The Short List is a YOMYOMF Network series, where we present short films we love every Friday at Noon EST. For the month of September, we’re doing it kama’aina style, showcasing 4 award-winning and unique short films that were shot and produced all in Hawaii by locally born and raised filmmakers. So sit back, relax, snack on a spam musubi and enjoy THE SHORT LIST: Hawaii Edition!
We’ve reached out to the filmmakers with 5 Questions to see what’s up with the filmmaker since the production of their short film. It’s a way for them to revisit their work and get an update on their next projects. You can view all The Short List films here.
We continue with The Short List Hawaii Edition with this week’s installment, Shave Ice is Nice, and ask filmmaker Roman Cortez five questions on the making of the film:
1. How did you come up with the concept for this short?
The main reason I wanted to film this is because I’ve been dying to film something in Hawaii (I’m from Los Angeles). I love it there! So, I asked my friend Gerard Elmore (local Hawaii-based film director), and asked if he’d help me produce a short film. He said, “Sure!”, but I still wasn’t sure yet what I wanted to film, so, I asked myself what are two things I love about Hawaii – 1. Shave ice and 2. Bikini girls! Then, I saw the little boy, Aidan James Laprete, in a short trailer for HIFF that Gerard filmed, and then it all just came together. BAM! Instant short film idea!
2. Any challenges or setbacks during the production?
We had about 4 hours to shoot the short film. We started early, but ran out of time quick (another production company was moving in to film Hawaii 5-0 at our location). I thought I had all the shots that I needed, but once I got back home and started editing the short, I could see it wasn’t coming together correctly. So, 6 months later I asked Gerard to do a day of pickup shots with Aidan at Aoki’s Shave Ice shop. If you watch the movie, Aidan is actually 6 months older than he is in the middle of the movie when he’s on the beach. Classic movie magic! I’m just happy he didn’t grow 12” in 6 months. Haha!
3. Any funny stories from the making of this film?
I made a fake shave ice as a prop out of foam for the movie. Sometimes, it’s a real shave ice, but sometimes it’s a prop. You can barely tell (although the shave ice flower changes color, oops!). When we were filming in front of Aoki’s Shave Ice we asked Aidan to walk in front of everyone and pretend he dropped his shave ice! Haha!! We should have filmed those out takes! It was hilarious watching the people react to his stunt. But the funny thing is he kept doing the joke over and over again to the same people. After awhile they weren’t laughing anymore. One guy actually got mad! Too funny!
4. Where has your film played? Festivals or other places around the world?
So far it’s played in Hawaii, Los Angeles, Washington DC and two cities in Russia. Russia… weird, right? But so cool!
5. What’s been going on with you, filmmaking wise since the completion of this short? What are you working on next?
I’ve recently finished writing my feature film entitled Hey, Mr. DJ which I’ve been writing on-and-off again for the past 12 years. It’s my magnum opus, and I’m hoping to make it come to fruition in early 2013. I’ve taken a break from short films at the moment, but interestingly enough, after filming Shave Ice is Nice, I came up with the idea to do a kid’s plush and clothing line based on Hawaiian Shave Ice – HONIKONI.COM. Products go on sale October 2012. Oh, and I’m getting married this year, too. Yay! Shave ice really is nice! Aloha! =)
