[ nakoa interns ]

some cool beans about my experience as a UHWO ACM student interning with PBS HAWAI'I

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Second broadcast! Hawai'i Technology Academy featured in this Hiki Nō episode!

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Week 12 [ #horseylikehorseycomeget ] Back on the road for another interview session with Robert. This past week, we headed out to Waipahu to interview students enrolled at Hawai’i Technology Academy which is located on the second floor of a small shopping plaza right next to the old Waipahu sugar mill. Students enrolled range from elementary to high school. Since the size of the school facility is small, students attend class by grades on a rotating schedule. It’s a pretty cool setup for students. They aren’t physically in class everyday which allows them to have more flexible schedules. What a concept yah? The students we interviewed did a franchise (a short 1-2 minute spot on something DIY-like) on how to create a care package for deployed military friends and family. This interview process took longer than the last interview at ‘Ewa Makai Middle because we interviewed 4 people which included 3 students and the instructor. Also, I forgot mentioned in an earlier post that each person we interview requires a change in backdrop–a different backdrop for every interviewee. This is another way to keep things visually interesting for the audience. There’s nothing quite like seeing the same desk, chair and whiteboard throughout the entire interview. We had quite a lively bunch of kids. Of course they’re all shy at first but later we find out that one of the students just finished up working on a pilot episode as the main actor which is currently being pitched to Netflix! Talent in Hawai’i can go so unnoticed! The director of the story stood out to me the most. He’s not one you would assume to be entirely sociable with the rest of his peers but he clearly has direction. He asked many questions–like choke! Anything from software that we use to particular ways cameras and lights are set up. I admired that greatly because I rarely asked questions while I was in school like that. Even if I was interested in something and wanted to know more and I had direct access to someone that could enlighten me, I was to shy or shame to ask. I was brought up to learn primarily through observation but sometimes there are experiences that people have which contain more insight as to how something can be accomplished and if you don’t ask then you don’t know. My grandma, in her infinite wisdom, has a phrase that she uses that directly applies to situations such as this one: Horsey like? Horsey come get. In other words, no one is going to to do it for you. Sometimes you just gotta chance ‘em. This was also the latest I worked which I didn’t mind. I felt cool. Lol. In fact, I was the last person to leave the station! I didn’t leave till about 8:00 that evening. Since HIKI NO was pushed back a week, the time I had to complete this story was significantly shorter. I made sure I didn’t leave until I got all the footage downloaded so that I could promptly begin to work on it since I only have one day to put everything together! Good thing this week is spring break for UH! Leslie Wilcox even came by my office and asked if I was going to be alright. She’s usually the last one out. You could tell she has long days as well because behind her warm, cordial smile was an eternity of reading and responding to emails. She’s human! Lol. Since we interviewed more than two people, the amount of directions the story could go could seem overwhelming especially if I have to complete this in a day (5 hours). With advice from Robert, I was provided some clarity to the direction of the story and was able to finish in a timely manner. What you see is the final product. I hope I’m getting better. I definitely feel like I’m becoming more refined just by being around people in this field.

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Week 11 OFF [ #offair ] I'm allowed to take this week off due to how slow it would be due to public schools being on spring break. Kind of needed. The real world is getting crazy!

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WEEK 9-10 3/7–3/16 [ #montage ] Last week was spent putting together final touches and fixes for the video resources that were going to be used that weekend. I spent most of the days editing the promo videos for the episode of HIKI NO that airs this evening at 7:30. My time at PBS Hawai’i so far has been generally independent. I work in the same office as Robert Pennybacker and Susan Yim with the editing room, where Nikki works, directly behind me. I’m set up on a MacBook Pro, so the work I’m involved with is pretty smooth sailing. Since this week (week 10) is kind of slow with the HIKI NO awards finished and not much to do editing-wise since the season was pushed back a week, I was privileged to be taken under the tutelage of Robert Pennybacker for a couple hours in which he took me through a course that he had put together which breaks down storytelling in film. We went through the early pioneers in film such as early 1900’s Russian filmmaker, Sergei Eisenstein, who was one of the first directors to utilize various types of camera shots/techniques (closeups, geometric line of sight, direction of movement) to explain a story. I also went through an exercise which helped me understand the definition of montage. I was asked if I knew what montage was in which I replied hesitantly, “I think so.” Most of the videos that I created when I first started to edit was in the style of what I thought was montage–hard cuts that highlight and explain an event that happened over a period of time. Turns out I was creating a montage. Montage, as Robert explains it, can be two different images that have totally different meanings and representations but when put side to side or next to each other can help tell a story. An example of this was demonstrated by a scene in the movie, 2001: a Space Odyssey, where after the skirmish of primates occurs, one primate throws a large bone in the air in which the close up of the bone transitions into a spaceship flying across space. The two images have nothing to do with each other but when put next to each other can help explain a passage of time. Cool things like this is what makes this internship so worthwhile and meaningful and very humbling. Robert’s course that he put together is something I found to be effective and beneficial for ACM student’s at UHWO. It provides a very good foundational understanding of storytelling through film which is something we could use especially for entry level students. I can’t believe I’m passed the halfway mark of the semester! It’s going by so quick!

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WEEKS 7-8 2/21–3/2 [ #pushedback ] Due to the upcoming HIKI NO Awards ceremony that will be happening this weekend, the HIKI NO season was pushed back one week just to be able to prepare for the HIKI NO awards that will be conducted statewide for the first time using satellite locations on Kaua’i, O’ahu, Maui and Hawai’i island. First time ever! So since this is event requires a good amount of coordination and preparations, I’ve been helping with that. Anything from cutting up promos or previous stories, I was a part of it. Perhaps the most interesting thing that happened with me was having a conversation with Leslie Wilcox. I met her a couple times before and see her around the station but this was the first time I got to talk with her. We briefly talked and it was mostly about my experience at UHWO, which has been very beneficial and positive for me, as well as what I was currently working on. I only find this interesting because to me, Leslie Wilcox is a celebrity. I was born in the ‘80’s and grew up watching her on Channel 2 News and seeing her whenever she would come to my school to advocate the Lokahi Tree initiative that occurs during the holiday season. What made this moment memorable was me realizing that Leslie Wilcox talks the same to you as she does on camera, or visa versa for that matter. I find her to be genuinely nice and I also laughed a little inside just because of the way my mind works. I imagined she was interviewing me on her show Long Story Short with Leslie Wilcox. Lol. Sometimes I view myself in what I like to call the “Hawai’i bubble” in which I tend to relate meeting local celebrities like Leslie Wilcox akin to meeting a Hollywood superstar. To be honest, most of my idols are local so meeting them can put me on cloud nine. Lol. Weird yah?

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First broadcast! The 'Ewa Makai Middle What I Learned story featured at the end!

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WEEK 5-6 2/7–2/17 #whatilearned “The main thing for this is that you know what the students learn. That’s kinda the point.” –Robert Pennybacker In the last two weeks, I’ve been immersed in art of the interview. I’ve heard people talk about being camera shy or how intense it can be once the cameras start rolling. I’ve heard this my entire life. After being able to witness and observe how interviews are set up and conducted, at length, I now understand why interviews isn’t something comes natural for most people. With that being said, a little bit of backstory explaining how these interviews are being used. At the end of each episode of HIKI NO there is segment called, “What I Learned,” in which a story is highlighted from the episode in a behind-the-scenes type of approach. As the title of segment suggests, students who worked on the episode are interviewed and asked about the process they went through; from conception to final approval of broadcast. The story which will be exhibited in HIKI NO episode 18 of this season (8 seasons to date.) focuses on a vice principal from ‘Ewa Makai Middle School who is known to be strict and tough on students. The students do an awesome job of humanizing the vice principal and bringing personal issues to light in a respectful way. We interviewed two eighth grade students; the main editor and the narrator, as well as the instructor. The entire process took about 6 hours (about 1 hour total driving time from Sand Island to ‘Ewa Beach; 5 hours on location.) which is enough for me to qualify something as a process. Lol. However, I did not feel that like it took that long. Robert Pennybacker conducted the interviews. He also was very open to see if I had any questions I would like to ask the students during the interviews which I said ‘no’ to because I felt like I was still needed to observe more. Also, the students were pretty thorough and quite insightful. The students were prepared! They had excellent poise for being ‘shy’ eighth graders. In my opinion, their interviews ran smoother than their instructor! The narrator provided a cool little blurp of insight as to how her process was for narrating the story. She mentioned that tone was very important and that speaking in the voice or tone of the person who the story is about can provide a more meaningful connection with your audience. Moments like these were ones that I hadn’t expected which reminded me why I loved genre of documentaries because you never know what someone will say which can provide a really cool addition to the story. After the interviewing was finished, I was tasked with coming up with a story and editing it into the 2-2:30 min “What I Learned” story which PBS Hawai’i airs statewide every Thursday at 7:30 pm (quick plug). I WAS TASKED WITH CREATING AND EDITING A STORY THAT IS TO BE AIRED ON HAWAI’I STATEWIDE TELEVISION! I don’t know, to me that was nuts. Not in a “OMG WHAT AM I GONNA DO!?” way but more like, “I can’t believe this is happening!” So yah, fanboydom aside, I began the process of transcribing the interviews (which is no easy task but totally worth it to be organized in this field) and formulating a story based on common themes that I noticed were popping up during the interview. After consulting with Robert a few times, I was able come up with a story which focused on teamwork and cohesion to get a task done. Just like the students we interviewed, I am also explaining what I learned. Editing wise, I learned a lot as well. I learned how certain transitions may or may not be effective depending on what you are working on. In a 2-2:30 min story it’s important to be prompt in establishing the main point of your subject. Sometimes you don’t need to take 5 seconds to fade-in even if it matches the music...Nakoa...Lol. Also, summarizing the story that the students worked on isn't’ really necessary if you only have short time to explain. When I was finished, I sat down in the editing room with Robert and Nikki, and also Susan Yim who is the PR person for HIKI NO and makes sure we have spelling and information correct in the show, and we viewed the episode in its entirety and finally the “What I Learned” segment at the end. They seemed very pleased with what I had in the end. I’ll take that as another confirmation that I’m on the right track!

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WEEK 3-4 1/24–2/2 [ #cutting promos ] These past two weeks I’ve been learning how to edit from the main editor for HIKI NO, Nikki Miyamoto, more specifically learning how to edit and put together promo videos for HIKI NO. In other words, I’m learning PBS Hawai’i’s process of putting together commercials for their shows. I didn’t expect to jump in so soon, but hey, we only got 15 weeks! So when they told me I’m gonna start putting together the promos for HIKI NO I was a little nervous but stoked I’m actually going to start editing something that will air on statewide television. I love the way I was instructed to put the promo together which was pretty much throwing me into the deep end of the pool and seeing if I could not only rise to the surface but make it out as well! I’m totally appreciative of this style because it’s sort of how I naturally learn. I’m an emulator and was raised to just sit and watch and not talk too much. The process was as follows: Learn different types of promos (Thursday nights, tonight, coming up next) Watch examples of promo videos (last week’s promos) Use provided video and audio files (professional voiceovers ;) to create the promo in Adobe Premiere Review w/ Editor (Nikki Miyamoto) Review w/ Editor and Executive Producer (Robert Pennybacker) Fixes in audio and transition timing Final Review w/ Nikki and Robert Approved and sent to main station in New York I guess I did alright! The length of promos range from 10–30 seconds but they seem like they take forever when you review them with head peeps in charge! I was only instructed to make adjustments to my audio levels which is a useful reference for the future: audio levels for broadcast range between -12 and -24 decibels which is different to videos being uploaded for web like YouTube and Vimeo which range between -6 and -12 decibels. Super informative process and work being done this week! I’m still in awe with environment I’m working in at PBS Hawai’i.

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WEEK 1-2 at PBS HAWAIʻI

As someone who grew up with PBS as their babysitter, it took me the first two days of my internship to get out of fan boy mode, realize that I’m getting school credit for this, and gear my mindset into contribution mode.

 [This station is beautiful and always smells brand new every time I go into work!]

 Hiki Nō is the nation’s first statewide, student-produced television show, which features stories in various communities where the school is based.  Hiki Nō is also the only show on PBS Hawaiʻi, which produces a new episode weekly.

 I’m currently shadowing the assistant producer/editor of the show, Nikki Miyamoto, who is a master in the craft of broadcast editing.  She not only edits the show, but the promos as well as all of the web content associated with Hiki Nō. I’m learning that editing shows for broadcast are an entirely different beast compared to editing for projects that I’ve bee involved with in the past. There are parameters present for broadcast edits such as having certain length of black screen at the beginning as well as a title screen, which also follows a particular format as well.

 I’ve also been assigned to work on a #specialproject for Hiki Nō dealing with pronunciation; correct pronunciation of the showʻs name, “Hiki Nō.”

Leslie Wilcox, the CEO of PBS Hawaiʻi, has made it a point to enforce a zero-tolerance policy on the mispronunciation of Hawaiian words.  The kids are pronouncing hiki nō as, “hickey-no” as opposed to the correct way which is, “hee-kee-no---.”  Although this is something that doesnʻt directly relate to my concentration, Iʻm finding this to be a fresh experienee for me to find ways for people to pronounce words correctly.  To be clear, I am working on a visual way to relate this information for future students and teachers of the Hiki Nō program.

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Paddling forward towards new experiences.