Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1539634
We found the solution in Ipipiri, on the eastern coast of North Island (in NZ). But ultimately, the decision was made to focus on an earlier period of the inter-island conflicts at a moment where Kamehameha was still in the Kohala Region (his birthplace), with its epic cliffs and majestic valleys on the northeast coast of Hawaii. The actual Kohala Heiau set was built right on the edge of a cliff on the coast of Awhitu, as if it was overlooking a valley like Waipi'o or Waimanu. The cliff the production chose looked quite dangerous from the ocean, but having commissioned a geotechnical engineer's report and consulting with the local Mauri Iwis, we were authorized to build our heaui (stone platform temple) right on the edge. As with all of the platforms, the crew started by building a wood structure, but this time it was supported by more than one hundred and twenty- five ground anchors (approximately six feet deep). The structure was then covered with cast light concrete rocks, masterfully produced by Andy Hughes and his incredible plaster- fabrication crew, they had a real factory going for a few months! The Kohala Village was built entirely in an exterior location nestled in another valley close to Auckland and the production used VFX to connect these two environments. We used fasteners to secure the huts since they had to sustain the natural elements of weather but they were also lashed in a traditional fashion, every single one of them, thanks to Kris Clark and Beau Tanner and their team, nimble climbers of structures, who became experts of the traditional lashing techniques. E. KOHALA TEMPLE. CONCEPT ART BY ANDREW LIMA (SKETCHUP, TWINMOTION) AND ANDRÉS PARADA (PHOTOSHOP). F. KOHALA TEMPLE. CONCEPT ART BY DEAN SHERRIFF (PHOTOSHOP) FROM A PRODUCTION DRONE SHOT FRAME AND RENDER ASSETS BY ANDREW LIMA (SKETCHUP AND TWINMOTION). G. KOHALA TEMPLE. FILM STILL. SET BUILT ON THE EDGE OF A CLIFF, COAST OF AWHITU, NZ. COURTESY OF APPLE. H. KOHALA TEMPLE. FILM STILL. COURTESY OF APPLE. F E G H