COURTESY OF TURTLE BAY RESORT
A pool at the Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu's North Shore is pictured here. Filming of the Fox Television pilot "Oahu" wraps up today at the resort. A "pilot presentation" is expected to be shown soon to Fox executives. "Oahu" centers on the lives of people who work at a luxury hotel, and how they interact with guests.
‘Oahu’ filming
a wrap
Fox Television's pilot "Oahu" completes 12 days of filming today at its North Shore base, the Turtle Bay Resort, with some production executives saying they may know next week whether the hotel drama will be greenlighted as a series.
A "pilot presentation" is expected to be shown to Fox mainland executives on Monday. Three episodes already have been written, sources said.
"Oahu" is one of three Hawaii-based pilots in, or about to begin, production. NBC's "Hawaii" begins filming tomorrow and ABC's "Lost" starts shooting March 22. WB's "Rocky Point" is scheduled to film here in June.
"Oahu" -- starring Rob Estes, Rachel Shelley and Kristoffer Polaha -- focuses on the lives of people working at a luxury hotel and their interaction with guests.
"Oahu" is directed by Peyton Reed and produced by Harry V. Bring, who worked in Hawaii a number of years ago on the TV movie "Hanauma Bay." Its executives are scrambling to find a 25,000-plus square-foot warehouse with high ceilings and minimal interior posts in the downtown area for production offices and sets. NBC is renting the Hawaii Film Studio for its "Hawaii" pilot and the network also has the first right of refusal if "Hawaii" gets the greenlight.
Although "Oahu" has been based at Turtle Bay, it hasn't been determined whether hotel officials will allow the series to be filmed there because of possible disruptions to guests.
Abid Butt, the resort's managing director, said the production has been "very, very good (in ensuring) the least amount of inconveniences to guests."
A production worker said the resort remains the first location choice, although much of the series' filming would be done off-property to reduce impact on guests.
The filming hasn't always gone smoothly, several production workers said.
A luau scene filmed last Thursday, for example, had to be moved from the resort's pool area to a more isolated beach bluff to prevent guest disruptions, sources said.
More than 40 local workers are being employed by "Oahu" producers. A TV pilot like this one generally has a budget of $2 million to $4 million. One production person estimated the hotel has received about $200,000 in room, catering, parking, location and other fees. The production rented 30 to 35 rooms, paying more than $200 per room per day.
Butt said he did not know how much the hotel has been paid. Other hotel officials declined comment or did not return telephone calls.
A key factor in keeping "Oahu" in Hawaii -- as opposed to filming in San Diego, which producers also are considering -- is the production qualifying for the state's Act 221 investment credits. Production officials said the project has applied for the credits, but "Oahu" and Fox executives declined comment on whether it has been given approval.
Most information regarding Act 221, including the names of the applicants, is confidential.
One Act 221 requirement is that the production be incorporated in Hawaii. Oahu Productions was registered with the state last month and is under the management of Los Angeles-based Confidential Pictures, the entertainment law offices of attorney J. Gunnar Erickson, who specializes in arranging financing for entertainment projects. Attorney Richard S. Galindez of the Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel law firm was listed in the document as the Honolulu manager for Oahu Productions.
Galindez declined comment on Oahu Productions' Act 221 status or its connection to Confidential Pictures. Erickson did not return phone calls. Fox is a partner in the production with the companies, sources said.
