HAWAIIWOOD
A new guide points the way to where every TV and movie has been shot on Oahu. The pristine beaches, majestic mountains lush greenery and sweet morning air are just a few reasons why our Island home is considered “picture perfect” - something you’re surely bound to find on a postcard as you’re browsing the stands and shops in Waikiki.
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A new guide points the way to where every TV and movie has been shot on Oahu
The pristine beaches, majestic mountains lush greenery and sweet morning air are just a few reasons why our Island home is considered “picture perfect” - something you’re surely bound to find on a postcard as you’re browsing the stands and shops in Waikiki. However, what’s more are the hidden treasures of Hawaii revealed on the big screens of Hollywood.
“There’s always been something magical about seeing the Islands portrayed by Hollywood. Sure, it’s a fantasy world, but it’s nice to imagine that it really is a perfect paradise,” says Minette McCabe of Radio Tokyo Productions, an umbrella company for McCabe’s creative endeavors. “Often I will be watching Lost and I think, ‘I want to live there.’ Then I realize I already do! It makes me appreciate this place all the more.”
McCabe and Luella Costales of High Standard Hawaii, LLC (marketing and public relations) met while working at the Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF). They both realized that there was a considerable interest in Hawaii movie locations, but recognized the lack of reference materials available. As a result, through a joint publishing effort they created the first-ever Hawaii movie tour map, Hawaiiwood, featuring more than 150 film and television locations on the Island of Oahu. The fold-out color map highlights detailed locations on the Island, and McCabe says the concept is quite simple: The majority of the locations are public information. McCabe’s inspiration came around the time that the ABC hit-series Lost was gaining popularity. Filmed exclusively in Hawaii, many people were asking where the show was filmed. What began as a website - www.filmedinhawaii.com - soon evolved into a map in print.
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“It wasn’t until my husband and I were at the Santa Monica Pier when I saw a Hollywood Star Map for sale,” McCabe recalls. “That’s when I was inspired to create a print version of the map.”
“Minette is the real brains and talent behind the project,” Costales attests. “We explored the possibility of creating and publishing a printed version (of the website), and I brought ideas regarding the publishing, marketing and sales side of the project.”
Both McCabe and Costales have extensive experience in the entertainment industry throughout their careers. McCabe was the co-writer, associate producer and project manager for the 2003 documentary, Daniel K. Inouye: An American Story as well as editor of the HIFF program guide. Costales served as film coordinator for the 60th Annual Academy Awards and the International Documentary Association.
In conception since May 2006, Hawaiiwood includes reference to street maps, pinpointing exact locations where the movies and television shows were filmed.
“I spent hours watching DVDs, taking screencaps of scenes, driving around trying to match locations, researching on the Internet,” McCabe says. With her expertise serving as a location coordinator in California and in Hawaii, she admits that she’s always keeping an eye out for new productions in town, already preparing for the next print edition of Hawaiiwood along with additional information to include on the website - which also includes a number of bonus locations as well as a blog.
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Classic films filmed in Hawaii include From Here to Eternity,Blue Hawaii, Hawaii, Jurassic Park and Pearl Harbor. Television shows also include Lost, Dog the Bounty Hunter, Magnum P.I., Baywatch Hawaii and Hawaii 5-0 - all of which are listed on the Hawaiiwood map. And McCabe is surprised by how many Hawaii-filmed productions have had a substantial impact on popular culture over time. “Blue Hawaii, Hawaii 5-0, The Brady Bunch Hawaii episode, North Shore, Magnum P.I., Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park have all reached iconic or cult status for different generations,” she says.
In the process of putting the map together, Costales and McCabe enjoyed being challenged by others and their knowledge of Hawaii movie and TV trivia. “Our friends would ask, ‘Do you have The Brady Bunch, Sanford & Son and Full House?‘With Minette’s extensive research, the answer would always be, ‘Got that, got that and got that,’” Costales says.
Both McCabe and Costales attest that Hawaiiwood gives locals, tourists and movie buffs alike the opportunity to take a self-guided tour to classic movie and television locations around the Island. Costales says a typical response after looking at the map is, “I didn’t know that was filmed in Hawaii! Are you sure?”
“I think Hawaii people are very proud of where we live,” McCabe exclaims. “They like to be able to point out to visitors what was filmed where.” Costales agrees, saying, “For locals, it gives us additional knowledge when entertaining out-of-town guests,” adding that it enables both tourists and locals to experience Oahu in a unique way. “Many tourists return to Hawaii multiple times, and the map allows for a different experience,” she says. “It will definitely give people unique and fun photo opportunities to spice up their standard ‘our visit to Hawaii’ photo albums and vacation videos!”
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She also notes that as locals we can take pride in our diverse Islands and our strong production community. “Our local production community can now easily identify local productions that they were a part of,” she explains.
Costales also believes film industry professionals interested in filming on Oahu will find Hawaiiwood a useful source of reference.
“I hope that it will also support the state film industry by highlighting the diverse production locations that Hawaii has to offer.”
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