I’m starting to think it’s a general unspoken rule that all film studios have to look cool. I think filmmakers know how to make a creative space so glorious that you can’t help feeling inspired the moment you step through the door. When I first walked into the Kauai Made Films studio my eyes went from the minimalist gray wood floors to the fluorescent pink Digital Sputnik lights that were focused on the Star Wars posters. I was in heaven. This whole program suddenly felt so real, so attainable. For those of you who think I’m just being dramatic I’m sure you don’t know what it’s like growing up on Kauai having only seen film studios and sets through the camera lens of Hollywood. I was only able to dream of what it would be like to walk around a set with my walkie talkie saying things like “Does anyone have eyes on Dicaprio!?”
Now we may not have Dicaprio yet but we have Kessler Cranes and Red Digital Cinema cameras and equipment ready to begin shooting a movie which propels me closer to this dream than I’ve ever been. This is a place where people are heard and their stories come to life and I love being able to call it a second home. And maybe we’ll discover the next Leonardo Dicaprio in the process.
:) Kiana Rodriguez - Production Coordinator