Happy Hawaiian Birthday! - Tongan Drummers

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! I decided to send you a video Birthday gift and was determined to use my "Green Screen" for the first time. When I was thinking about what background I should use, Alice said "It has to be Hawaii." 12 hours later I'm posting the finished product.

Yes, "now" I know you can NOT wear a grass skirt and shoot "Green screen" or you end up with invisible loins...still, that amuses me. (Honestly, I thought my skirt was more substantial, yet...fade away, it did.) I bet you'd like to see the "behind the scenes shots." ...like when I was shooting outside in the snow and the wind kept knocking over my backdrop. Or me trying to make the Tiki dance. It was a complex production. But YOU are worth it Mom! I always love making you laugh. I hope I succeeded again.

The Dolphins were shot from a snorkel tour boat in Kauai. The waterfall was at the "7 Sacred Pools" at the end of the "Road to Hana" on Maui. The "lava meets the sea was shot at "Volcano National Park" on the Big Island. And the drumming was at the Tonga Show at the Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu. And me in the vanishing grass skirt was a "green screen" in my living room in Flagstaff.

Besos y Brazos (Kisses and Hugs),

Jimmy Lee

P.S. You might remember that I got "picked" for the Tonga Drum show because I was "shirtless" trying to dry out my clothes and cameras. Remember the rain? Can you picture my "laundry line" on the back/side fence rail of the hall? We lost both my digital still and video camera for a while. They both came back eventually. I'm hugely impressed that Justin, 11 yrs, was able to shoot this video. And the "fog" shots at the "Horizons" finale later were kinda cool.

Ultimately, before this tape started rolling, I was 'pissed.' I was so angry I'd failed to protect the cameras from the rain. I was mad at me. Then, the "lead Tongan" called me out. He invited me to play. I had choices. Keep wallowing in my pity party or get my game on. I decided to play. It is almost always the right decision.

Original Photography: Justin Anderson, Whitney Anderson, Jim Anderson

Editing & Post Production: Jim Anderson

Category:

Travel & Events

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