BRIAN KOHNE : County Film Director- College Professor & Program Developer– Writer and Director- of the Arts on Maui

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Jason Schwartz with BRIAN KOHNE. Brian is writer/director of films “Get A Job” and Kuleana/Maui”; Brian is also Creative Media program coordinator at UHMC University of Hawaii Maui College.3-25-2019 … and since then…

Summary & Transcript Below…

Interview with Brian Kohne on Maui’s Creative Media Landscape and Film Industry Development

1. 1. 1. 1. [00:00 → 08:49] Introduction and Early Career of Brian Kohne

• [00:00] The show “The Neutral Zone” welcomes Brian Kohne, a well-known writer, director, producer, and educator based in Maui. Brian’s recent work includes the film Kuleana (also known as Maui), which celebrated local Hawaiian culture and filmmaking.
• [01:28] Brian Kohne is recognized as a local phenomenon in Maui’s film scene, having created several projects that resonate with the community.
• [02:09] Brian’s filmmaking journey began in high school at Baldwin High School in 1980. He was among the first in his area to pursue narrative filmmaking seriously, despite early technological limitations.
• [02:49] He was heavily involved in youth theatre in Maui, learning from influential local theatre figures such as Sue Ann Loudon and Linda Takita. Although not a theater person himself, Brian used the experience to understand directing and production.
• [04:02] Brian’s passion was always film directing, but he developed wide-ranging skills over the years, including television production, sports journalism, corporate video, marketing, graphic design, and interactive media.
• [05:11] His professional background includes working in Silicon Valley and covering major sporting events, showing his versatile skill set.
• [05:42] Directing, according to Brian, requires a psychologist’s insight, people skills, storytelling ability, and business acumen. It’s a continuous learning process much like mastering golf.
• [06:14] He discusses the realities of television versus film directing: television is a writer’s medium, whereas film allows the director more creative control.
• [07:11] Brian wrote and directed Get a Job (filmed in 2010, released in 2012), which was a growth step for him as it marked his first feature film in both roles.
• [07:46] Initially, Brian left the writing to others, focusing on directing. But he learned that good directing requires a strong understanding of writing and storytelling, which he embraced in his late 30s.
• [08:16] His early writing work was largely comedic, often stoner comedy, which lacked depth but served as a learning platform. He realized that storytelling matures with life experience.
• [08:49] Get a Job was his first fully realized screenplay and directorial effort, marking a significant milestone in his career.

1. 1. 1. 1. [08:49 → 14:55] Transition to Drama with Kuleana and Working with Editor Audio Elaodis

• [09:23] Brian’s next film Kuleana (also titled Maui for wider markets) was a dramatic thriller, a new challenge for him as a writer and director.
• [09:56] Comedy was Brian’s comfort zone, but writing drama required new skills, especially in sustaining tension rather than relieving it with humor.
• [10:58] He explains the difference between comedy and drama: comedy builds tension only to release it with humor, while drama sustains tension to engage the audience emotionally.
• [12:04] Kuleana was a thriller, which added the complexity of suspense, requiring Brian to study the mechanics of building and maintaining suspense.
• [12:41] Brian worked closely with editor Audio Elaodis, who brought deep storytelling insight to the editing process and helped develop Kuleana beyond what Brian could have done alone.
• [13:14] Brian had edited Get a Job himself, which was a major learning experience, especially in comedy editing — a challenging art form because comedic timing is crucial.
• [13:45] Editing comedy requires a distinct skill set to produce effective humor through pacing, cuts, and sound.
• [14:18] With Kuleana, Brian experienced the benefits of collaborating with a skilled editor, which deepened his understanding of storytelling in post-production.
• [14:55] Audio Elaodis also teaches editing at the University of Hawaii Maui College, offering students a rare opportunity to learn from a professional editor with hands-on experience.

1. 1. 1. 1. [15:23 → 23:51] Brian Kohne’s Maui Roots and Role at University of Hawaii Maui College

• [15:23] Brian was born in Detroit but moved to Maui in 1960. He attended local schools and was often a cultural minority in his classes, which shaped his perspective.
• [15:56] He shares his experience returning to school at University of Hawaii Maui College, learning new technical skills like Photoshop and editing to better serve in an administrative and educational role.
• [16:24] The college’s creative media program benefits greatly from experts like Brian and Audio Elaodis, offering students professional-caliber instruction.
• [17:01] The program includes world cinema classes taught by instructors like Berry Worst, which expose students to global filmmaking traditions beyond Hollywood.
• [17:33] Brian advises aspiring filmmakers to start by identifying their interests and jumping into storytelling in any form, regardless of age or circumstance.
• [18:05] He reflects on how the media landscape has changed with the internet, creating new opportunities but also requiring adaptability.
• [18:38] The industry has shifted, with traditional screenwriters now needing to be producers and marketers as well, highlighting the importance of diverse skill sets.
• [19:44] Brian emphasizes the value of education programs like the one at Maui College in preparing students with versatile skills for an evolving industry.
• [23:22] Returning home 14 years ago, Brian observed a lack of local film activity and felt a responsibility to help build an industry and storytelling community in Maui.
• [23:51] The establishment and growth of the creative media program at Maui College is a significant milestone, signaling positive momentum in local media education and production.

1. 1. 1. 1. [24:24 → 31:52] Maui College Creative Media Program and Local Industry Development

• [24:24] The university offers a two-year Associate of Science degree in Creative Media and plans to introduce a certificate of achievement and eventually a four-year Bachelor of Arts degree.
• [25:00] The program teaches professional editing software such as Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro, and Photoshop, focusing on storytelling and technical skills.
• [26:34] Many students come with prior experience from high school and community programs, making the college a hub for honing and expanding these skills.
• [27:03] Students purchase their own Adobe Creative Suite licenses at discounted rates, which is a huge benefit for professional-quality training.
• [28:10] The program enjoys strong support from faculty and leadership, reflecting a broader institutional commitment to growing media education.
• [28:39] The college is expanding course offerings, with new classes emphasizing storytelling, media history, and production.
• [31:16] The program is designed to be accessible for a wide range of students, including working adults and those seeking career changes.
• [31:52] Plans include a certificate program allowing students with or without prior degrees to gain foundational skills in a shorter timeframe.

1. 1. 1. 1. [32:20 → 40:38] Curriculum, Industry Skills, and Marketing in Creative Media

• [32:20] The Creative Media program’s vision is to provide comprehensive training that equips students for diverse career paths, including entrepreneurship and further education.
• [33:23] While not exclusively vocational, the program emphasizes transferable skills applicable in many industries.
• [34:21] Brian highlights a national statistic that 80% of college graduates do not work in their field of study, but skills learned are valuable across sectors.
• [35:24] Creative media is described as commercial art — a fusion of technology and art aimed primarily at marketing and selling.
• [35:55] Even filmmakers are essentially commercial artists, as marketing their work is crucial to success.
• [36:59] The program welcomes students of all ages and backgrounds, offering a valuable community resource.
• [37:30] New classes include world cinema and mass media history, which explore the evolution of storytelling and media technologies.
• [38:32] Brian stresses the importance of understanding media’s historical context, from the printing press to the internet as a delivery mechanism.
• [39:08] The program encourages development of creative ideas independent of technology, focusing on storytelling fundamentals.
• [40:38] A course titled Motion Pictures: Concept to Completion teaches screenwriting, production, post-production, and marketing as interconnected processes.

1. 1. 1. 1. [41:09 → 47:58] Specializations, Industry Realities, and Genre Insights (Horror and Faith Films)

• [41:09] The degree program will offer two specializations: communication design (graphic and web design) and filmmaking, with overlap in foundational skills.
• [41:41] Brian enjoys teaching and finds fulfillment in mentoring students.
• [42:08] Kuleana (aka Maui) is being marketed for broader audiences, releasing soon on various platforms including theaters, VOD, andDVD.
• [43:10] Brian values the learning gained from working with editors and educators, highlighting continuous growth.
• [44:15] Upcoming courses include Horror: The Cinema of Fear, taught by Berry Worst, focusing on horror as a sociological study rather than just film technique.
• [44:48] Brian discusses the evolution of horror films from simple gore to sophisticated storytelling addressing societal fears.
• [45:21] He notes that horror and faith-based films are the two commercially viable independent genres today.
• [45:53] Faith films follow a formula centered on spiritual transformation, often succeeding commercially without big budgets or stars.
• [46:21] Horror films must either present familiar thrills or introduce novel scares; Jordan Peele’s Get Out is cited as a breakthrough horror example.
• [47:30] Horror films serve as vehicles for deeper truths and social commentary, though Brian personally dislikes the “torture porn” subgenre.
• [47:58] Horror is a dynamic genre with many variations, making it an interesting subject for academic study.

1. 1. 1. 1. [48:28 → 56:08] Future Growth, Local Talent, and Kuleana’s Meaning

• [48:28] The Creative Media program is open for enrollment this fall, with plans to add intermediate and advanced courses including motion graphics and animation.
• [49:28] Maui has abundant local talent and crew capable of supporting film productions, including union crews who often work on larger productions on Oahu.
• [49:58] While the program currently focuses on foundational skills, there is hope to expand into more technical and industry-specific training.
• [50:29] Challenges remain in justifying state investment in film training due to limited on-island production jobs, but growth is anticipated.
• [51:25] Brian emphasizes the importance of local filmmakers continuing to create and connect via the internet to build sustainable careers.
• [52:28] Maui businesses increasingly recognize the importance of quality video content for marketing and competitive advantage.
• [53:32] Brian reflects on his personal journey returning home, describing kuleana as a Hawaiian term meaning responsibility or obligation.
• [54:28] He committed to helping build Maui’s film industry despite career setbacks, embracing a new chapter focused on education and community-building.
• [55:37] Brian expresses joy in living and working on Maui, appreciating the community and lifestyle.
• [56:08] The interview concludes with thanks, acknowledgment of community support, and an invitation to future shows featuring faculty like Berry Worst.

1. 1. 1. Key Insights

• Brian Kohne’s career exemplifies the evolving nature of filmmaking, emphasizing the importance of broad skills including writing, directing, editing, and marketing.
• The Creative Media program at University of Hawaii Maui College is a pivotal development for the Hawaiian film industry, aiming to cultivate local talent and provide accessible, high-quality education.
• Storytelling fundamentals remain paramount, regardless of evolving technologies and platforms.
• Collaboration, especially between directors and editors, is crucial to refining narrative and emotional impact.
• The local industry, though still emerging, has a solid foundation of talent and community support.
• Independent film genres like horror and faith-based films remain commercially viable and culturally significant.
• Kuleana symbolizes a sense of collective responsibility to nurture and sustain local creative industries and culture.

1. 1. 1. Conclusion

This interview with Brian Kohne offers a comprehensive look at the growth and challenges of filmmaking in Maui, highlighting education, community, and creative passion as key drivers. It underscores the necessity of adaptability and continuous learning in the media arts and

celebrates the unique role Maui’s emerging film industry plays in the global cinema landscape.

00:00

am i Monday this is Jason Schwartz you’re at the neutral zone welcome to our show [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] please Wow when I hear that that brought back memories of Maui we don’t quote Maui community college it’s now University of Hawaii Maui college we are here on radio kak u 88.5 FM we’re also on Facebook live and you’ll find us on Maui neutral zone comm this show and others we have a special guest today you hear me say that almost every time but you know what we have special guests and this one is no

01:28

special than any one fact many of you see a face and you see that hat and you think is that Vince Esquire no that’s not him that’s Brian Kohne Brian Kohne some of you know many of you know writer director producer educator your most recent project which I guess is now renamed Maui was kuleana which we all celebrated a great local production welcome to our show well thank you for having me well you know you by yourself have become I think a local phenomenon there have been others that have done

02:09

local projects obviously over time but your success is well noted I had so much fun way back when you did get a job which isn’t so way back again when was that get a job we shot in 2010 and did film festivals in 2011 and released in 2012 Wow and we’re in 2019 so you’re a veteran of the circuit survivor was did you have experience before this project and before get a job and and ultimately cliana yeah I started making movies at Baldwin High School in 1980 when I was 16 I was certainly the

02:49

only one that I was aware of at the time making movies trying to you know work with narrative works video was coming coming around at that time but it certainly not in a practical way so what I was trying to figure out we were really heavily involved in the Youth Theatre my brothers and you know others in the community people Eric Gilliam and and and others that that certainly well known we all started in the theater on my Loudon and Linda Takeda Michael Takeda Maui community theater as well in the 70s so but for me I was I

03:27

was not a theater guy so much I was a I always knew I wanted to make movies so I hung around the theater primarily to help help my brother and and others that we’re working on production do tech stuff and just be supportive but I by doing so I had the catbird seat to sit back and watch these powerful individuals Sue Ann Loudon and Linda takeda and and I wanted to do what they were doing which was directing that was my interest so so I as a young guy I got to kind of I got to kind of watch these

04:02

powerful folks that really had a vision and in you know worked hard and we’re driven and instilled up a really heavy work ethic in all of us production is you know there’s no small matter if the show must go on and and in film television and other other it’s it’s really no different you know and it’s a collaborative space so yeah so I started out then and then ultimately moved on to the mainland where I went to college and produced television and did sports journalism a lot of corporate

04:36

video I did I just did a whole lot of stuff and then got off the path of entertainment and certainly motion pictures and I was heavy and I of degrees in graphic design and an interactive media in addition to radio television and film and so I spent a lot of years doing sales and marketing you know and user interface design I was in the Silicon Valley working in a lot of different capacities working for myself as well as others I worked for a company out of the Midwest that did a lot of sports I covered a lot of heavyweight

05:11

championship fights and in college bowl games and hockey and you know you name it I’m a sports fanatic so any any time it was about a sports like great and I’ll have a press pass fabulous I’ll go I’ll do it what I gotta do okay cool so you’re a production guy and directing and whatever role directing directing was always my thing always my vision and I was a director for you know in in my early 20s and television and other stuff it’s always that’s always just been where I’ve been at but as anybody who

05:42

directs can tell you you need to have a real wide skill set it’s not restricted just to you know being a storyteller or anything and you need to be a psychologist you definitely need to have people skills in my case as an independent you have to develop acumen on the business side of matters so I would say the it’s a lot like golf being a director like golf you’re never gonna master it and you just got to keep at it and and keep going and keep doing it and so I have and watch out for the wind and

06:14

the hook and all the resume yeah well you know life throws you curveballs and and I think a lot of people I mean a lot of people who work professionally in these industries you know they they get themselves on a certain path because it’s what they want to do I’ve always wanted to do this and so people you know find their way I’ve known many people who say I just want to direct television and and they work real hard and they strive and they get to Hollywood and they build their their way up however

06:39

they have to get there and then when they get into that seat then they a lot of the television directors realize holy crap this isn’t this is one I what I wanted this is what I thought televisions not a medium for the director it’s a it’s a writer’s medium so people who want to direct really belong in film it’s where it’s where the director has say it’s where the director is you know the ultimate authority television it’s the writers well it going back to give get a

07:11

job he wrote and directed right correct the writing piece to me like what you’re talking I thought that was a great piece it could have been on TV but it was great as a movie yeah and you really showed a both sides of your background with really well thanks and that was a growth step for me in so many ways it was the first my first feature as a director but also as a writer and when I was younger I didn’t take responsibility for the writing side of things I worked with others I had partners that were

07:46

screenwriters and I always thought oh no I’m gonna you know I’m a director and you know by extension we all had to produce in order to do things but I always left the writing to other people and you know I think that that was okay at the end at the time because it wasn’t where my passion was and and what I will say is I don’t sink and I think there’s rare exceptions I don’t think we have a lot to say as writers until we’ve lived for a while until we get into our you know little get a little further up the

08:16

road and and everything that we were creating you know it was all stoner comedy and and it’s funny but not all stoner comedy but it was it was a lot a lot of stuff it was comedian and you know it doesn’t have a lot of depth or value and I looked back at and it was great growth and it was in the moment and might have been more more interesting in its time and certainly more cutting-edge I look back on the things we produced earlier and all those ideas have been trampled over since then in television and film but I didn’t

08:49

start I didn’t start I didn’t come around until my late 30s I didn’t come around to the fact that oh man you know if you want to direct you better be a good writer too you better understand story at the end of the day you have to understand story how to tell story concretely and and so I took that on and so get a job was um was fortunately my first opportunity to direct a full-blown feature film but it was also my first screenplay that I had taken to a point of being suitable and and yeah so that

09:23

journey continues well and then you took it to the next step which is you wrote coolly on as well Julianna was a growth step in a thousand different ways not the least of which is the first time in my life I’d ever worked in drama uh-huh so as a writer it was a super challenge I have good comedic instincts and so it’s I’m not so challenged once I understood screenplay form and started to understand story on a deeper level I can I can just blast comedy out I’m really good in a writers room I’m real

09:56

loose and and comedy is pretty easy it’s a science at the end of the day once you once you once you get once you’ve been doing it long enough comedy is just you know it’s just not as you’re not just sitting there trying to think of goofy things to say there’s a there’s a progression and there’s a setup and there’s a payoff there’s a way that you deal with comedy to elicit laughter or humor there’s a way you set up stories so that people already want to laugh

10:23

stand-up comics know this very well they have to you know they have to get in they have to set the tension in the room in order to break it which is what what causes laughter so that was my lifelong understanding was comedy so kuleana as a writer oh that became a real amazing beast not only was I still learning the craft of screenwriting so I was you know there was a lot that I didn’t know and I had an experienced and hadn’t I didn’t figure it out yet but then I was taking on this form of drama which was the

10:58

antithesis of every instinct that I have in a drama you create the tension and you sustain it and and you you end up having to you know I’m making this very simple and it’s probably not but I think with drama you you find ways to to create the tension and sustain it in a way so that it’s not unbearable but you have to develop the trust that an audience wants to be in that emotional place you know and the worst comedy comedy you set that tension up and then you take it you get make it as taut as

11:31

you can and then you relieve it with something ridiculous haha and then everybody’s emotions dissipate and then you’re back to you know you’re back and the story continues so so my habit is always to create the tension and then relieve it with a gag or a joke or something and that I discovered was you know no certainly not not the techniques you use in drama and and then on top kuleana was a was a was a thriller and so I needed to I needed to get in deeper and understand the form of suspense how

12:04

do you create it how do you sustain it and it was really difficult well you know it’s all these things you’re talking about I think are a natural lead up to now by the way we’re talking with Brian Kohne Brian is the we call you program director at University of Hawaii Moloch my college I’m the program coordinator of creative media program coordinator Brian as over I’m at UHMC and I have a good fortune this semester here it’s a spring 2019 when you talk about story alley audio lod is an editor

12:41

who I came to understand worked on that movie kuleana when I’m enjoying it you’ll find out I have trouble seeing so me as an editor why am i in the class to learn what he’s teaching which is what you’re talking about about story and holding suspense and doing it in frames that was a probably a great experience editing a drama and building tension well and kuleana then an audio ela dis is absolutely brilliant and he is teaching editing at the college with us now great opportunity

13:14

for everyone it’s fantastic and he’s got a depth of experience and a lifelong passion for storytelling and so kuleana he edited kuleana with me and and then that was another growth step for me was the first time that I’d worked intimately with an editor in the case of get a job I edited that film myself which I’d never done that and so get a job was a growth step for me learning story as an editor and comedy editing comedy wasn’t such a big challenge for me because I understood those principles

13:45

but I but I can tell you it’s not easy and anybody who’s an editor can probably tell you that oh wow once you start dealing with comedy yeah yeah you can cut it Nick and sound good and it can be smooth and slick that’s not comedy smooth and slick and and everything we do with drama or or advertisements and all this citizen this doesn’t result in laughter necessarily so so the comedic editor is a very specific beast and I so so while I was struggling to learn how to step up to the plate of editing a

14:18

full feature film at least I could lean on my comedic instincts when I got to kuleana I was blessed that Adi had come into my life and and so he edited it so that was a whole nother learning thing for me was sitting as a director in a more traditional relationship with an editor you know and and it was fantastic because he took that he took the story to places that I couldn’t have and our our interaction was was positive we were learning from each other laughter you know in his class yeah has been a very

14:55

wonderful experience um well I hope he’ll come on in fact on the show you know this show is the neutral zone well what does that mean nothing’s neutral here but we try to set a zone to talk about things and yeah well I’m bringing on things that are passionate to me and parts of my world and then I’m gonna show how it all fits together because we’re all here are you born here and raised on Maui no I was born in Detroit Michigan my family moved to Maui in 1960 and I know when I was

15:23

five well I am I started I started kindergarten at Wailuku elementary is the only only white kid in my class so I guess that’s a good starting point you know for anybody moving oh I okay well all I know is that I am seeing at the college and I’ve been going a couple of years I discovered about senior financial aid great financial aid little possums like fill me in on that I’m almost there and they all these people so they all could be come and do things with their lives and technical skills so

15:56

I thought I’m hold I can’t see but why would I want to learn Photoshop and this and editing yeah well because first of all you get to be with young people and that by itself is a great stimulation and they can learn from you and all your experience so I thought that was good yeah but then I realized if I’m going to be doing anything I’m really more administrative I want to know what I am doing to be able to hand off a job and know the kind of things and work with them in the way you are

16:24

so the fact that you can go to Maui University Maui here and have someone the caliber of audial on and being a program directed by Brian Brian brought on yet another great I guess we call them professors right now how do we identify instructors this that Joel Agnew has a partner on his show berry worse berry worse teaches world cinema which I imagine you can describe but I’m in that class and so when I’m sitting now with a director who we saw a movie called the the killer mm-hmm John Woo

17:01

John Woo then came and did things in the States hard target mission impossible to Broken Arrow etc so when he’s the Barry is pushing us to compare and I’m thinking John wrote and directed the killer now he’s doing Mission Impossible – that’s a different kind of a relationship but her interesting comparison now that you’re going through here and talking about you’re moving toward writing and directing as a direction what do you see out there for people that are learning it to learn it

17:33

all and jump in where you can yeah I think that’s kind of where it starts you know what what it what are you interested in and regardless of your age certainly or your circumstances we all you know can pursue storytelling in all different forms and now there’s different ways to market these skills that there were never necessarily were before when I was in film and television and radio school and you came out and you go get a job at the brought at the affiliate hope you can get on the news

18:05

crew or you know like me do some independent corporate video and and try to get your act together on that level or you know try to try to work your way into radio which you know at the time there was certainly a lot of you know on-air personality positions for that but but radio was really about getting into sales and the administrative side because that’s the money was you know probably is still today I well today corporate radio is a another beast I’m sure with the internet everything’s changed in so many ways it

18:38

has but it’s created opportunity and it’s created and it’s created opportunity for our voices and yeah we have to adjust our expectation I’m we all do the people the Hollywood screenwriters that worked in this industry for twenty thirty years and just really you know in the heyday of of well-paying script work are having to accept staff writing positions they never had before they used to some used to routinely you know get a million million and a half per script just for you know blasting something out and now

19:10

there’s no certainty of that and what is the money to be who knows the writers thirty-year writers are having to learn how to be producers and package and cast and and and move through the the Hollywood system in a whole different way so the message is very clear we need to have a wealth of skills there is no one entry point there is no what’s right for me it’s right for you that’s right it drips this comes down to what’s right for you today now it’s probably going to change tomorrow well using that as the

19:44

platform yeah you’re a school and what you’re doing there is the foundation for people to get educated and be in an industry and be creating an industry by having local skills and that is such a wonderful thing well I saw that you were coming in that program I actually shifted my life schedule know how to be able to take your Monday Wednesday berry and taking a film class where you get to experience and understand things as they were coming on the scene I want to say the Hollywood but the world film scene

20:17

is an extraordinary journey and Berry does a great job of very brilliant he’s really terrific so if anyone interested in this stuff the University of Hawaii Maui college creative media department is quite the place to look at you got stuff even this week coming up why don’t you tell us about what we do you know it is a an active thing we got going on this week in the Wednesday night class and Barry worsts world cinema class we’re be hosting two filmmakers from the big island that are bringing their latest

20:47

feature over it’s it’s a great film that’s gonna screen here publicly on Thursday night at the Regency at 7:30 a film entitled stoked and stoke is going to be screening in very wursts world cinema class world cinema is a film analysis and criticism class really heavy on critical thinking but also in history of cinema and understanding place you know as Hawaii people we are we are world you know if you’re making a movie in Hawaii you’re involved in world cinema you’re certainly not part of

21:20

Hollywood unless that’s what you you know our pretzel on your self to do but if you’re grading natively here you really fall into the category of world cinema so that course is structured to illuminate what’s going on all over the world historically what has where the Masters have come from not from Hollywood as the is I think you know one of the recurring motifs is you know that the Hollywood system doesn’t necessarily create the masters in this day and age they come from from from elsewhere and

21:50

it also eliminates the the maori film industry in new zealand which didn’t exist twenty-five years ago well so the hawaii film industry really doesn’t exist yet but we’re working on one oh yeah i’d like to think that 20 years from now i’ll get to reflect back on wow we didn’t have an industry now we do and look it look at where its humble beginnings were so it’s films like get a job or haumana or or a go-for-broke there’s some really amazing documentaries being being you know put

22:20

out by hawaii people every year and so the filmmakers that are coming in this week at the college and a screen here on maui their new feature stoke really excited to see it takes place on the big island it’s a road picture and then friday night they’re going to be having a salon here at ikkaku and they’re going to be showing their a documentary aloha from lava land which is something these talented filmmakers put together when the volcanoes were we’re going off on the big island so these are regional

22:51

filmmakers right now but developing skills to tell story you know beyond our shore as they acquire those skills and experience well thank you for bringing all this to all of us here on Maui well it’s certainly not me I just have to stop you there it’s not me it’s it’s there’s an us going on oh good when I moved home 14 years ago I think I did come home and observe that oh god there’s just really we’re still not doing it and and I’ve wasn’t here so so I can you know I I was guilty of that

23:22

as well I came back saying God why is there nothing happening here I want to move home but but nobody’s making movies nobody’s telling story nobody’s building industry and and you know one person can’t do it so that’s that’s real but I but I took responsibility for coming home and at least being one of the few at the time that we’re saying hey we can do this and and so let’s do this and so now all these years later there’s greater movement statewide did the fact

23:51

that there’s even a creative media program in the Maui college is really a cool step forward and and we’re growing forward it’s gonna be better this year next year by next year our program our two-year program is going to be going to be mature and and really happen and you know sent out an email with just extraordinary some new classes yeah there’s four or five new classes and and you also you put it together I’m talking really to our audience who knows nothing and yeah you guys old and young Maui

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college has a great program here and the reason I shifted to look at this is just because of people exactly like Brian because the programs they’re putting together you’re going to find incredibly inspiring all right we’re sitting here you mentioned ikkaku we are kak U which is I guess you’d say affiliated but we are not part of our caucus so we’re a real you know have to make money kind of radio station but we’re independent but a kakou television in the future of television I’m hoping

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we can throw all this another growth step is going to be a channel or or three that’s another step well at the college that believes just like a Kaku they do have a channel on the cable it’s it’s ready but I don’t know how active it’s really bad there’s programming of different kinds up you know I’m not sure that that is the the agenda of our program at this time but if we get to the point where students are creating our generating content a broadcast channel we already

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have access to such a thing I know our Kaku is you know wonderful about airing the works of local producers so I saw our students probably could find their their way to the airwaves that way I’m hoping where you can get all the anime right here they have iMovie and Final Cut Pro and you guys are using Adobe Premiere I’m sure so I’m sure through all this and the editing once you learn the concept that’s where I learned with Adi once you got the concept and story thing down the moving of the buttons

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that’s different between programs but the real skill is what you’re talking about is what do you put for the viewer to see in here yeah what are you putting it together and so our program is is hopefully going to allow folks to acquire the skills the the tool skills right there’s a lot of students here on an island that are learning these skills in high school and in middle school very you know very very active production environment here for the youth and so I I know that we’re going to have students

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coming in that already have a wealth of experience with editing with shooting and and with art programs and and that’s a part of it learning the tools in Adobe Creative Suite surreal robust toolset and that’s that’s why we’re centering around that with premier and this is a professional tool and also I’m recognizing that for example in our kaku they have they buy a program they have it on their computers we’re here students are coming through they each take responsibility for their own the

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software package and they get a great deal it’s incredible 19 dollars a month for a student and they can you can have everything in the Adobe Creative Suite yeah a professional Reitan that’s about 60 bucks so so that is a really amazing to school and save money yeah yeah right exactly you’re probably a professional could probably enroll into school have access to all those tools and save money by just taking one class here well if you’re a professional what a great I mean I have learned already that Maui

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college is we don’t want to be thinking that what we have here isn’t quality education we’ve got some terrific people there oh truly and incredible and join for me joining the faculty last fall it’s been quite an adjustment you know so many ways but everywhere I turn there’s just people that are really passionate and giving and and building programs you know ours doesn’t necessarily exist but it sits on you know it’s it’s growing and in the support that I’ve received from from my

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colleagues and from leadership you know they’re really behind the growth of our program which is just a reflection that they’re behind the growth of all programs there are now four year degrees at the college extraordinary ours is a two-year AAS Associate of Science degree but we’re also introducing a certificate of achievement so a student could come back well let’s let’s say we’re gonna take a break for hours for our sponsors hit the hit the mark as we say yeah but I will come back

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and we’ll get into MU this again we’re with Brian Kohne the program coordinator to creative media etc at University of Iowa College we’ll be right back hi I’m Jason Schwartz host of the neutral zone KNK U is a listener-supported station this means that all the great programs you hear like mine are sponsored by you as well as our underwriters if you would like to help keep the voice of Maui loud and clear go to kak ufm dot org slash donate today and give and don’t miss the neutral on mondays at 11 a.m. 1

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88.5 FM a voice of power want to post your own radio talk show you can once every month kak u 88.5 FM offers an introduction to radio class at ikkaku plaza at 333 dairy road in Kahului this introduction to radio will get your feet wet and show you what you need to do to get started interested call us at 875 for for more information and registration enough with the lawyers if you want something done bring in the pointy heads you know looking at the problems our country is facing whether it’s the future of work

30:00

or climate change who better to tackle those problems than scientists and engineers a record number of scientists are running for Congress on the next big picture science skeptic check political scientist [Music] they say that car crashes happen too slow and the reality is that crashes happen fast there’s no time to think and no time to check if your child is in the right car seat car crashes are a leading killer of children 1 to 13 are your kids in the right seat for their age and size don’t think you know know you know get

30:43

more info what safercar.gov slashed the right seat a message from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Ad Council the neutral zone with me Jason Schwartz would like to thank Maui Arts and Music Association tree makers Foundation of Maui for their support cause it’s 1991 hundreds of television shows and their maui arts and music comm website they have champion self sustainability on Maui the neutral zone is earned live Mondays at 11 a.m. and replayed Saturday at 7 a.m. on kak u

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88.5 FM your voice says Maui ok I’m back here with Brian Kohn and this is Jason Schwartz this is the neutral zone we’re anything but neutral we were just talking before the break about the different programs that you said there’s a four-year degree but you guys have a two-year right yeah at the University of Hawaii Maui college creative media program we offer a two-year associate of science degree and will soon be introducing a certificate of achievement as well in creative media so that a student one coming back who

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already has a degree can come back and attain this certificate of achievement in this view as six or seven classes of somebody fresh off the street could get the certificate of achievement with I thinking about nine classes so within a year somebody could acquire you know a series of the basic skills of the foundation of the two-year program but we’re also looking at expanding to a four year Bachelor of Arts program it’ll take a little time and we got out we got to solidify what we’re what we’re

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working on now but I can see as though the day will come where a student on the Island of Maui will be able to economically attain a Bachelor of Arts and creative media and filmmaking Communications design without ever leaving the island and I think that’s very exciting because right now it’s daunting – somebody has to think about even moving over to a Wahoo – to pursue a four-year degree they’ve got to think about work they got to think about tuition you know so if we can I think responsibly here on-island you know

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create as many four-year programs as possible you know the future is bright and the other piece of the business that you’re talking about yeah there’s this side do you teach that kind of stuff we do but not explicitly the program right now really has to focus on the basic foundational skills and an extension of that that will go deeper into storytelling and the marketing side so the business side factors in but we don’t get real serious the program doesn’t get real serious it doesn’t

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assume that everybody is headed in that direction you know a person could go on to take additional classes at the college and starting a small business or you know entrepreneurship and things that could augment whatever they’re learning from us but not really a specific skills we’re I don’t I don’t see what we’re doing as as exclusively vocational I think the school itself certainly when it was Maui Community College was always sort of seen as a vocational school is where you go to

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learn nursing or auto mechanics or construction and things of that nature so that is a part of what we’re doing but the outcomes we could be preparing students to go on to a four-year degree we could be preparing them to open their own business we could be preparing them for any number of things there’s a statistic it’s a national statistic that I look at about college graduates and that is and it’s quite illuminating is it eighty percent of college graduates in the United States do not end up

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working in their field of study and so on one hand you know that that maybe diminishes the value of a college degree I don’t see it that way at all and I definitely don’t see it at nurse respect to the skills and experiences we’re providing I believe that 80% of the people coming out of our program are going to use these skills in what ever business they choose to become a part of so it’s not just about really in our day and age where all these skills which are the part of your life part of

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our lives like they have never been before absolutely and they overlaps being able to deal with video and graphic design and and audios that on your blog or your all sorts of different ways and it and it’s strengthened to you in the workplace when you have additional skills in these ways and marketing marketing when we talk about creative media people say what is great a media well creative media to me is commercial art straight up it’s it’s a it’s a the convergence of art and technology that’s

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the late hands creative media but it’s commercial art 95% of the applications for these programs for these skills are to sell things you know and and if people say oh no but I’m making I’m a movie maker okay with you’re a movie maker you’re selling something and so marketing is a part of making a feature film when I set out to to write a feature film one of the first things I have to confront early on is who is my our own audience who is my market how is this thing going to sell who’s gonna see

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it and if the conclusions are nobody’s gonna see it there is no market and I choose to do it anyway okay then maybe I’m just you know it’s maybe it’s maybe I’m just an artist but I would argue I’m still a commercial artist who happens to be looking at this craft is more of an hobby than as a profession so there’s all these distinctions right so so our program really seeks to acknowledge those truths and if you come in and you do two years with us and you pursue our program you are going to have capability

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in all of these areas and you may choose to go to on to school you may choose to open a business or to seek clients because you’re gonna have this marketable skills and you may just choose to move into some other industry or go on to get a business degree or any other things but whatever experience people have in our program it’s going to be a positive one for their lives you know well I also like to make a plug to all their Americans that means you could be thirty out of the way you normally were in

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school this program and from what I see at Maui at the college there is a really valuable resource that works with our community so well and we like I say we’re sort of sisters stations but a couple of the channels getting funded through the same sources and such and we’re all supporting making Maui better you’ve done a really good job and still you have things coming up this fall and I guess you have new courses what are you three do somebody well we’re growing the program forward so

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you’re taking a world cinema class right now which is the first time we’ve offered that so that’ll be offered again in the fall we debut berry worst is also going to be teaching a course mass media and culture this fall which is going to go back and illuminate the history of media and emerging technology so it starts so I guess with the printing press and and brings us all the way forward I think that’s an important course for a younger generation who grew up in the Internet age the Internet’s

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have been here and they don’t necessarily have an understanding of you know a an important understanding of you know the evolution of all of these forms and if you you’re talking about video and audio you’re talking about understanding how things storytelling moved from radio to the you know from the screen to radio to to television to you know what we know as the Internet is it’s just a it’s just a delivery mechanism it’s not a it’s not an art form no you know it’s it’s a delivery

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mechanism for all of these art forms we’ve practiced for hundreds of years now well what I think is amazing also is that all of us have so many choices marketing like you say gun who is your audience comes into everything you do so to know what it was like before they had these tools to be able to use your brain and dependent of all these tools being sort of shortcuts to where a story is made the development of ideas that’s really such a valuable thing for all people but young people for sure absolutely how do

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people get in touch about this kind of program the college it’s really easy to get information I mean right now there’s not a lot of information because the work and the things I can continue to describe for you aren’t aren’t in place yet in in place or some of the new courses that are going this fall we’re going to do the editing class again the mass-media course that I I have a I have a class I’ll be teaching on Fridays from 9:00 to noon motion pictures from concept to completion so in one semester

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you’re gonna get a real a real real good understanding of screenwriting production post-production and marketing and how all of these processes are interconnected and it’s not just about making a feature film I think that’s one of the easiest ways to teach subjects like this because we’re familiar with feature films there’s value there but but the same processes the same principles apply to short form start telling them any kind including advertising you know you have regardless

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how much time or what where the the contents going and if it’s something that to be seen or heard or both you know the the considerations are all the same the level of preparation the writing the post-production and the marketing in the old days we made movies three times we we wrote them we shot them and we edited them and that was it and then you handed it off and somebody marketed it for you that’s not how it works now now there’s the the fourth time you make a movie is marketing and

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Mark and Aris starts first so that all these processes are inter woven and so it’s really important regardless of what type of storytelling you may find your way in to understand the comprehensive part of this process in that class that I just mentioned motion pictures concept to completion also offers a preview of what the program will will do for you in the coming years on the filmmaking side our degree is going to have two specializations one is communication design which is graphic design and the

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web and the other is filmmaking however they both share a lot so the filmmakers are gonna are definitely going to get a massive dose of communications design foundational education and and so two of the communication design people have capability in video editing and production well I must tell you I’ve I’ve now been going to school there are a couple of years part time and it’s just getting better and better you’re such a welcome addition to the banks of the campus thank you oh I’m

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enjoying it I’m enjoying it for sure and that’s that’s I think at the end of the day that’s why we’re here right have a good time am I here for a long time and here for a good time so teaching is teaching is fun for me it’s just another passion just like making movies well that’s a good thing you have anything in the works or are you still well I have I have kuleana which is is being marketed outside the state of Hawaii under the title Maui it’s an alternate title we didn’t change the

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title it’s just an alternate title to appeal to a broader market so that will be opening in theaters soon on the mainland and it’ll be going to video on-demand pay-per-view and all of these places this year probably go to blu-ray and DVD as well so people who have been asking hey how can I see kuleana how can I see it you know well it’s coming and it’ll probably be released in Hawaii on DVD as kuleana / Maui you know because it’s it’s but it’s both it’s the same it’s the same movie it’s just alternate

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eyes although you kind of I don’t know if you discounted get a job I thought get a job was alright yeah I’ll get a job is great when you find that really funny you know it’s I think it’s on Amazon Prime at the moment we’ll probably when we released colleano we’ll probably release get a job in some places there’s a there’s some online platform called to be that is evidently gonna gonna put it on I pulled it out of all of the usual places because I wanted to take them deep breath and get Coolio

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know where it needed to go with the idea that I’m gonna learn a lot and that Coolio know the existence of kalyana will help people discover get a job you know ultimately well I don’t I first saw it I’d met you one time we sat and talked a little bit and then I saw it and the first time I saw it as well and I could see a few spots I thought of editing rough but and I saw it again and changes have Minnesota again and changes see a naughty the audio laud the editor he said well the final thing is not done until you have

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to submit it but even after you submit it you can still make changes yeah I just really appreciate what I’ve learned so much in just this little experience with the people that you’ve had on your your education team yeah we have more we have number of new instructors that will be coming in all professionals so as the program moves forward we’re going to continue to to introduce new stuff next spring we’ll be berry is going to have a class we’re going to run in horror the cinema of fear so similar to what you’re

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experiencing with world cinema as this window into the world and into the craft the horror film you know class that he’ll be teaching is is it’s more of a sociology class than anything else and I’ve got a class that will probably not go for another year and a half yet but in common it’ll be in comedy and TV and film which is a particular you know interest to me well it’s interesting because as an older guy horror has come on the scene used to be in a movie you and they have a splat of

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blood the Wild Bunch it was like oh my god and now we’re so far past that and horror is done it’s a Jean it’s a really sophisticated world of cinema and and that there’s no one way to do it and interestingly enough there’s only two genres at this moment that are viable commercially viable independently and that is horror and faith if you make it you make a good horror movie or a good faith merely well don’t wait to say a good faith movie it’s it’s that’s a kind of a misnomer

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because a faith movie doesn’t have to be good it just has to prescribe to a few you know basic tenants which is the characters need to find discover Christ and it changes their lives for the better with a faith movie if you can tell a credible story in which you depict that you know transformation right I was this and then I discovered Christ and I’m now I’m that does that is a marketable product and I’m talking on the business center another I’m not talking on the creative side of anything and the

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business side of faith is a huge business right now for independence you don’t need stars you doesn’t even have to be a great movie it just has to man yeah it just has to follow these just has to follow this formula now in the case of horror core you don’t need stars you don’t need money it just has to be scary on some level it has to have so your movie has to have something that’s unique that either either something the audience has seen plenty of and can’t get enough of or something

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the audience hasn’t experienced yet for example get out was a breakthrough horror movie two years ago that kind of brought today’s audience into a type of horror that we don’t see too often and a lot of you said wow nobody’s ever done that before it’s a no it’s been done there’s other movies that have used similar devices it’s just it was done and it was done so well in such a contemporary way this filmmaker Jordan Peele just is a you know he’s a he’s a lifelong horror fanatic so he

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understands the tenants of it and own horror is not slasher films monster movies it’s it’s none of those things but it’s all of those things its horror is storytelling based on what we fear it gets it’s designed to get under our skin on on other levels Godzilla was a horror movie that thought it was an environmental horror movie that sought to speak to the horrors of you know the nuclear age and and so is really an amazing vehicle to to speak on so many subjects you know III and I so I’m

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not I don’t I’m not one I don’t like the torture porn of recent years I find it you know unsettling but there’s an audience for it so the business you know will continue to crank those things out and and I like everybody tired of the slasher films and and and films of that nature but I think I think horror is the kind of genre but there’s always going to be new variations and and it’s it all it’s just about you know what what what what what makes us feel uncomfortable I think and

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what what holds up a truth to us because that that truth whatever it is it’s making us uncomfortable oftentimes there’s a lot for us to learn there about ourselves and about the world and so berries horror class I believe will be more more so a sociology class than a film class well I mean I’m sure that everyone out there is saying well I would love to come to the school now have you please do you know that I believe in Rome it’s open now at the college starting this fall the Creative

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Media Program the Creative Media majors it’s all going to take off or we’ve got a lot of plans more classes that are rolling out just in the next year and then the following year we’ll have intermediate versions of the editing class you’re currently taking in fact that one might go next spring well well just it’s just gonna keep going we’re gonna have motion graphics and animation classes and this is just the foundation if we can improve our enrollment and and start to you know

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really get get some some wind under our wings I think you know two three years from now we’re going to be able to boast one of the the best creative media programs in the state you’ve been doing production here out in the field do we have enough talent and crew to be able to support production here locally absolutely there’s a lot of talent here in the community and I know some friends of mine are getting uh getting a movie going here and then a coming months and there’s no shortage of people who are

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capable and there’s a lot of Union crew here a lot of the folks in the Union on Maui end up having to work on a Wahoo a lot you have to jump on the bigger productions there’s a lot of commercial production that goes on here national commercials so that’s kind of the bread and butter of our Maui you know people in the crew side of things and yet that that education piece when I go to the college and I look for marketing I don’t yet see maybe what yeah yeah well it’s gonna be hard and I don’t know in a

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two-year program that we’re going to be able to get to a point where we’re preparing people to directly to hang lights and do things of this nature that happens school to develop their marketing area to more delve into this industry ah that’s what it’s tough again the college all the colleges in the state and do a look at things though where are the jobs that’s a big question you know cuz how do you how do you justify the outlay from the state if it’s not going to result in jobs and so

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right now it’s hard to make the argument that well let’s have a school that’s trained on this island that’s training people to work on cruise crew up for TV and film because those jobs aren’t on this island well that’s again that’s another step in our growth because that’s an area that I’m hoping to be able to help and maybe obviously you I mean you talking about comedy I have a friend I haven’t seen in 30 years who’s you know a zillionaire and dominates

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television now as a producer so you know when we have a program what do they say if you build it they will come so those days are coming well I think that that’s just it I think people here in Hawaii need to you know continue to do it for themselves and and use the internet and there are the doors that are opening there now the idea that oh I’m gonna be a television producer and make a zillion okay that may not be real if it is real you got to you got to move to where it is where it’s happening and

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we’re gonna grow up through the system and acquire the skills to you know be that zillionaire but if it’s your passion and your love there’s ways to sustain yourself and provide and have businesses that serve other businesses and well you know there’s there’s a lot of different ways to deliver it remember you talking about your corporate people here for all kinds of businesses in this new media age that we’re in the amount of work that can happen that it’s enormous almost every business needs a

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video right now whether they know it or they don’t know or not and what happens here is a lot of times people don’t realize what they need until their competitor is doing it and so we’re seeing that more and more and then so all at some point it’s not enough to have a video you have to have a good one you have to have more than one and you have to have a system where you’re putting this kind of content out there because social media is a hungry beast and if if a business here gains a real grasp on how

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to use it to their advantage they’re gonna have an incredible advantage over their competition no question and so when those competitions start to emerge the the the vacuum for people with these skills to be able to deliver this this content which is why your program is right I think so I think we’re I think we’re ahead of the curve I think these jobs are we are going to exist yeah they already do they already do but they’re going to exist in a more obvious way in a short period of time you know well I

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guess we say it takes visionaries like yourself and people that you became a visionary by like you say you came back home with a bundle of skills that you live here and you really you live here and you love this bliss of people which is really thank you for doing that so many people that live here that move away move away and bless them but you know we need to have good people we talk about keeping our kids here but also our kids that are wherever to support even from a distance but what you’re doing is

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really appreciate thank you I think that I think you are kids that go and stay away can’t be faulted it is our kuleana to to create a climate it’s their kuleana to step up to it or you know come be part of it if they choose but because you’ve used the word kuleana for everyone yeah you don’t know where they’re gonna listen from what is kuleana oh well in this it means it can be used in a number of ways so we I’m currently using it is is our responsibility it’s our and beyond just

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our you know it’s or tasked with this it’s it’s it’s if it’s important to us it’s important for us to take action to create these opportunities it’s our it’s our cleon it’s our responsibility if we want these industries to exist and we want our students to be able or our kids to be able to come home we have to create a climate in which there’s something here for them right we if somebody wants to do something that that they can’t do here we they’re not coming home and in my

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case it just I stayed away for 22 years in it and it pained me every time I come home I I just call god I really want to move home I love Maui I love the people here I want to be part of this community I want to be part of this culture but I can’t it was it was to be a career suicide so by the time I finally did in 14 years ago it was with the idea that okay I’m gonna be a part of building this thing whatever that takes I’m gonna you know I’m gonna be part of the solution not part of the problem and it was it career

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suicide absolutely it just set me back a thousand years and but but it’s also been a rebirth it’s been a career rebirth 14 years ago when I came home I wasn’t a music producer I was not a writer director producer editor I was not a you know an educator at an eddy University so yeah the death of whatever my career might have been prior to moving home gave way to the the birth of the things that I’ve been doing and the things I’ll continue to do so in my case at that leap of faith has been difficult

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but but benefits and I’m happy and I’m like you come on we’re on Maui this is not the truth just so cool and people that are available are mellow and people are healthy and I just like being here well time is running away I’m looking at the clock with what my glasses we have a little over a minute Brian Kohn you have been a really terrific guest I hope you’ll think to come back and see us again yeah you have great staff you’re building a great thing at the school we wish you the very best with them your

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movies and what you’re doing there and thank you we just have a great grunt to people on Maui and it’s great to have people like you Brian here with us well thank you and ikkaku and kaku has been a big foundational part of this community as well so so thank you to everybody here for doing their part well you know up to our audience out there next week we actually have Barry worst is coming on the show so you’ll be learning about films so we’re featuring this because it’s a really good program

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and I’m really happy to bring good things to our community and you guys and I’ll go to my neutral zone comm you can see this again and you can see other shows please join us next week Brian thank you everyone out there thank you very much it’s been a pleasure the neutral zone with me Jason Schwartz would like to thank Maui Arts and Music Association three makers foundation of Maui for the