The Benefits Of Choosing A Local Hawaii Production Company

Captivating advertising and videos become more critical each year for marketing on the internet regardless of the type of business or industry. Hawaii offers incredible environments for filming for local residents and location shooting. Business owners can capitalize on Hawaii’s incredible beaches, surfing culture and big-budget films like “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.” Regardless of the type of business or industry, there are key benefits available from choosing a local Hawaii Production company. [1]

The Benefits of Knowing the Lay of the Land

Plenty of people feel like they know Hawaii because of all the publicity, films and fictional settings that appear in the media. Many out-of-town production companies have worked in Hawaii before and think they know how things work. However, it’s a different story when scouting locations for the perfect shot for a particular business instead of a top site for a major film. Locals know the best shooting locations, how to save money on the film budget and seasonal tips that offer time-sensitive shooting benefits.

A local company will be aware of tax incentives for filming in Hawaii. Tax credits can be very persuasive because companies might prefer shooting in Hawaii, but the bottom line usually decides what actually happens. Hawaii now offers a break on taxes up to 20% of the amount spent shooting in Oahu and 25% for all the other islands. [2]

A Gateway Between Asian and American Cultures

Often overlooked because Hawaii tourism is so popular, films capitalizing on the relationships between Asian and American cultures offer many promising areas for filming in exotic settings. The tropical climate is cooled by trade winds with average temperatures between 68- and 73-degrees Fahrenheit, and it’s the perfect environment for filming drones, sports matches, local myths, songs and chants.

Signature Benefits of Hiring Local Production Services in Hawaii

Hiring a local production team in Hawaii can shave transportation costs, enable a 20% to 25% tax incentive and provide a team of local experts who has many years of experience scouting locations, using local filmmaker infrastructure and knowing where to find dramatic mountain views, astonishing volcanoes, beautiful beaches and towering cliffs. Local filmmakers and advertisers get the advantages of a reliable and experienced American crew and the knowledge of local rumors, Hawaiian myths, hidden beaches, real-world events and spiritual beliefs.

That adds up to a winning team for almost any video, film or advertising project. Hawaii’s tax incentive for filming locally is 20%, and a 5% bonus applies to filming in communities with a population under 700,000. [3] Further details about Hawaii’s tax incentive include:

  • Organizations must register with the Hawaii Film Office and Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism at least five days prior to shooting.
  • The total spend on local shooting must total $200,000 or more.
  • Companies must make a verifiable effort to hire local talent, crews and production companies.
  • Evidence must be shown that efforts were made to hire locally before hiring out-of-state resources.
  • The incentive is limited to the appropriate percentage of $50 million spent annually, and there’s a $15 million limit per production, which makes it a perfect incentive for advertising films and videos.

Some of the top films shot in Hawaii include feature films and television series that include “Hawaii 5-0,” “Kong: Skull Island,” “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” “Lost,” “Inhumans,” “Magnum PI,” “Snatched” and many others.

Local Expertise for Your Next Shoot

Hiring a Hawaii production company eliminates many of the logistical problems that bedevil video and film production. These problems include finding production coordinating services, choosing world-class locations from the wealth of available choices, managing local fashion shoots, choosing an ideal venue for a wedding or getting the specialized equipment to shoot underwater at night. Hiring a local team lets the cast and crew enjoy their time in Hawaii without putting out fires all the time, which can be quite literal when dealing with a trek across lava fields at Kilauea, Maunaloa, Hualalai and Maunakea. Mauna Loa erupted in 1984, and Kilauea has been erupting continuously since 1983. [4] Hawaii beckons for your next video or advertisement with astonishing scenery, local film expertise and infrastructure and a substantial tax incentive.

References:

[1] https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/38604335/as-hawaiis-film-industry-thrives-some-fear-tax-credit-ceiling-could-put-it-in-jeopardy/
[2] https://variety.com/2018/artisans/production/hawaii-production-incentives-3-1202677431/
[3] https://filmoffice.hawaii.gov/incentives-tax-credits/
[4] https://www.gohawaii.com/experiences/sightseeing/Volcanoes

Music Video Top Tips

In an earlier post, we gave you a few suggestions on things you can do to prepare for your first music video. But because the process of crafting a music video is too multi-layered and complex to fit in just one blog post, it kind of follows that our preparation top tips might need an extra post too! That’s why we’re back with another glimpse behind the scenes, giving you a fresh new look at what goes into making a music video and what you, as an artist, can prepare for, starting with a few of the most frequently asked questions we get.

How does the production process begin?

We’ve already talked about the fun stuff, like finding the music video producer that’s right for you (hint: we think it’s us!) and what putting together a mood board is like. But maybe you have some questions about how we get there in the first place. So, if you’re wondering how we kickstart the production phase, it starts when a director— like a member of our team— reaches out to an artist like you in response to a brief you’ve sent us. Put simply, a brief is kind of like your preliminary, text-based mood board. You might have a lot of fully developed ideas, ranging from clothing to set design to scenery or you might have nothing more than a vague vibe you have in mind for your music video.

Either way, our job is to make your vision come to life, so we’ll reach out and have a chat with you about how your vision can be accomplished by our studio. From there, we’ll go into specifics like working out your ideal timeline for the video, plus a shooting schedule and a list of the shots we’ll be taking. Once we’ve worked out all the logistics and actually shot the video, our editors will take a crack at it and piece the rushes together. (‘Rushes’ is the term for the footage we got on the day of the shoot!) Our editors will also add in the cool visual effects at the end, and when that process is completed, your shots will go from raw footage to a shiny new music video, ready to play.

How can an artist best prepare for the shooting day?

Whether or not you were a theater kid in high school, it’s important to remember that for the day of your shoot, you’re kind of a pop star and a movie star. Because, like any performer, it’s important to pay attention to your hair, makeup, costuming, and rehearsals. Although the specifics of the performance will vary from person to person, depending on your preferences for the shoot, those components will remain the same. So, just make you’re every bit as fresh as you would be for a live gig, and you’re golden!

What can an artist expect during the shoot?

But with that said, don’t expect your shoot to be too glamorous. Although the final version will be stellar and you’ll look like a rock star, in practice, you’re likely going to get bored, sleepy, and annoyed with all the little details and re-takes. In fact, depending on the nature of your project, sometimes we may have to shoot over the course of two days. (You’d be surprised how long it takes to shoot the same thing over and over again!)

So, when it comes to appropriately setting your expectations for the shoot, it’s important to be prepared for being asked the same question about a thousand times, posing and re-posing for the same scene, and lots of other little average annoyances through the day. Oh, and during all that, you’ll still to need to bring your A-game, whether it’s 6:00 am or midnight! It takes a lot to bring a music video to life, but it’s important to remember that no matter how long or annoying the process might be, we’ll do our best to keep you happy and comfortable as we make your vision reality. Plus at the end, you get the joy of seeing your very own song in a music video!

Be Flexible

(And not just when it comes to all the cool action shots you’ll be doing in your video!) Similar to the last point, but a little bit different, artist flexibility is crucial to successful production. Because although we’re committed to keeping everything on track and ensuring that video is produced exactly according to your vision, sometimes things may not go according to plan. In those cases, we’ll need to brainstorm a different alternative and we really want it to something that meets your needs. So, as long as we can work together and establish consistent, open communication, we can ensure that even when things go wrong, we still find a great solution.

And there you have it, folks! Although the process doesn’t require too much of the artist, a lot more goes into the production of a music video than you might think. That’s why we’re here to make your vision come to life and answer your questions along the way.

Preparing for Your First Music Video

We all love watching music videos, but have you ever considered what goes on behind the scenes? Do you know what it takes to turn your favorite song into a visual narrative? At Union Productions Company, we know music videos. (It’s kind of our whole thing). That’s why we’re excited to share a bit of the magic behind the scenes with you! So, whether you’re a new artist preparing to shoot your first ever music video with us or a music buff who’d like to know more, here’s an insider’s guide to preparing for a music video.

Find Your Perfect Match

As a production company, our goal is to make your dreams come true. (Corny, I know, but I promise we really mean it!) Because without that commitment to achieving your vision, it’s impossible for us to bring your song to life. That’s why the match between an artist and their video producer is one of the most important around. It’s also why, when you come for a consultation session with us, one of the first questions we’ll ask is, “Tell us about your style!” Because whether you’ve got an old-school glamor like Ella Fitzgerald or you’re new and hip like Taylor Swift, reflecting that style in your music video is our top priority. So, whether you choose to shoot with us or one of the other guys, as an artist, it’s critical that you look for a production company that can share and appreciate your vision. (But we still think you should choose us).

Play it Again, Sam

This might sound like a no-brainer, but… we need to hear the song. No, really. If we haven’t actually heard your song— and, ideally, heard it more than once— we shouldn’t be making your video. Because while your art is in your music, ours is in creating a visual masterpiece that meshes with and enhances your art. Which means we can’t do our job if we haven’t appropriately immersed ourselves in your work. So, what can you, as an artist, do to help this process?

It’s actually pretty simple! For starters, simply let us hear your music and brainstorm our ideas based on your sound. Accurately representing your vision is important to us, so we want to use our knowledge of your song to open a conversation with you about making your dream come true on set. But with that said, it’s important to note that the demo you give us should be the absolute final version or at least the closest thing to it. Because if we’re going to brainstorm a fully developed visual identity for your song, we want that to reflect the most accurate version of that song. So, please don’t change it up on us at the last second and come back with something that has a totally different vibe! Also, for your sake, don’t trust any music video producer who says they don’t need to listen to your song!

Let Your Music Tell a Story

This probably comes as no surprise to you, but there’s more to creating a music video than simply the song. When we’re brainstorming that visual identity we mentioned earlier, we need to create a mood board. You’re probably familiar with mood boards already, but just in case you’re not, a mood board is a helpful collage of people, images, colors, aesthetics, and pretty much anything else that you can use to jumpstart your ideas for setting a scene. So, when we’re crafting our mood board for your song, we want it to be all about you! That’s why you should feel free to throw in any details, backstories, pictures, or meaningful items that can help us bring your song to life.

It’s also very likely that we’ll ask for a picture of you. Sure, we know what you look like already, but a photo of you chosen by you is helpful for allowing us to understand how you choose to represent yourself to the world. This in turn shows us how we can best channel that essence to represent you in our designs. For mood board-crafting purposes, it might also be helpful for you to provide us with a few of your favorite music videos as references. What do you love? What do you hate? Whether it’s an example of cinematography or a cool stylistic thing the artist does, show us what would you like to try in your own video!

It’s All About You!

By this point, you’re probably sick of hearing us say this, but we can’t stress enough how important it is for us to get to know you. (We’re just going to be low-key obsessed with you for a while. That’s cool, right?) Because just like your music is more than just one song, there’s more to you as a person than what we might be able to see in the context of this project right now. That’s why we want to get a big-picture idea of who you are. So, come prepared to tell us how you got into music, what inspires you, and if there’s a story behind your song, along with loads of other details from the kind of music you like to listen to to your favorite flavor of latte. We can’t wait to get to know you!

These top tips are only a few of the steps that go into preparing for your first music video, but our hope is that it’ll get you off to a great start and give you more info about what to expect. And if you have any questions that aren’t covered on this list or want to discuss any other aspect of a consultation with us, don’t be shy— get in touch!

Importance of a Production Company

Production company has a unique role in the production process. Production of a film has so many different components to it, it takes a team. It takes a professional with experience to be able to handle.

For example, there is crew management. This is practically an HR process for the duration of a production.

And then there is a location scout. This takes someone who knows an area of your choice. It could be a well-known beach, but it could be an abandoned building that very few people know about. A location scout is an expert in an area and that is not something that you can just acquire by scouring the web.

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