Representative Jon Riki Karamatsu
Senate Bill 1922 SD2 HD1 CD1
Relating to Creative Media
Written Comments for the House Journal
May 3, 2007 (Day 60)
I rise in support.
In recent years, we have passed tax incentives to help attract more film and creative media projects in Hawaii. However, what is the use of having film and creative media projects in Hawaii if the people of Hawaii cannot be a part of it? Therefore, importantly, we supported the inception of the Academy of Creative Media at the University of Hawaii to help prepare our students to become a significant part of Hawaii's film and digital media industry. The academy is playing a huge role in making sure Hawaii has its share of filmmakers, screen writers, computer graphic designers, and computer game programmers.
In spite of its success, the academy for creative media is without a central facility or permanent home on any campus and does not receive any funding for programmatic needs outside of faculty salaries. Senate Bill 1922 authorizes the academy for creative media to designate the existing public broadcasting system (PBS Hawaii) facility and studio located on the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus as an interim home and appropriates $2,870,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007‑2008 and $2,000,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009 for the equipment and installation suitable for the Academy for Creative Media programs, costs associated with handicapped compliance, and common area spaces of the PBS Hawaii facility and studio.
In addition, we recognize that Hawaii's music industry is an established segment of Hawaii's creative media industries sector, with a growing popularity reaching far beyond the shores of our island state. Full recognition of the merits of Hawaiian music came in 2005 when the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences announced the creation of a Hawaiian music category in its annual Grammy Awards, the world's most prestigious music awards program.
While Hawaii has an unusually high concentration of raw musical talent and industry professionals, it lacks the technical support infrastructure to assist individuals in the progression of their careers and businesses.
Thus, Senate Bill 1922 also establishes a music and enterprise learning experience program at the University of Hawaii – Honolulu Community College to develop the technical business skills required by Hawaii's music artists and music industry.
There is established at the University of Hawaii – Honolulu Community College campus the music and enterprise learning experience program to expand the existing industry capacity, and to create new technological, intercultural, and genre-bending forms of music through creativity and professional business expertise. The program will be developed around artist creativity, entertainment business expertise, and technical production skills. The program will collaborate with Belmont University of Nashville, Tennessee, on the joint use of Belmont's curriculum, technical facilities and equipment specifications, training, dual credit course offerings, and will also offer internships in some of the most varied music environments in the world.
The program will be seeded through a Title III Developing Institutions grant that has been awarded to the Honolulu Community College native Hawaiian center, and will provide for some basic program development of course offerings in coordination with Belmont University of Nashville, Tennessee.
The bill appropriates out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $150,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009 to carry out the purposes of leasing, operating, and maintaining a music and entertainment business training center.
Thank you.
JON RIKI KARAMATSU 