Trending in Hawaii:The Local Art Department
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hirty years ago, this would have been a very short article. Hawaii supplied carpentry, props and set dressing support to the art departments working here, but all artistic control came from the mainland that BY RICK ROMER claimed union jurisdiction over work done in Hawaii. When Guest Columnist I challenged this hold during my years as the set decorator on Magnum, P.I., we began to develop our own department heads in all of the crafts thanks to the mixed status of our Local 665 union. As our talents developed in props, special effects, set dressing, design and others, producers began to take notice—no doubt, in part, that it would save them housing and per diem by not having to bring over all department heads as they had in the past. However, there is an additional, unseen difference to our craft development here. Unlike the mainland local unions that only allow work in a specific craft area, our mixed local allows for experience in a number of departments. For example, it is possible to work in set dressing, props, wardrobe, etc. The added value of understanding how
other departments function and how we all fit together as a production team is an additional asset. While we have all tended to become specialized in just one or two crafts now, the early training and versatility in other departments while moving up is invaluable to companies filming here. The art department in Hawaii is now complete from production designer and art director to the shopper/buyer. I recently became the first Hawaii resident to become a member of the Art Directors Guild/Local 800 in Hollywood. As a result, we were able to completely staff an entire Chinese feature
with all department heads. Our knowledge of local sources and supplies is a huge cost savings over shipping everything and everyone from the mainland… or China! There is still some ground to gain with the understanding that we are a group of skilled artisans who may have worked in Hollywood but have chosen to live in Hawaii—our training, experience and standards are the same. In fact, living on this isolated landmass in the middle of the Pacific, maybe we have had to be just a little bit more creative and resourceful. Now that the world is available to all via the internet, we still take pride in being able to source things locally. HFV Rick Romer came to Hawaii for his M.F.A. in Stage Lighting and Set Design and was in the right place at the right time to begin his career as a set decorator on Magnum and continuing on most shows up through LOST and the new Hawaii Five-0. He now works primarily as an independent production designer, art director, and decorator.
hawaiifilmandvideo.com • ISSUE TWO 2015
HAWAII FILM & VIDEO 13