Side project that some of the 808 Photographers were working on.

Enjoy!

Palolo Hagashi Hongwanji Bon Dance.


I'll be putting up videos from the Manoa Taiko performance again, check back later.

Video for Honolulu Academy of Art's ARTafterDARK monthly event.

Halloween:

We're interested in filming exceptional Halloween yard displays for the upcoming 2008 season. If you're a Halloween enthusiast and people on the block refer to you as "that guy", let us know!

In order to qualify for the free service, we'll need -

Photos of your previous halloween set-ups
A description of your theme for 2008 (if any)
How you got started
How long you've been doing it
Visitor numbers (if you have any numbers onhand)
Date your display will be available for public viewing


It's a ways off, but since this is a seasonal shoot, we need to make sure we can fit in as many houses as we can. We look forward to seeing your haunts!

The last few months we've been quite busy!

Unfortunately, due to licensing and privacy contracts, we're unable to display most of our recent works. So you'll just have to take our word for it

We can share this though!




We'd also like to remind our friends that we will be present at the 2008 Kawaii-Kon in a limited fashion. We will have a video presence in the Artist's Alley and at various special events. Please look forward to a recap video in the coming weeks.

I've been away in Japan doing some sightseeing. Regular updates and video productions will resume when I return to Hawaii on Dec 10th. For now, enjoy some of my photographs from Japan.

Kitaro


Kitaro is a live-action movie based on an old classic anime/manga of the same name ( GeGeGe no Kitaro to be exact). Kitaro is played by actor Eiji Wentz , with his love interest the pretty Mao Inoue , (whom I thought might have been a jr idol, but as it turns out she's 20). Roughly it's about the spirit world and the human world and the interaction that happens between the two. It's a family movie with a campy feel to it, it really had a Miyazaki feel to it, like I was watching a live-action movie of Spirited Away. There isn't much else to talk about this movie, it's a goofy film that's easy to enjoy.

Review: 7/10
Conclusion: If you have any kids, take them with you, or just find some off the street.

Finishing the Game

Finishing the Game is a mocumentary of sorts (i'm not sure how much of it is true), about the studios attempt at finishing Bruce Lee's "Game of Death". Directed by Justin Lin, you'll see some familiar faces from his previous movies, Better Luck Tomorrow and Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift. There was an underlying message concerning the problems asians face in hollywood, i'm not sure if this is intended or a goal of this film, but it's present. The movie is mostly a comedy, there's a lot swearing and some brief nudity. I believe it's out nationally in US theatres at this time.

Review: 7/10
Conclusion: If you're a fan of Bruce Lee or Justin Lin.

Helvetica


Helvetica is a documentary about the type font Helvetica, it's conception, it's rise into popular usage and it's current usage and legacy. Though you might be put off by a 2 hour movie about a type font, it's actually quite interesting to hear about the history behind it and it's lasting effects in the world today. The film is presented in such a way that you'd probably have expected to see it on say...PBS. In that it's slightly boring, yet informative, and you can't seem to stop watching. The director interviews a number of colorful characters who range from eccentric to fanatic, some are quite serious about their work and others you can't help but laugh at by their absurd notions. Though I couldn't help but feel that the editor could have cut out some of the Helvetica montages that it seemed to use as a form of transitions.

Review: 6/10
Conclusion: If you're the type who would read National Geographic on their own volition.

West 32nd



West 32nd is a dramatic/action/suspense? movie starring John Cho (Better Luck Tomorrow, Harold and Kumar), Grace Park (Battlestar Galatica) Jun Kim and Jun Ho Jeong (Jun Ho Jeong is supposed to be a big k-drama star back in Korea). Directed by Michael Kang, who's prior film festival movie was "The Motel" (that starred another Better Luck Tomorrow alumni, Sun Kang). This movie is about a young lawyer's (Cho) forray into the gritty underworld of New York's K-Town in an effort to find the truth. On his way he gets involved with some gangsters and there's some betrayal and gunfire involved. The movie reminded me of something like a Korean-American version of Better Luck Tomorrow, though less violent. Cho delivers a great performance, though I hope he won't be typecasted into a timid-turned-hardcore character. The film contains swearing, gunfire, korean drinking games and eating of fresh fruits.

Review: 7/10
Conclusion: If you love John Cho as much as I do, or you're a korean-american and think you're gangster.

I'm manning a video camera as part of my gig at the Hawaii International Film Festival. Our producer interviewed Lee Jun-Ki and HIFF screened a movie he's in, called "May 18". Based on real events that took place in some South Korean city in 1980.

I was supposed to capture some b-roll footage of Lee Jun-Ki's adoring fans upon his arrival, which I did. Unfortunately, this means my main focus was the fans, and not Lee Jun-Ki. I've uploaded the small amount I was able to get. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get the interview footage to share with you.

May 18 was pretty decent. I missed the first 15 minutes of it while I was packing up my equipment and missed out on some of the backstory. I did catch Lee Jun-Ki riding on a bicycle with Kim Sang-kyung, and I could hear the collective swooning of the females in the audience (apparently this is hot stuff).

The movie is based on a massacre, so there's a lot of blood and shooting going on, but the director manages to work in some comedic scenes that don't feel that out of place. Some of the dramatic emotional scenes seemed over the top. Some scenes it felt like everyone had stopped what they were doing to give the actor time to be dramatic (as in korean soldiers developed stormtrooper syndrome and couldn't hit the broadside of a jawa trailer when the male lead was weeping /end tangent). There were quite a number of tear-jerker moments and I'll admit my eyes were a little teary.

From a militaristic point of view, since it's based on actual events, I can't help but feel the director portrayed the students as being completely overpowered by the soldiers as some sort of emotional device. I practically laughed outloud when the students are shown arming themselves, from what seemed like a military ammo depot that they drove a truck (through the wall) to gain access to. And apparently the only 3 armed guards on the site were subdued by what I can only assume was a case of bad kim chee. They also made a huge deal about fortifying their positions and then when the army rolled in, they all turned tail and ran. I think the movie showed a total of 2 korean soldiers dying. I mean, tactically speaking, the students held a large 2-story building and have cover of multiple staircases and choke points, there should have been piles of soldiers lining the streets, but in this movie at least half the cast was gunned down as they're fleeing.

Being a war movie buff and enjoying quality cinema such as Band of Brothers/Saving Private Ryan/Black Hawk Down, I've come to expect some realism when it comes to planning, tactics and plausibility. The students have high explosives at hand and it's used as a plot device, but when the actual time comes where it'd be the most effective (like when the tanks come rolling down the street), the HE is no where to be seen, or heard from, again. You're to have me believe a bunch of korean students lead by a special forces captain, a race of people who turned RTS games like Starcraft into religion, couldn't figure out how to make road blocks or plant mines or set traps? Half of the time when guns were used in the movie I was just shaking my head. I'd actually have preferred it if the main lead started run and gunning with 2 thompsons so I could have a cue when to start suspending belief. We're told that the main lead is Marine trained, but he certainly doesn't act like it and is frequently overpowered, either by soldiers or his emotions.

Overall the movie was good, but it felt like it was almost two movies mashed into one. Every watch a war movie where they just throw in love plots because they're obligated to (We Were Soldiers comes to mind), and it's flimsy and you figure the directors just put it in to get some t&a into the film? Well imagine if they expanded on that part to about an hours worth of content, still including the bloody and guts people dying scenes, and thats what "May 18" plays out as. Most of the emotional weepy scenes occured 1/4th of the way into the movie and then it sort of flatlines from there.

Review: 7/10
Conclusion: Watch if you're a fan of Lee Jun-Ki or a history buff.

"Flight of the Red Balloon" was the film that was shown on the opening night ceremony. It is supposed to be a wildly acclaimed remake/retake on the famous Albert Lamorisse's 1956 " The Red Balloon". Though in my opinion the movie title would have been more descriptive if it were called "Flight from the Theatre".

The movie started off slow, and for about an hour and 30 minutes it continues at that pace. We're treated with a brief (and I do mean brief) change of piece 3/4ths of the way into the movie when there's some conflict between neighbors and the HINT of battery and assault is given but not delivered. The film features a red balloon in seemingly non-sequiter short sequences. It doesn't seem to have any bearing to the plot (non-existant) that was presented to us. Infact one might have assumed the child was hallucintating the entire balloon experience. The film lacked any overt plot, it felt like I was watching a family go about their daily lives with all of the fun and excitement gutted from it. About half of the movie takes place within the confines of the kitchen.

I felt there was some subtle racism being presented to us with the fact one of the female leads, a french speaking asian, is type-casted as a non-confrontational subservient asian who's into photography (she's a nanny going to school to learn about film). All of the other native french characters interact with wild and energetic gestures with their conversation.

I could understand what the director wanted to show us, and I thought the camera work was pretty slick, but I think the editor must have been out of his mind. It was 2 hours long and it could have been cut down to 30 minutes.

It was a really bad pick for an opening night film and about 1/3rd of the audience left. I'd have rather watched Windtalkers again. That's how poorly I think of "Flight of the Red Balloon".

Review: 3/10
Conclusion: If you're the very patient type with a lot of time to waste. Probably something you'd expect to find in a local college art house.

E.C. Media, L.L.C. is a digital media content provider. We photograph, record and create media that can be used on a digital medium. We're able to accomedate graphic design but actual website development is limited at the time. Our aim is to provide customers with media content for their website, so they don't have to go through all the trouble of making it themselves.

E.C. Media, L.L.C. is local company based in Honolulu, Hawaii with outreach programs into Asia. We provide community charity work for cultural events free of charge in an effort to perpetuate our unique way of life.