Wheel of Fortune Returns to Hawaii
I
t’s a chance to buy a vowel, spin the wheel, chat with Pat Sajak and Vanna White, and win big money.
But it’s much more than that for Hawaii Island’s visitor industry, said T. Ilihia Gionson, the island’s film commissioner. “Not only are they spending $12 million to come here to film a month of shows, but the basically free publicity Hawaii Island will get is amazing,” he said. Thousands of people applied to be on Wheel of Fortune, the longest-running and top syndicated television game show in the United States. Applicants had to submit a one-minute video explaining why they should be selected. Those videos give the selection team a chance to see what people sound and look like, as well as provide some insight into their personality, according to executive producer Harry Friedman. More than 10,000 people try out each year, but fewer than 600 are selected to appear on the show. Trademarked as “America’s Game,” Wheel of Fortune has earned
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several awards since debuting in 1975. It has also awarded more than $200 million in cash and prizes to contestants. For more than 90 million Americans, they have never known a world without the show. For the Hawaii-filmed episodes, auditions were held on Hawaii Island and Oahu. Nearly 100 lucky people were selected to compete in 1 of the 20 episodes scheduled to be taped in September at the Hilton Waikoloa Village. The show was looking for 30 individuals, 15 couples, and 15 pairs of best friends. Each week will have a theme: “Wheel Goes To Waikoloa,” “Best Friends,” “Hawaiian Adventure Activities” and “Second Honeymoon.” There will be segments depicting the island’s diversity of geography and climates. The places to be showcased include Hapuna Beach, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hulihee Palace, Hawaii’s Tropical Botanical Garden, Jagger Museum and the Hilton Waikoloa Village. “The goal is to transport the viewer to Hawaii, and we try our best to make them feel like they’re there,” said Friedman. The Hawaii episodes will air in November and February. Wheel of Fortune has been taken on location 65 times, but no destination creates a greater sense of excitement than Hawaii, Friedman said. This is the fifth time Wheel has taped in Hawaii since 1996. It’s also the show’s third time on the Big Island. The Los Angeles-based production will ship 40 trailers, containers and one 65-foot mobile production truck, which will take seven days to travel by cargo ship to Honolulu. From there, the equipment is shipped to Kona. There is only one Wheel and one Puzzleboard, which both have to be dismantled before they’re barged, then put back together. Along with the 1.8 million pounds of equipment for the upcoming shows, there are 195 staff and crew from Los Angeles and Honolulu to work as technicians, security guards and stagehands. The first crewmembers began work at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on August 27. The final touches will be put on the set during rehearsal on September 12. On a remote shoot like in Hawaii, the production will tape five shows a day. For this shoot, taping is September 13-17 and the load out is September 18-23. HFV
hawaiifilmandvideo.com • ISSUE THREE 2014
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