Posted on: Friday, July 11, 2003
Producers seeking beach beauties for local 'reality' series
By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer
"Hawai'i's Beauties of the Beach," a new "reality" TV series, will start auditions tomorrow for people who are buff and easy on the eyes.
Producer-director Seth Feldman said he hopes the show will start airing in prime time in August on K5 The Home Team, the Warner Bros. station here. Feldman formerly was news director at KHNL News 8, the K5 sister station and NBC affiliate here.
The program is being made in conjunction with organizers of the Miss Hawai'i USA pageant. Alicia Michioka, a former Miss Hawai'i USA, will host, Feldman said.
An open casting call will be held from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. tomorrow at Longhi's in Ala Moana Center and 1 to 3 p.m. at Tiki's in Waikiki. Prospects should bring a photo and bio and be ready to be taped, since camera crews are shooting the tryouts as part of the series.
Initially, four 30-minute shows will be produced here by Show Doctor Ltd. "The show is meant to sell Hawai'i and its natural beauty," said Feldman, who said outdoorsy types are favored — surfers, beach volleyball players, lifeguards.
"We'll also ambush the beaches and randomly pick real people who are attractive," he said.
A judging panel will help decide the winner, although the show will be interactive, with the home viewing public also able to vote. The top beauty will be automatically entered in the annual Miss Hawai'i USA pageant. The winner also earns a one-year contract with 2 Couture, the agency led by Takeo Kobayashi and Eric Chandler.
"Our goal is to be be distributed nationally," said Feldman, who left News 8 last June 30 to pursue other creative opportunities. He said the Hawai'i show is a variation of a similar project he was involved in in Miami, well before the reality TV craze emerged over the past two years.
Feldman said if the show is picked up for network or syndicated distribution, the concept could be transferred to other markets, such as the Caribbean.
