Breaking: Asian Pacific Americans Underrepresented on TV!

Where are all the Asians?
Despite the fact that CBS's "Two and a Half Men," NBC's "Joey" and "Will & Grace," WB's "Twins," and ABC's "Alias," are set in the heavily APIA-populated cities of L.A., L.A., NYC, San Francisco, and L.A., respectively, the shows fail to include APIA regulars.

It's that time of year again! You know what'm'talkin'bout. Just as you're recovering from all your rage about the last TV season's lack of Asian Pacific Islander American and minority representation, and about to prepare for the upcoming fall season's fresh host of racial injustices, out comes the Asian American Justice Center's annual "Asian Pacific Americans in Prime Time" report. And guess what, kids? 2005 was not much better than 2004! You as surprised as I am?

Here are some fast (and all-too-familiar) facts for you to stew over yet again:

• The appearance of regular Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA) characters on primetime network TV has not significantly increased over the last two years
• APIA characters on primetime network TV make up only 2.6% of all regular characters, even though APAs comprise 5% of the U.S. populatoin
• Only 14 out of 102 primetime network programs feature at least one APIA
• Two exemplary programs that feature APIAs as complex, multifaceted characters (i.e., real humans) are ABC's "Lost" featuring Daniel Dae Kim, Yunjin Kim, and Naveen Andrews, and ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" featuring Sandra Oh. However, it should be noted that "Lost" shoots in Hawaii, where APIAs make up more than half the population, and "Grey's Anatomy" is set in Seattle, where APIAs comprise 13.4% of the population.

Hello? Are you there Hollywood? It's us, the "minorities." Maybe you didn't get the memo, so let us be the first to tell you: most of the world is not white...so, uh...maybe...you can stop acting like it is?! Seriously, we're all sick of kvetching about it already.

>> Asian Pacific Americans in Prime Time: Setting the Stage

RELATED POSTS:
>> Kudos to "Lost" on Asian American Representation
>> Actors Get Reality Check
>> "I Have a Dream..."
>> Hollywood Studio System is "Inherently Racist"
>> Morita Was Best Supporting Asian
>> Halting American Cultural Imperialism
>> Minority Writers Get Minor Share of Work
>> Cultural Insensitivity

Be Pono!

Littering at Kanaha Beach, Maui: Sooooo NOT Pono! (Photo: Forest & Kim Starr (USGS))

In an editorial yesterday, the Maui News asked, "Can MTV be 'pono'"? The editorial was referring to the two new MTV reality series currently in production on Maui, and whether or not they could be "pono," which in Hawaiian means upright, moral, correct, proper, and righteous.

We in Hawaii are concerned about such things because our locations, culture, and people have been burned by many, many productions that didn't give a hoot about the concerns of their “host culture.” Being pono, according to the Maui News, includes things like not touting "secret places” that are restricted or dangerous, training cast members to pronounce Hawaiian words correctly, understanding and respecting Hawaii's multicultural history and heritage, respecting the public's right to access shorelines, helping to protect Hawaii’s delicate natural resources, and offering a realistic view of what it means to live in Hawaii.

On a related note, a letter to the editor in the Honolulu Advertiser today complained about a recent production here that apparently was not pono in the eyes of one participant. PBS's popular "Antiques Roadshow" made a stop in Honolulu a few days ago to appraise local residents' wares. However, according to one participant, the production "lacked cultural sensitivity" by not providing sufficient Asian antiques experts because they failed to account for Hawaii's majority Asian population. This participant goes on further to complain that there was no "Hawaiiana" category, and those with Hawaiian artifacts were relegated to stand in a line labeled "Tribal Art."

Let's hope that the experience was not as negative for other participants, and that when the show airs, it treats Hawaii more sensitively when it takes viewers on a tour of historic sites around the islands.

>> Can MTV be 'pono'? [Maui News, 8/28/06]
>> PBS Hit "Roadshow" Lacked Cultural Sensitivity [Hnl Advertiser Letter to the Editor, 8/29/06]
>> 'Antiques Roadshow' is here to amaze, appraise [Hnl Advertiser, 8/23/06]
>> Crowds roll in for 'Antiques Roadshow' [Hnl Advertiser, 8/27/06]
>> Hit PBS show draws thousands hoping antiques are treasures [Hnl Star-Bulletin, 8/27/06]

RELATED POSTS:
>> Two New MTV Reality Series Shooting on Maui
>> Respecting Host Cultures While Filming
>> Listen and Learn
>> Hawaii Newbies, Read This
>> Hawaii vs. Hawaiian
>> Culture Clash
>> Cultural Insensitivity
>> "Lost" Restores Landscape It Had Trampled

Waikiki To Be Awash With Soap Stars

SoapNet's "Soap Talk" will be descending on the beach behind the Hilton Hawaiian Village to shoot its four season premiere episodes airing in mid-October. The public will be invited to attend.

Among the soap star guests and co-hosts scheduled to participate are Susan Lucci and Rebecca Budig of "All My Children;" Laura Wright , Kelly Monaco, Ingo Rademacher and Jason Thompson of "General Hospital;" Jack Wagner of "The Bold and the Beautiful;" and Bryan Dattilo and Julie Pinson of "Days of Our Lives."

Side note: national talk shows are eligible for our 15-20% refundable production tax credit.

>> Soap stars headed for Waikiki [Hnl Star-Bulletin, 8/29/06]

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>> Sorry, Ellen
>> Hawaii (oh, and Matthew Fox) on Oprah

Disney's "Morning Light" Project

Billionaire scion and avid sailor Roy E. Disney is embarking on a new documentary project called "Morning Light," in which 15 young sailors from disparate backgrounds participate in a transpacific yacht race from L.A. to Honolulu. Disney specifically sought sailors who didn't fit the rich, male, "white bread" mold typical in the sport of sailing.

Disney told the L.A. Times, ""You can't get any farther from a piece of land in the world than you are when you're halfway to Hawaii. I think the drama is about the young people coming together. This is not a story about boats. It's a story about people. Boats are really, really boring. The drama is simply inherent in the human condition."

The 15 sailors will fly to Honolulu in January to train under Olympic gold medalist Robbie Haines. The team will be whittled down to 11 in April, with four alternates, and the race will take place in July. Included among the 15 finalists (chosen from a pool of 538 applicants) is Mark Towill, a Honolulu native and Punahou Senior, who at 17, is the youngest of the bunch.

>> Disney Lands a New Sea Crew [L.A. Times, 8/15/06]
>> Honolulu teenager picked for Transpac [Hnl Advertiser, 8/19/06]

New & Improved: Hawaii Film Office Site

After years of being moved around, transferred, edited piecemeal, and essentially held together by scotch tape and bubble gum (state contracts expiring, limited resources--you know how it goes), the Hawaii Film Office's official site has finally been revised! It's now actually navigable! Other improvements:

• "Filming in Hawaii" easy-reference guide to get you started shooting here
• Step-by-step guide on how to apply for a state film permit
• Updated filmography for Hawaii
• New "Crew & Talent" page with key labor organization contacts
• List of "Current Productions," which we will update regularly

So check it out, and let me know if you have any other suggestions for improvement.

>> Hawaii Film Office site

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>> Meet the Hawaii Film Office!
>> Meet the County Film Offices
>> Permits, Hawaiian Style
>> Importing Animals to Hawaii
>> Forbidden Shoot

Two New MTV Reality Series Shooting on Maui

Not one, but two, new MTV reality series are shooting on Maui. After shooting pilots there in June, both got greenlit for 8 half-hour episodes apiece. "Living Lahaina" follows the adventures of surf instructors at Lahaina's Royal Hawaiian Surf Academy, and "Island Fever" depicts the relationship dramas and traumas of a group of young folks. According to the Star-Bulletin, an MTV spokesperson said that Hawaii's new 15-20% refundable production tax credit increased the appeal of filming here.

>>2 new MTV reality shows will use Valley Isle as a backdrop [Star-Bulletin, 8/25/06]

RELATED POSTS:
>> Meet the County Film Offices
>> How Act 88 Will Help Maui
>> Finally! Forms for 15-20% Film Tax Credit!
>> "Las Vegas" Loves Our Tax and Tropical Incentives
>> NBC's "Las Vegas" to Shoot Episode on Oahu
>> It's a Ruff Ruff Ruff Ruff World
>> 2005 Hawaii Film and TV Reverie

David L. Cunningham's "The Path to 9/11"

Miniseries directed by Hawaii-raised David L. Cunningham will air 9/10-11 on ABC (ABC.com)

David L. Cunningham, who grew up on the Big Island, directed the upcoming ABC miniseries "The Path to 9/11." The 2-day, 5-hour drama depicts what happened in the years between the '93 World Trade Center terrorist attack and 9/11. Producers of the $40 million project used the 9/11 Commission Report, The Cell by John Miller and Michael Stone, and The Relentless Pursuit by Samuel Katz as source material.

Cunningham's previous directing credits include the newest "Little House on the Prairie" miniseries that aired on ABC last year, and "To End All Wars" and "Beyond Paradise," two indie features shot on Kauai and the Big Island/Oahu, respectively.

"The Path to 9/11" stars Harvey Keitel, Donnie Wahlberg, Michael Benyaer, Shirley Douglas, Patricia Heaton, and a bunch of minority actors who portray terrorists as well as collaborators. It airs 9/10-11 at 8/7c on ABC.

>> "The Path to 9/11" [ABC.com]
>> "The Path to 9/11" [IMBD]
>> David L. Cunningham's video testimonial on shooting in Hawaii [Hawaii Film Office]

UPDATE, 9/6: ABC's 'Path to 9/11' Stirs Criticism [TV Week, 9/5/06]
UPDATE, 9/8: Passions Flare as Broadcast of 9/11 Mini-Series Airs [NY Times, 9/8/06]

KFEST, Supernanny, Edgy

Upcoming events:

• KFEST - The Hawaii International Film Festival organization is hosting its 2nd KFEST, a mini-festival of Korean films tonight, 8/25 through Sunday, 8/27 at the Dole Cannery Theaters. Official Site; Star-Bulletin; Advertiser
• "Supernanny" Auditions - Wanna tame your bratty kids in front of American TV audiences? Then go to the open call for ABC's "Supernanny" on 9/2 from 3-7pm at Kahala Mall. Interested parents should first apply on ABC.com (keyword "Supernanny") or call (877) 626-6984. Advertiser
• An Evening with Edgy Lee - Local documentarian Lee ("Paniolo O Hawaii," "Ice," "The Hawaiians") will speak about her career and vision, interspersing bits of her films, on 9/7 from 6:30-9pm at the Halekulani. $45 will get you Edgy, wine, and pupus. Call 931-5005 to reserve your spot. Official Site; Advertiser

RELATED POSTS:
>> LVHIFF 2005: A Retrospective
>> Made-in-Hawaii Independent Films on PBS
>> Hallyu By Way of Hawaii
>> Korea Fever at LVHIFF

Korean Filmmakers Development Lab Fellows Announced

Philip W. Chung's "The Golden Hour," Abraham Lim's, "Fly," Jinoh Park's "Slowly Silently,"
and Mora Mi-ok Stephens' "Conventioneers"

Five filmmakers of Korean descent were just selected as screenwriting fellows for the first-ever KOFIC Filmmakers Development Lab. They were chosen based on their submitted projects' potential audience appeal in Korea and North America.

A joint program launched by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) and the University of Hawaii’s Academy for Creative Media (ACM), the Lab will take place Sept. 4-10 in Hawaii. The fellows will then go to the Pusan International Film Festival in Korea in October to market their scripts. During their week in Hawaii, fellows will be be mentored by Korean and American film luminaries including:

• Jonathan Kim - Chair, Korean Film Producer's Assocation; President, Hanmac Films (“Silmido”)
• Chul Shin - President, Shincine Production Company ("Gingko Bed," "My Sassy Girl")
• Wimal Dissanayake - Leading Asian film scholar and ACM lecturer
• Barry Sabath - Senior Lecturer, American Film Institute; Former film development head at Twentieth Century Fox, Columbia Pictures, and Robin William’s Blue Wolf Productions
• Adam Novak - Story Dept. Head, William Morris Agency
• Henry Kim - Director, KOFIC

These Lab mentors will also talk about the Korean film industy in a public symposium hosted by ACM and co-sponsored by the Center and KBFD-TV on Friday, Sept. 8, 4-5:30 pm at the Center for Korean Studies on UH Manoa campus.

Without further ado, here are the five chosen fellows as described in ACM's 8/21/06 news release (incidentally, 3 of them are NYU film school grads):

1. Philip W. Chung, a playwright and screenwriter, artistic director of the Asian American Lodestone Theater, and columnist for Asianweek newspaper. He has written and directed the acclaimed play “The Golden Hour.” His Lab entry “The Crimson Flower" is a noir-inflected thriller.
2. Kim Young-Il is a screenwriter and filmmaker whose work has been recognized by the Film Independent and Austin Screenwriting competitions. His Lab entry "Hyung's Overture" is a passionate family drama of the sacrifice that one brother makes for the musical career of the other.
3. Abraham Lim, a filmmaker and writer whose films "Fly," "Roads and Bridges" and "MVP" were well received at various film festivals. Lim also edited Robert Altman's "Cookie's Fortune." His Lab entry "Orientation" follows one woman's tragic journey into Alzheimer's disease.
4. Jinoh Park has made several internationally acclaimed short films "Lunch," "Request" and "Slowly Silently" that have screened at Cannes and Sundance. He was also chosen for the Cinefondation and Residence du Festival de Cannes. His Lab entry "Proposal" follows a filmmaker who makes a mysterious deal with a man to finance his film.
5. Mora Mi-ok Stephens' debut feature film "Conventioneers" won the 2006 Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award for Best Feature, and following many festival screenings including Tribeca, Pusan, New York and Hawaii, will be theatrically released later this year. She is preparing her second feature with Billy Bob Thornton and Kim Yunjin. Her Lab entry "The 38th Parallel" is an action thriller set in Korea.

Said ACM director Chris Lee, “Our strong partnership with Korean Film Council reflects both our international reach, and the recognition that the Academy for Creative Media is a center for excellence in filmmaking and film study. We appreciate the efforts of KOFIC chairwoman Ahn Cheong-sook and Lab organizer Roger Garcia in creating this intercultural bridge of story-telling.”

Don't forget to go to the PUBLIC symposium on the Korean film industry on 9/8!

>> UH Academy for Creative Media and Korean filmmaker partners select first screenwriting fellows [UH News Release, 8/21/06]

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>> Calling All Korean & Korean American Filmmakers
>> Independent Spirit Award Winners
>> LVHIFF Report: Politics, Identity and Otherwise
>> Hollywood Studio System is "Inherently Racist"
>> Halting American Cultural Imperialism
>> Minority Writers Get Minor Share of Work
>> Actors Get Reality Check
>> Cultural Insensitivity
>> Asian American Film Festivals
>> Chris Lee to Stay in Hawaii
>> Korea Fever at LVHIFF

Talk: "Behind the Scenes of Act 88"

The Hawaii Society of Corporate Planners is hosting a luncheon next Tuesday, 8/29, and the speaker will be State Film Commissioner Donne Dawson. The topic of her talk will be “Behind the Scenes of Act 88: Taking Hawaii’s Film Industry to New Heights." Here are the details:

DATE: Tuesday, 8/29
TIME: 11:30am - 1:30pm
PLACE: Hawai‘i Prince Hotel's Mauna Kea Ballroom, Waikiki
COST: If register by 8/23, $28 HSCP Members / $38 Guests / $300 Table of 10. $5 additional if register after 8/23.

Click here for more info and to register

RELATED POSTS:
>> Finally! Forms for 15-20% Film Tax Credit!
>> Two Articles About Act 88 Today

"The Julia Project" Has Hawaii Ties

Variety reported yesterday that Deepa Mehta ("Water") has been tapped by Focus Features to direct "The Julia Project," a biopic feature about American interior designer Julia Mullock and her marriage to Kyu Lee, Korea's last crown prince. The couple met in New York in the 50s, got married, and moved to Hawaii, then Seoul. They divorced in the 80s. Lee died recently and Mullock still lives here in Hawaii.

>> Focus has big designs [Variety, 8/21/06]
>> Mehta Falls For "The Julia Project" [Dark Horizons, 8/22/06]

August's Showdown in Chinatown

Gentlepeople, start your cameras! This month's "Showdown in Chinatown" film competition just began a few hours ago at 10pm. You have 24 hours to shoot a film on "Wealth & Poverty" and you must use a paintbrush and a checkbook as props. Films will be shown on Saturday, 8/19 at 10pm at thirtyninehotel.

>> Showdown in Chinatown
>> Film it fast [Hnl Advertiser, 8/18/06]

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>> Two Downtown Venues Host New Film Events
>> 'Ohina Short Film Showcase: Aug 4-5

Lost Season 2 DVD Release Party

Josh Holloway on the red carpet

ABC's "Lost" celebrated the launch of its Season 2 DVD box set last night at the Turtle Bay Resort. The mood was much mellower than last year's DVD launch party--the media frenzy has died down (thank the Lawd), and the cast and crew have settled comfortably in Hawaii. Cocktail tables were adorned with Virgin Mary figurines (no heroin inside) and pneumatic tubes like the ones Locke and Mr. Eko found in "The Pearl" hatch.

Guests got goodie bags containing a "Tide" detergent brand t-shirt, sunless tanning lotion, chocolate mac nuts, Kona coffee, a "Lost" fan magazine, a copy of the spin-off novel "Bad Twin," and the Season 2 DVD box set, which will be officially released on Sept. 5. The DVD set includes behind-the-scenes footage of crew members making the Dharma shark at our very own Hawaii Film Studio.

>> Something really big [Hnl Advertiser, 8/16/06]
>> 'Lost' cast talks Emmy snub, new season [AP via San Jose Mercury News, 8/16/06]

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>> "Lost" Snubbed by Emmy Voters
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>> "Lost" Officially Honored by State Legislature

Premiere of PBS Doc "The First Battle"

Tom Coffman's "The First Battle" is premiering on Tuesday, Sept. 5 at the Hawaii Theatre. The film is a one-hour PBS documentary about the little known behind-the-scenes battle waged by Japanese Americans in Hawaii just before, and in the early years of WWII. These individuals struggled with the U.S. government to prevent mass internment of Japanese Americans and to secure their right to bear arms while fighting for the U.S. Be a good citizen and watch this film:

The First Battle: The Battle for Equality in War-Time Hawaii
A Film by Tom Coffman
When: Tuesday, Sept. 5 at the Hawaii Theatre
Where: Doors open 6pm, film starts 7pm, discussion/reception to follow
Cost: $10 (includes $2 fee that will go toward restoring Hawaii Theatre)
Sponsored by the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii

RELATED POSTS:
>> Listen and Learn
>> A Pictorial History of Hawaii
>> PBS Celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
>> Documentary on Little Known Pearl Harbor Story
>> Upcoming Educational Films

"Flight 29 Down"'s 2nd Season Premieres 9/9

The hit kid/teen show on Discovery Kids is coming back 9/9. Hawaii audiences will get to see the first 4 episodes before everyone else at the 9/2 Sunset on the Beach screening. They'll also get a bonus: local actress Tani Lynn Fujimoto, who will return to the show in the 9th episode, will sing. The fate of Season 3 for "Flight 29 Down" will be known sometime in September. Luckily, the increasingly popular cast members ("Corbin Bleu" is one of the top search terms that directs people to this blog--aloha 'tween gals!) are already locked in to multiyear deals.

>> 'Flight 29' back Sept. 9 for Season 2 [Hnl Advertiser, 8/14/06]

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>> Local Film Co. Enters Into $20M Agreement
>> "Flight 29 Down" Spreading Globally
>> "Flight 29 Down" and Stuff
>> "Flight 29 Down" Begins Shooting Season 2
>> Hawaii Galore in Hollywood Reporter

Zoom Around Oahu in Atari's New Video Game

Atari Inc. just finished developing a driving-based multi-player video game set on Oahu! "Test Drive Unlimited" will be released in September 2006 on multiple console platforms including Xbox and PlayStation. Players will be able to zip and zoom through simulated Oahu streets and 'hoods.

The Honolulu Advertiser interviewed one of the game's producers, who said that Oahu was chosen because of its ideal size (not too big, not too small) and diversity of roads and scenery. The producer also said that many sources--maps, models, geographical studies--were used to accurately portray Oahu. The company also sent 2 artists to spend a week on Oahu with a camera mounted on their windshield.

"Test Drive Unlimited" is a great example of an interactive game production that would qualify for Hawaii's new 15-20% refundable production tax credit--provided that the production incurred at least $200K in qualified costs in Hawaii and made a workforce development contribution (more details here). So game developers, take note: the new tax credit isn't just for film, TV, and commercials--you can use it too!

>> Atari's new driving game set on O'ahu [Hnl Advertiser, 8/9/06]

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>> Finally! Forms for 15-20% Film Tax Credit!
>> Local Film/TV News Roundup, 8/2/06
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Take PBN's Poll on Hawaii Tax Incentives for Film

Yesterday, Pacific Business News paraphrased my blog post from Monday to "report" that Hawaii was recently ranked by P3 Magazine as the #5 U.S. production location outside of CA. In doing so, PBN introduced an error by saying that "Louisiana was the top-ranked state, taking in about $550 million, the magazine reported." Actually, P3 Magazine did not report that $550M figure; it was, in fact, another article--in The Shreveport Times--to which I linked, that reported the figure. On top of that, PBN did not, as I and The Shreveport Times did, qualify that $550M as total production value rather than in-state expenditures. As I said in my Monday post, based on the Shreveport Times article, only about a third of this $550M, or $183M (my own calculation), was actually spent in Louisiana. Well, at least PBN created an online poll to accompany the article. Here it is:

POLL: Should Hawaii give tax breaks for film and TV production?

>> Hawaii in Top 10 for film, TV work [PBN, 8/9/06]

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>> Hawaii Ranks #5 in Top 10 Places to Shoot in the US
>> Two Articles About Act 88 Today
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>> Tim Ryan Fired for Plagiarism

Hawaii Ranks #5 in Top 10 Places to Shoot in the US

The "Lost" crew enjoys balmy ocean breezes and the lilting sway of trees while working

Industry trade pub P3/Production Update just put out its ranking of the Top 10 Places to Shoot in the U.S. (outside of California). After considering criteria such as financial incentives, growth, cost of living, 2005 revenues generated from film industry, level of difficulty for productions, crewbase, infrastructure, support services and desire to return, P3 put Hawaii at the #5 spot.

First place went to Louisiana, which attracted $550 million worth of total production value in 2005 (although apparently, only about 1/3 of this--about $183M--was actually spent in Louisiana). California wasn't even considered because its $34 billion film and TV industry in 2005 far outweighs the industry in every other location.

FYI, Hawaii's 2005 in-state film industry expenditures totaled about $100M (down from our record $164M in 2004). Also FYI, P3 makes a boo-boo in its article by saying that the state-owned and operated Hawaii Film Studio complex boasts its own "state-of-the-art camera, lighting and grip equipment"--the studio actually does not carry this stuff, but there are many local vendors that do (see our production directory for a list of them).

Here's the full Top 10 list:
10. Texas
9. Utah
8. Virginia
7. Georgia
6. North Carolina
5. Hawaii
4. New York
3. Florida
2. New Mexico
1. Louisiana

>> Top 10 Places to Shoot in the U.S. [P3, July 2006]
>> Film production trade magazine ranks Louisiana No. 1 [The Shreveport Times, 8/6/06]

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>> 2005 Hawaii Film and TV Reverie
>> Finally! Forms for 15-20% Film Tax Credit!
>> Come on Down! (You Know You Want To)
>> Come & Get This: 2006 Production Guide
>> Hawaii as San Fran, NYC, UK, Oz, etc.
>> Films Set in Hawaii Make Big Bucks
>> Would These Places Give You a Headache?
>> Hawaii Galore in Hollywood Reporter

"Las Vegas" Loves Our Tax and Tropical Incentives

Sunday's Honolulu Star-Bulletin featured an article about NBC's "Las Vegas"'s shoot on Oahu's North Shore last week. Hawaii will be featured in the first two episodes of the show's 4th season. Here are some other choice points from the article:

• The show hired 80 extras and 90 out of 100 crew members locally
• The show will actually spend more time shooting in Hawaii this season than in its title location of Las Vegas (the bulk is shot in a Culver City soundstage because the crazy Vegas casino environment is too tough to deal with)
• Hawaii-raised Kelly Hu, Kamehameha grad and former Miss Teen USA, came back home to play a powerful real-estate
• Producers said that they've been eyeing Hawaii since the first season, but it had always been prohibitively expensive...that is, until our new 15-20% production tax credit took effect. In fact, exec producer Gary Scott Thompson said, "The tax incentive did help us. That's the biggest reason we're here."
• The show shot primarily at Turtle Bay Resort but did a day at Waikiki Beach as well. (Incidentally, Fox's now-cancelled "North Shore" shot its pilot at Turtle Bay Resort, only to have to scrap the resort scenes when it got picked up because resort management felt the level of shooting required by a full series would negatively impact its guests. Resort scenes in the pilot were re-shot on a $1 million soundstage build at the Hawaii Film Studio, where the remainder of the series was also shot.)

>> High rollin’ ... in Hawaii? [Star-Bulletin, 8/6/06]

RELATED POSTS:
>> NBC's "Las Vegas" to Shoot Episode on Oahu
>> Finally! Forms for 15-20% Film Tax Credit!
>> Jason Scott Lee Doesn't Flush
>> "North Shore" Auction
>> Film Studio Renovation Blessing

Local Film Co. Enters Into $20M Agreement

Hawaii Film Partners, one of only a handful of locally based film and TV production companies, has entered into a $20 million partnership--"Asian Animation Run"--with the city of Changzhou in China and major Korean animation firm GIMC. The outfit will produce 4-5 animation projects.

Hawaii Film Partners is best known for co-producing Discovery Kids' "Flight 29 Down," a hit teen series shot entirely on Oahu. The Honolulu Advertiser quoted co-founder Rann Watumull as saying, "It's hard to build a local industry without local ownership...[Hawai'i Film Partners is] trying to change the paradigm by ownership, distribution and creative involvement."

>> Local film entity gets Asian help [Hnl Advertiser, 8/5/06]

RELATED POSTS:
>> "Flight 29 Down" Spreading Globally
>> "Flight 29 Down" and Stuff
>> "Flight 29 Down" Begins Shooting Season 2
>> Hawaii Galore in Hollywood Reporter

Finally! Forms for 15-20% Film Tax Credit!

At last, here are the official instructions and application forms for claiming Hawaii's new 15-20% Motion Picture, Film, and Digital Media Production Income Tax Credit (for film, TV, commercial, and digital media productions):

• Overview & Instructions for Claiming the 15-20% Credit
  Everything you've always wanted to know about the credit, and then some.
• Production Registration Form (fillable .pdf)
  Submit online and by mail to Hawaii Film Office at least one week prior to first Hawaii shoot date. Note: Because the credit took effect July 1, and this form hasn't been available till now, there will be a grace period for all projects whose first Hawaii shoot dates fall on or after July 1, 2006 but before August 26, 2006. These projects will have until September 1, 2006 to submit their registration forms to the Hawaii Film Office.
• Hawaii Production Report (fillable .pdf)
  Submit online and by mail no later than 90 days following the end of each taxable year in which qualified production costs were expended.

Here are some additional references for you technical types:

• Tax Information Release No. 2006-02
  Guidelines on what is eligible as a "qualified production cost," with helpful examples.
• Statute: Hawaii Revised Statutes §235-17
  Do you speak legalese? Then you'll like this!

Finally, here's a cheat sheet on the differences between the 15-20% refundable credit and the 100% investment tax credit:

• Which one should I claim? 15-20% Refundable Credit vs. 100% Investment Credit

These forms are permanently linked from the official Hawaii Film Office website's tax incentive page--so bookmark this page!

So hurry up! What are you waiting for? Come on down and shoot already!

RELATED POSTS:
>> It's Official: Hawaii Boasts 15-20% Film Tax Credit!
>> Meet the Hawaii Film Office!
>> Meet the County Film Offices
>> Come on Down! (You Know You Want To)
>> Come & Get This: 2006 Production Guide
>> Hawaii as San Fran, NYC, UK, Oz, etc.
>> Films Set in Hawaii Make Big Bucks
>> Permits, Hawaiian Style
>> Local Labor Union Chapters
>> Respecting Host Cultures While Filming
>> Hawaii Newbies, Read This
>> Culture Clash

Local Film/TV News Roundup

Thanks to Kevin for gathering these news clippings:

• Game developer Konami Computer Entertainment Hawaii is shutting down as part of its parent co's move to phase out game development ops in the U.S. Instead, Konami Co. (most notable for inventing Frogger) will concentrate its U.S. efforts on digital entertainment and casino gaming facilities in L.A. and Las Vegas. At its peak in 2004, the Hawaii unit employed about 45 workers in its Waikiki office. Konami Co's decision to pull out had nothing to do with Hawaii, but rather with its overall shift in U.S. ops. Read: Advertiser, Star-Bulletin
• A new cut of "Of Wind and Waves," a documentary about surfer Woody Brown's adventurous life, will be screening at various local venues this week. Read: Advertiser, Star-Bulletin
• K-Drama fans rejoice! KBS America has officially launched in Hawaii on Oceanic Time Warner Cable digital channel 80. Now local folks can ride the hallyu by getting a regular fix of sappy Korean melodrama. Read: Advertiser
• A new local sitcom started shooting last week at Oceanic Time Warner Cable studios. "The Tide is High" depicts the antics of two women, fresh out of UH-Manoa, who open a Chinatown coffeehouse. The show is one of the very few 100% locally made narrative TV projects (most are in the documentary, news, magazine, or variety format). Read: Star-Bulletin

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>> Hawaii's "Digital Revolution" Continues
>> "Final Fantasy" Not So Final
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>> Korea Fever at LVHIFF
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