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LMGI COMPASS
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Summer 2019
RS: I love the unusual and physically tough shoots like
bombing Pearl Harbor for Michael Bay's Pearl Harbor and
a shoot for Midway at Pearl Harbor, being told we had one
day to totally wrap all the base camps and sets out. For
a Camel cigarettes ad, hiking into and shooting a 200-ft
waterfall on the Big Island, scouting on the recent glowing
lava field watching my shoes smoke, Punch-Drunk Love
working from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. taking off … again filming
from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. ... real rough!!! Filming an Imax
film in an observatory at 13,000 feet in the summer in
a blizzard!! Car commercials on the Big Island, Baywatch
Hawaii, good times and good people! I also for years had
the only insert car in the state, leading to fun production
adventures on various islands.
Stevie: DOES HAWAII OR THE CITY OF HONOLULU OFFER ANY
INCENTIVES TO FILMMAKERS?
RS: Yes ... there is a refundable tax credit based on a
production company's qualified Hawaii expenditures while
producing a qualified film, television, commercial or digital
media project. The credit equals 20 percent of qualified
production costs incurred on Oahu, and 25 percent on the
neighbor islands (Big Island, Kauai, Lanai, Maui, Molokai).
The outer islands have a larger break due to the extra costs
incurred to shoot there.
Stevie: WHAT ARE YOUR TOOLS OF THE TRADE?
RS: My 16-ft Boston whaler boat, Meyers Manx dune
buggy, my dirt bike, my machete and 50 feet of rope ... and
of course, my jeep and trash trailer! As well as the high-
tech office I set up in my car to avoid wasting time driving
back-and-forth to the production office from the country.
I created a custom computer holder for my Dell computer,
installed an HP printer, Canon cameras, office supply
box, aux power and Wi-Fi in my car. Another innovation
I started was bringing in 4-wheel drive 15 pass vans for
productions. Very helpful for off paved road shoots!
Stevie: WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT THE JOB?
RS: I love meeting and working with production people from
all over the world. As well as working with all types of local
folk in Hawaii ... being a 'Santa Claus' and giving money
to people in older homes and rural areas to film there. As
well as the support we get from the local corporations to
assist our production industry. One of the things that often
goes unnoticed by the general public is how we improve
the 'aina' (land in Hawaiian). I would hand-deliver location
checks to a key location in Honolulu to help preserve it from
being turned into a parking lot. It's now one of Honolulu's
premiere cultural icons! I love how we have cleaned so
many places of junk cars and trash left for years, we spend
IN MY CITY: HONOLULU
From
left,
photos
by
Glenn
Beadles/LMGI
and
Julie
Hannum/LMGI
