Posted on: Friday, October 29, 2004
HAWAIIAN STYLE
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By Wade Shirkey
Advertiser Staff Writer
They knew the image had to be powerful. It had to, instantly, evoke feelings of the Islands — and, at once, "say" Hawaii International Film Festival.
The striking dancer in the celluloid hula skirt who would brand this year's festival would at once capture those feelings — yet the project would befuddle the San Francisco film lab to which it was assigned: Take familiar Island images on film — a flower, banana leaf, surfer, Diamond Head — and give us enough movie film — 40 feet? 60 feet? — to make a hula skirt.
"People use the term 'key visual,' " said Dan Ziegler, half the ad team's creative genius, along with Dale Vermeer, of Dale Vermeer Design. "It had to instantly say film festival and, secondarily, excite the public.
"This had to be our calling card to the international industry ... one suggesting we are now world-class ... on the level of (film festivals) at Cannes, Berlin, Toronto."
Hawaii International Film Festival What Kotomori didn't know was that, once born, the vision — the festival's branding image on posters, commercials, movie trailers, buttons, post cards, badges, even e-mails — would take on a life of its own.
"What we needed then," said Vermeer, "was not only a stunning model, but someone who knew hula." Kotomori knew in his mind's eye what the skirt would look like. And who would wear it.
He showed up at the photo shoot with Radasha Leialoha Ho'ohuli, winner of local beauty pageants — and veteran dancer.
Radasha's subtle impact was immediate: "She literally 'channels' when she dances," said Kotomori. "Radasha's motion takes people to another place — I don't think she's discovered how powerful her hula can be."
It would prove to be for the festival publicists.
"There's this inherent mystery with this lady!" said Ziegler, of Radasha's presence in HIFF's poster, TV commercial and movie trailer.
Friends recognized Radasha's graceful form, even though her face wasn't shown.
It was a dance style learned at the feet of her 'ohana, honed on stage at Paradise Cove and Halekulani, and perfected under the tutelage of kumu hula O'Brian Eselu. "Aren't those your hands?" friends asked.
Radasha had had no clue the day of the shootings: "Amos just said, 'Show up!' He didn't tell me what I'd be wearing — or not wearing."
Her normal hula wardrobe of grass, ti, even cellophane skirts, sarong or holoku, would be instead 65 or so strips of movie film — duct-taped, beauty-pageant style, to her body, embellished with a waistline of sea grapes and maile. Wrist and ankle kupe'e adornments were of laua'e and ti.
From the moment she donned the novel skirt, said Radasha, "It felt right!"
The music was "a traditional Hawaiian rhythm with a Carlos Santana vibe," said Ziegler.
The concept was an immediate creative and public success: One premiere audience saw the films' introduction trailer and vigorously applauded, even before the movie's start.
"It made everyone proud to be part of the festival," said Kotomori.
The Advertiser's Wade Kilohana Shirkey is kumu of Na Hoaloha O Ka Roselani No'eau halau. He writes on Island life.
"I'd been proposing the idea of this (celluloid) hula skirt (for the festival's branding) for years," said stylist and fashion director Amos Kotomori. "It was serendipitous — it's not a matter of ownership. I knew when the time was right, the concept would be born."
More than five dozen strips of celluloid were duct-taped to hula dancer Radasha Leialoha Ho'ohuli to create the image used to promote the Hawaii International Film Festival.
