Catching up with Gerard Elmore
Friday, October 3rd, 2008
Gerard Elmore, right, with Paul Ogata and Anne Misawa; Elmore directed the 2008 LVHIFF trailer. Star-Bulletin file photo.
When I first met Gerard Elmore about five years ago, it was easy to see how ambitious he was.
Not only did he enjoy calling the shots from behind a camera – Elmore also established himself as an actor and stand-up comedian, building relationships within the local arts community and gaining valuable experience.
In 2006, he left for the mainland to take a job with NASCAR. The year he spent filming and producing online videos for the racing organization was eye-opening, he said, and only reinforced his desire to return home.
Nearly three years later, Elmore is back and employed as a commercial director at Shooters Film Production. But the really big news is that he was selected to direct and produce this year’s official trailer for the Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival.
“It’s a sense of accomplishment,” Elmore said of his feelings as the trailer, starring Jason Scott Lee and Kelly Hu, made its debut Monday at Dole Cannery. “We worked really hard and have paid a lot of dues.”
Along with Lee and Hu, Elmore enlisted the help of Mat Catingub and the Honolulu Symphony on the trailer’s soundtrack, a cover of the Depeche Mode song “Dreaming of Me.” Paula Fuga contributed vocals on the track.
Why pull out all the stops for a gig that pays absolutely nothing?
“All the filmmakers who come (to LVHIFF) are going to see it,” he said. “So we went back through all the trailers (and asked ourselves), ‘What can we do differently?’”
Click here to watch the trailer.
And keep an eye out for Elmore’s movie, “All For Melissa,” on the shelves at Wal-Mart and Best Buy (and Circuit City on the mainland) next month. Elmore disclosed that Echo Bridge Entertainment signed a distribution deal to sell DVDs both locally and on the mainland.
