Hawaii couple producing TV series in Seattle

Hawaii natives Kevin Kau and his wife/business partner Erin Ostrem Kau are producing a new high-definition television series called "StartUp Junkies." Now based in Seattle, the Kau team finished eight episodes for Mojo HD about people obsessed with creating new companies. The first aired Jan. 24, and focused on a businessman named Ron who goes to Seattle's Keiretsu Forum, an angel investor network, to "create buzz, court investors and collect some major funds," according to the channel's Web site. Venture capitalists listen to his pitch, ask questions and evaluate his prospectus while deciding if his new company is worth their time and money.

The new show sets a hectic schedule. Erin says they "basically live in the KauBoy cave 24/7," where they work on shows and edit footage -- much of which Kevin shoots. But they still maintain some Hawaii clients, including TEAM Unlimited. Erin says she and her husband are "grateful to TEAM and Tom Kiely for allowing us to develop our craft through the years."

Get more information about the series at www.mojohd.com.

Dramatic and humorous interpretation performers on the Damien Memorial School speech and debate team enjoyed a visit from veteran actor Don Stroud. He spent time critiquing the students' performances, answering questions and encouraging members of the award-winning team to "take command of their space and shut out all distractions," according to a rep from Damien.

The locally born and raised Stroud has enjoyed a fruitful and diverse career that dates to 1960, when he was a stunt double for Troy Donahue on "Hawaiian Eye." He later appeared on a variety of shows, including "Gunsmoke," "Ironside," "Marcus Welby, M.D." "Kung Fu," "Knight Rider," "MacGyver," "Murder, She Wrote," and, of course, "Hawaii Five-O." He also spent time on the big screen in "The Buddy Holly Story," "The Amityville Horror," "License to Kill," and alongside Clint Eastwood in "Joe Kidd" and "Coogan's Bluff." Currently, he works as an associate producer on "Nighttime with Andy Bumatai," and won rave reviews last fall with Richard Dreyfuss and Joe Moore in "Prophecy and Honor" at the Hawaii Theatre.

Nine students on Damien's speech and debate team have qualified for the state tournament in April.

A couple of lucky students recently garnered practical awards for their efforts in the Mobi PCS Teen Video Challenge. Kapolei resident Daniel Liu, a senior at Le Jardin Academy, featured a teenager who worries that his phone conversations with his girlfriend exceed his allotted minutes -- until his father tells him that the family switched to Mobi. His 30-second spot earned him the latest phone and a year of unlimited service.

Kai Patterson, who attends Niu Valley Middle School, was first runner-up for a commercial about a boy who wants a clone to assist with his chores so he can take advantage of the unlimited minutes available. Kai also walked away with a phone and one month of free service.

Look for their videos on OC16's "Brown Bags to Stardom."

"Screen Time" is an occasional feature in the Today section. E-mail knichols@starbulletin.com.