Wednesday, June 16th, 2010
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QuaziFilms News Release
Aloha… I want to announce the official release of the “Molokai Visitor’s Video: Hawaiian by Nature” and share the story behind it.
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Julie Bicoy at the Molokai Visitor’s Association approached me about a year ago and asked if I could partner with the MVA to produce a video that would help visitors understand the “real Molokai” without making false promises or creating false expectations as “tourist” videos often do.
Together we decided that the purpose of the video would be to introduce potential visitors to our island, culture, and people without flashy commercialism. We would offer a virtual tour of the island, pointing out popular stops while educating viewers about lifestyle, history, and culturally appropriate behavior.
Ultimately the video would be an attempt to attract the right type of visitor, one interested in learning about and respecting our culture, lifestyle, and natural environment. We also envisioned a video that would warm the hearts of anyone who loves our island, including family and friends living away.
About two months ago I completed a preliminary “test” version of the video. This was a pre-release version shared with a select group. I got great feedback from many community members. Most were extremely positive, but I also got a couple of critical responses.
Some individuals felt that the video came across as too “touristy” and as “selling out” our island. Of course, this was not at all the intention, but the comments were honest reactions that came from people that I trust. Truly wanting the project to be something that all island residents would feel good about, I decided to rework the entire video with the input of my “test audience.”
I’m proud to announce that the “Visitor’s Guide to Molokai” video has been rewritten and re-edited and is now officially released. I feel it is a much better piece and truly serves the original purpose of attracting the “right” type of visitor while educating them about our culture and lifestyle. It will also make anyone living away from home feel both homesick and deeply proud to be from Molokai.
In addition to the 25-minute narrated video tour of Molokai, the DVD also includes four original music videos starring Molokai musician, Lono. These bonus tracks alone are worth buying the DVD.
Ultimately, I hope that the video will help our island economy while also protecting, through awareness and appreciation, the things that are most important to us.
The DVD is available in local stores and online at: www.islandlifevideos.com. You can also buy copies directly through me at discounted prices for multiple copies.
The opening segment can be viewed
here.
Three of the 4 “Bonus Feature” Lono music videos can also be viewed on Youtube at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG2QSKdSfyQhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCau75oxXAs&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXfM8kjdeqw&feature=relatedFinally, I want to mahalo the Molokai Visitors Association for their willingness to put out a “different kind of video,” one that breaks the mold of mainstream tourism mentality.
Mahalo!
Matt Yamashita
www.quazifilms.comwww.islandlifevideos.com
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