jeffrey Lieber for "Pilot"
• Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series: David Fury for "Walkabout"
• Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series: J.J. Abrams for "Pilot"
• Outstanding Drama Series

This is not the first time a made-in-Hawaii series has won national Emmy awards. Here's a brief Emmy history of Hawaii:

HAWAII FIVE-O (CBS)

• Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition, 1970: Morton Stevens
• Best Music Composition, 1974: Morton Stevens

THE THORN BIRDS (ABC)

• Outstanding Achievement in Makeup, 1983: Del Acevedo
• Outstanding Art Direction for a Limited Series or a Special, 1983: Robert MacKichan, Jerry Adams
• Outstanding Film Editing for a Limited Series or a Special, 1983: C. Timothy O'Meara
• Outstanding Lead Actress for a Limited Series or a Special, 1983: Barbara Stanwyck
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special, 1983: Richard Kiley
• Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Special, 1983: Jean Simmons

MAGNUM, P.I. (CBS)

• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, 1984: Tom Selleck
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, 1987: John Hillerman
  

RELATED PREVIOUS POSTS:
>> Local SFX Expert Wins Emmy
>> Hawaii Responds to "Lost" Noms
>> Archie Ahuna, SFX Emmy Nominee
>> "Lost" Gets 12 Emmy Noms
>> Regional Emmy Win for "Kokua"

"Lost"'s Wet Premiere

Naveen Andrews braves the red carpet

The season two opener of "Lost" was most excellent--so excellent, it was almost worth it to sit in the pouring rain underneath a soggy beach mat with kettle corn spilling on my lap. Sorry, you won't find any spoilers here. Suffice it to say that despite Matthew Fox's shaggy wig, "Lost" fans will be thoroughly enthralled. Check out some photos of the premiere here (thanks Brent!).

>> 'Lost' cast showered with love [Hnl Advertiser, 9/15/05]
>> 'Lost' stars find fans in Waikiki [Hnl Star-Bulletin, 9/15/05]

RELATED POST:
>> "Lost" Media Circus (DVD Release Party)

Kokua for Katrina Concert

Amy Hanaiali’i Gilliom and Willie K

This doesn't have anything to do with film, but it's for a good cause...

What: Kokua for Katrina - A benefit concert for the victims of Hurricane Katrina

When: Sunday, September 18, 2005, 3 p.m. to midnight

Where: Kapono’s at Aloha Tower Marketplace, 1 Aloha Tower Drive, #44, Honolulu, HI 96813,
Telephone: (808) 536-2161

Tickets: Ticketmaster outlet, Ticketmaster.com, Star Market, Blaisdell box office, Brigham Young University box-office, or call Kapono’s at (808) 536-2161

Cost: $30 per ticket

Age limits: All ages until 9p.m.; 9 p.m. to midnight – 21 and over.

Artists: Cecilio & Kapono, Kalapana, Barefoot Natives featuring Eric Gilliom & Willie K, Kohala featuring Grammy award-winning artist Charles Brotman, Tony Silva (Da Braddahs), BET, Ooklah the Moc, Amy Hanaiali’i Gilliom, Inoa Ole, Opihi Pickers, Harold Kama Jr., Kaleo Pilanka (comedian), and many, many more.

Beneficiary: Proceeds from ticket sales and food and beverage sales will be given to the Hawaii Red Cross for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

Parking: Free at Aloha Tower Marketplace (parking is limited), free at Topa Financial, additional paid parking at Harbor Court & Harbor Square.

Broadcast: If you cannot make it to Kapono's on Sunday, please enjoy the live simulcast from 4-6pm on KFVE, KGMB, KHNL, KHON, KITV, PBS and OC16, and call in your donations to the American Red Cross by utilizing the call in numbers disclosed on the broadcast.

RELATED PREVIOUS POSTS:
>> Louisiana Film Industry: Open for Business
>> South Carolina: "We don't want to look like vultures"
>> Katrina Devastates Hollywood South
>> Hurricanes & Movies

News Tidbits: Lost, Lost, Lost, & Cameron Crowe

Ick, is this becoming just another "Lost" blog, or what?

• Oahu residents and visitors get to see the season 2 premiere of "Lost" tonight at Sunset on the Beach, Waikiki, 6:30pm (get there earlier though).
• Michelle Rodriguez of "Girlfight" and "Blue Crush" fame is joining the regular "Lost" cast this season.
• Ian Somerhalder's sudden on-screen death has made the remaining "Lost" actors afraid of losing their jobs. Josh Holloway, who had been planning to buy a boat with Somerhalder, says "It's painful and nerve-racking...It created a negative thing that wasn't there before. We're all watching our backs now." Daniel Dae Kim wants to buy a house in Hawaii, but isn't so sure because anyone can be killed off at anytime.
• Cameron Crowe ("Say Anything," "Jerry Maguire," "Almost Famous") was apparently recently tapped to direct the as-yet-unwritten big screen remake of "Hawaii Five-O." When asked if he wanted to have a hand in resurrecting one of his favorite TV shows as a kid, he replied, "I don't think so."

Surf-Horror, Anyone?

Is that a surfer...or is it...a monster?!

L.A. transplant Jordan Alan loves Hawaii so much, he's decided to put down some roots here. He's about to shoot his first made-in-Hawaii feature called "Pipeline," which combines two popular genres: surf flick + horror flick. His other half, Amanda Righetti, last seen as the blonde vixen on Fox's recently cancelled Hawaii-based series "North Shore," will star in the film. Click here to check out an early trailer, which is basically an assemblage of the surf footage Alan shot earlier this year.

"Pipeline" is being produced under Alan's production company moniker, The Outer Reefs, Ltd., with financing and distribution by Australia-based Arclight Films ("Beautiful Boxer," "Face," "Reefer Madness," CBS's "Elvis" miniseries).

Alan promises the crew will be at least 90% local. And why not? One of our local crew members just won an Emmy. Plus we boast the best surf cinematographers and water safety experts in the world. Local folks on board already include co-producer Brian Keaulana of Hawaiian Water Patrol and VFX outfit Cause & F(x) Pictures.

Alan is hoping to do for Hawaii what Peter Jackson did for his native New Zealand. Considering that Jackson cut his teeth on genre-meshing horror-comedy splatterfests, Alan looks to be on the right track.

>> Producer hopes his film ‘Pipeline’ breaks out of surf [Hnl Star-Bulletin, 9/11/05]
>> Pipeline Trailer [The Outer Reefs, Ltd.]

RELATED PREVIOUS POSTS:
>> Local SFX Expert Wins Emmy
>> "Lost" Hires Local VFX Firm

Local SFX Expert Wins Emmy

One of the many stunning Emmy-award winning special effects in "Lost"'s pilot episode

In Sunday's Creative Arts Emmys ceremony, Hawaii's own Archie Ahuna, special effects supervisor extraordinaire, along with 8 of his colleagues, won Emmys for their spectacular visual work on "Lost"'s pilot.

Other "Lost" wins include casting, single-camera picture editing, and music composition (dramatic underscore). In total, the hit ABC series garnered 4 awards, tying "Desperate Housewives" and beat only by HBO's "The Life & Death of Peter Sellers" (6 awards) and "Deadwood" (6 awards).

There will be a delayed broadcast of the Creative Arts Emmys ceremony on Sat, 9/7 at 7pm on E! Make sure to also watch the Primetime Emmys Telecast on Sunday, 9/18 on CBS at 8/7c to see how the rest of "Lost"'s nominees will fare.

RELATED PREVIOUS POSTS:
>> "Lost" Gets 12 Emmy Noms
>> Hawaii Responds to "Lost" Noms
>> Archie Ahuna, SFX Emmy Nominee

Louisiana Film Industry: Open for Business

The University of New Orleans's Robert E. Nims Center has been rented out as a soundstage to Hollywood productions. One-third of UNO is under water, and classes are only being offered electronically this semester.




In a roundtable discussion at the Toronto International Film Festival today, Louisiana state senators Jay Dardenne and Arthur Lentini told an industry crowd that the state is open for filmmaking business, and is in fact, counting on the industry to be key in the state's economic recovery.

The event, planned months ago, was originally intended as a meet-and-greet with producers to pitch tax incentives, but ended up being a plea to the industry to help the state bounce back from Hurricane Katrina.

>> The filmmaking show must go on, Louisiana says [Reuters, 9/12/05]

RELATED PREVIOUS POSTS:
>> South Carolina: "We don't want to look like vultures"
>> Katrina Devastates Hollywood South
>> Hurricanes & Movies
>> The Golden Age of Louisiana
>> The Truth About Louisiana
>> Domestic Competition for Productions Growing Fiercer

Fundraiser Fracas

Photo by Jeff Widener, Honolulu Advertiser

About 3,000 converged at the Hilton Hawaiian Village on Saturday to get a glimpse, an autograph, or a photo with "Lost" cast members. Oh yeah, and also donate to the American Red Cross's Hurricane Katrina relief fund. A bit of mayhem ensued when eager members of the press tripped over themselves and broke the dividing rope. But hey, anything for those evacuees, huh? The fundraiser garnered $20,250 for them.

>> 'Lost' fundraiser a little crazy [Hnl Advertiser, 9/11/05]

Charlie Chan's "Number One" Granddaughter

This 1938 film is the 17th in Fox's Charlie Chan series and the first to star Sidney Toler, who succeeded Warner Oland. Both actors were white.

Back in July, The Hollywood Reporter reported that the infamous Charlie Chan film franchise was being resurrected by Fox as a feature starring Lucy Liu as the Chinese Hawaiian sleuth's granddaughter. Liu also plans to executive produce, and Dan McDermott, the EVP of prime time programming at Fox turned head of Dreamworks TV turned screenwriter, is slated to write the screenplay.

Charlie Chan was the affable Asian "Uncle Tom," who peppered his broken English with Confucianesque mis-sayings ("Ancient adage say, 'Music soothe savage breast.'"), and was always played by white men, is a character much maligned by the Asian American community, so news of the franchise's return comes as a mixed blessing. On the one hand, Liu's star power and a revisionist take on the story of Chan and clan may help right the racist wrongs committed by the original franchise. On the other, many Asian Americans want Charlie Chan dead for good rather than risk a Hollywood writer (esp. one who's a former TV exec) botching what's meant to be a politically correct revision.

I, for one, am excited to see what Lucy Liu and Fox have in store for the 21st century Charlie Chan. But Lucy, Fox, if you're reading, may I suggest you hire an Asian American co-screenwriter? And, of course, shoot the film in Hawaii? After all, Charlie Chan is based on Chang Apana, a real-life Chinese police detective with the Honolulu Police Department who carried a whip instead of a gun, wore a Panama hat, smoked cigars, and spoke fluent pidgin English, Hawaiian, and Cantonese. During his time on the force from 1898 to 1932, he busted numerous criminals in the opium and gambling underworld.

What's more, according to IMDB, Jennifer Klein, who has worked on a made-in-Hawaii flick (as an associate producer of "Pearl Harbor") is producing the new Chan movie. So Lucy doll, even though you went to my rival high school and grew up in my rival borough, I heart you, and I and the rest of Hawaii would welcome you and your Charlie Chan crew with open arms.

>> The Return of Charlie Chan [AsianWeek, 9/9/05]
>> Liu Joins the Chan Clan [Zap2it.com, 7/27/05]

RELATED PREVIOUS POSTS:
>> Kudos to "Lost" on Asian American Representation
>> Cultural Insensitivity

PipelineFX CEO Quits

"Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within" was developed by PipelineFX's predecessor Square USA

Bill Spencer has stepped down as CEO of Honolulu-based PipelineFX, which specializes in render farm management software used in 3D animation, special effects, and other computer graphics for films and interactive games.

Spencer, who served as PipelineFX's CEO for 2 years, told Pacific Business News that "The founders are in a position now to manage the company so I stepped aside. I was really the CEO who came in to help them raise their financing and get them off the ground." Co-founder and COO Richard Lewis said that the split, which took effect 7/31, was amicable, and that while Spencer won't have an active role, he's still a "significant shareholder" in the company.

Spencer has been succeeded by PipelineFX's co-founder Troy Brooks. Spencer remains president of the non-profit Hawaii Venture Capital Association, which he has led since 1999.

>> Bill Spencer leaves Pipelinefx [Pacific Business News, 9/9/05]

RELATED PREVIOUS POSTS:
>> Hawaii's "Digital Revolution" Continues
>> "Lost" Hires Local VFX Firm
>> "Final Fantasy" Not So Final

Kudos to "Lost" on Asian American Representation

Yunjin Kim and Daniel Dae Kim on "Lost"

Since Hawaii's population is largely Asian or Pacific Islander (per the 2000 U.S. Census, 41.6% Asian, 9.4% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 21.4% 2 or more races), y'all might be interested in the following recent findings about Asian Pacific Islander Americans (APIAs) on prime time network TV.

The National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium (NAPALC) recently issued a report on “Asian Pacific Americans in Prime Time.” NAPALC is part of the Asian Pacific American Media Coalition, which has been tracking the progress of the major TV networks for 5 years in the following areas: total number of APIA actors, writers, directors, development contracts, and executives, as well as procurement from APIA-owned companies and the level and scope of their outreach efforts.

"Asian Americans in Prime Time" examines data and assesses how well the major networks fulfill their oft-touted promises to improve the quality and complexity of APIA characters. Here are some of the report's findings:

• Only 13 out of 113 prime time network series feature at least one APIA actor, and fewer of these feature them prominently. (APIA as token)
• Although diversity in network programming is growing, APIAs continue to have small and superficial roles written specifically for race/ethnicity. APIAs also continue to be simplistically portrayed as isolated and asexual. (marginalization and stereotyping of APIAs)
• Regular characters portrayed by APIA actors are absent from shows set in heavily APIA-populated areas such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle, and severely underrepresented in places like Hawaii and New York City.
• There are 3 exemplary programs that feature regular Asian American cast members with developed roles that are integral to the plot:
  1. Lost (ABC) - Stars Naveen Andrews, an Indian Briton born and raised in London; Daniel Dae Kim, a Korean American raised in Pennsylvania; and Yunjin Kim, a Korean/Korean American raised in Seoul and NYC. Also, the episode featuring Daniel and Yunjin's love story was written by Javier Grillo-Marxuach, a Latino. FYI, if you didn't already know, "Lost" is shot (but not set) here in Hawaii.
  2. E.R. (NBC) - Stars Parminder Nagra, an Indian Briton born and raised in England, and formerly starred Ming-Na, a Chinese American raised in NYC and Pittsburgh.
  3. Gilmore Girls (WB) - Stars Keiko Agena, a Japanese American born and raised in Honolulu (she wen' grad Mid-Pac!).
• Honorable mentions include recently cancelled "Hawaii" (NBC) and "Star Trek Enterprise" (UPN). But I must note that while "Hawaii" did star APIAs Aya Sumika, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, and Peter Navy Tuiasosopo, some of the show's storylines and plot elements related to Hawaiian culture and history were inaccurate at best and extremely offensive at worst.

>> Asian Pacific Americans in Prime Time: Lights, Camera and Little Action [Asian American Press, 9/9/05]
>> NAPALC's TV Diversity Publications & Materials
>> 'Lost' actress is no timid Asian woman, after all [L.A. Times, 5/4/05 (re-printed Hnl Adv, 5/11)]
>> Importance of 'Lost' role not lost on Kim [Hnl Advertiser, 3/16/05]
>> At home with 'Lost' [Hnl Advertiser, 11/3/04]
>> Hawai'i on TV lacks state's racial diversity [Hnl Advertiser, 7/5/04]

RELATED PREVIOUS POSTS:
>> Office of Hawaiian Affairs Ups Media Spending
>> Culture Clash
>> Cultural Insensitivity
>> Asian American Film Festivals

"Lost" Hurricane Fundraiser

Fake survivors helping real survivors.

"Lost" stars are giving a boost to the American Red Cross's hurricane relief efforts with a fundraiser this Saturday, 9/10 from 12-2pm by the Hilton Hawaiian Village's Tapa Bar. Anyone who's interested can get autographs and photo ops in exchange for cash, check, or credit card donations.

>> 'Lost' cast to raise funds for American Red Cross [Hnl Advertiser, 9/9/05]
>> Hurricane relief efforts in Hawai'i [Hnl Advertiser, 9/7/05]

South Carolina: "We don't want to look like vultures"

Charleston, SC and New Orleans, LA

An AP story picked up by the San Jose Mercury News today reported that South Carolina is offering itself up as a home to Louisiana's displaced film industry. Since Hurricane Katrina hit, the folks at SC's film office have upped ad placements in the trades and have called and emailed major production companies to welcome them to their state. SC's film commish Jeff Monks said, "We don't want to look like vultures, but we want to say, 'We're here, let us help you out.' "

Katrina's ultimate impact on Louisiana's film industry, which had been burgeoning at record speed thanks to generous tax incentives, remains to be seen. Some express skepticism that Louisiana will ever rise again as Hollywood South, while others are hopeful that the resilient film industry will bounce back, and in the process, help the Louisianans that have helped them so much.

>> South Carolina offers home to displaced film industry [AP/San Jose Mercury News, 9/7/05]
>> Louisiana’s film future now in doubt [AP/MSNBC, 9/2/05]



RELATED PREVIOUS POSTS:
>> Katrina Devastates Hollywood South
>> Hurricanes & Movies
>> The Golden Age of Louisiana
>> The Truth About Louisiana
>> Domestic Competition for Productions Growing Fiercer

"Lost" Feature Film?

Hopeful hobbit: Back on the silver screen?

The World Entertainment News Network reported today that 3 different Hollywood studios are battling for the rights to make a big-budget feature out of the "Lost" series finale, which according to WENN, will be at the end of the second or third season, depending on whether the show continues to be successful. Not sure if WENN actually means series or season finale, as the source seems to mix the two terms up. Not sure if this isn't all just rumors and hearsay. But oh well, hasn't that become "news" these days anyway?

In any case, "Lost"'s producers apparently decided to take this route in part to stem the fury of stars Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, and Dominic Monaghan over their discovery that they're only making a fifth of what the "Desperate Housewives" are making. The planned theatrical blockbuster will reportedly add at least $3.6 million to their paychecks.

On a related note, we who live on Oahu will get to see "Lost"'s season 2 opener before everyone else. There will be a public screening of "Man of Science, Man of Faith" at Sunset on the Beach in Waikiki on 9/14 at 6:30pm. Those who don't live here will have to wait till 9/8c on 9/21 to catch the broadcast premiere.

>> Lost Producers Plan Blockbuster Finale [WENN, 9/5/05]
>> Hawaiians!! Want To See LOST 2.1 Before Anyone Else?? [Ain't It Cool News, 9/1/05]
>> Sunset on the Beach [City & County of Honolulu]

RELATED PREVIOUS POSTS:
>> "Lost" Lawsuit
>> "Lost" Media Circus (DVD Release Party)
>> How "Lost" Was Found
>> "Lost" Gets 12 Emmy Noms
>> Hawaii Responds to "Lost" Noms
>> Archie Ahuna, SFX Emmy Nominee
>> "Lost" Hires Local VFX Firm
>> Hawaii as San Fran, NYC, UK, Oz, etc.
>> Hawaii Galore in Hollywood Reporter