Return | Newsletter Back Issues | Previous | Next STUDIO & EQUIPMENT UPDATE A Quarterly Newsletter Volume 4, Issue 3 Summer / Fall 1996 Over 50 years of quality service Hawaiian Market Demands Chapman Dollies Honolulu, HI--As the film industry in the South Pacific continues to grow, equipment is getting hard to come by.  As President of Hawaiian Media, Inc. and On-Cue Productions, Daniel Rosner, knows the importance of having the proper equipment and how to maintain it. "Out here, you're on your own," Rosner said.  "If you're shooting in LA and need additional equipment or maintenance, Chapman can get someone there within minutes.  But here, you have to improvise." Rosner started a gripping service with just PeeWeeŽ Dollies 10 years ago doing mostly commercials.   While the business went through lots of ups and downs, Rosner has survived the tough times.  Today, his businesses have expanded to become the biggest of their kind in Hawaii.  Both companies were recently rated among the top 50 fastest growing businesses in Hawaii by the Pacific Business News. "Perseverance was the key to surviving," Rosner said.  "There just isn't a huge demand here like there is on the mainland--this market can only absorb so much.  As far as equipment, we have precious little to choose from."  While Hawaiian Media, Incorporated specializes in lighting and electrical equipment only, On-Cue Production Associates offer ideal pre-loaded grip truck packages through its partnership with Hawaii Grip Specialists, headed by Vance Gage. "Here, it's all location work on volcanoes or in jungles.  We do dolly shots on the hardened lava and moving shots through dense foliage," Rosner said.   "My PeeWees are the only crab dollies in the state, so that gives you an idea of how scarce good equipment is here." Above: Chapman's Tom Hambright and Jennifer Chapman with Daniel Rosner (right) and one of On-Cue's PeeWeeŽ Dollies, which is based in Honolulu, Hawaii. Rosner, who also has a Hybrid Dolly in his inventory, said the PeeWeeŽ Dolly is popular in Hawaii because of its size and weight. "We were shooting at some tide pools in Kauai and the DP wanted a special kind of dolly," Rosner said. "We ended up going with the PeeWeeŽ because we wanted to put the dolly in the trunk of a car to carry it from location to location and the PeeWee was the only one that fit." Rosner, who was a dolly grip for Aloha Summer and Fists of Steel, said the PeeWeeŽ has also been ideal for many interior shots at various hotel rooms in Waikiki. The PeeWeeŽ also saves money in shipping costs because it is only half the weight of other dollies. "The PeeWeeŽ is definitely the dolly of choice here because of its versatility and its light weight," Rosner said.  On-Cue Productions and HIM have advantages over other competitors because the people who run the companies are the same people who use the equipment.  Having the knowledge of using the equipment enables us to get the shot that the production is looking for.

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