What do you get when you combine actors Jason Scott Lee and Kelly Hu, music from Matt Catingub and the Honolulu Symphony, and a director who knows how to highlight the Waianae Coast's natural assets? Plenty of beauty, a little bit of intrigue and a stellar Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival trailer with a surprising twist.

The HIFF trailer is always a big deal, and this year's effort does not disappoint. Filmmaker Gerard Elmore took over the project when Brett Wagner (”;Chief”;) bowed out because of work commitments and the approaching birth of his first child.

“;It was fortunate for me,”; says Elmore, who used the draft of the script Wagner wrote for the trailer. “;I made some changes to make it easier to shoot, and put my style to it.”;

Convincing Jason Scott Lee and Kelly Hu to participate - without pay - was easier than Elmore anticipated. “;I gave (Jason) a call and he said, 'Sure.' It helps that he has two films in the festival and is a big fan of HIFF.”;

Indeed, everyone worked for free. Nobody on the crew received compensation, nor did Catingub, who arranged all of the music for the Honolulu Symphony, or Paula Fuga, who performed the vocals. “;I thought it would be the perfect way to showcase the talents of music artists here,”; says Elmore, who directs commercials full time for Shooters Film Production downtown.

The trailer runs before every film in the festival, but the fun of the first viewing shouldn't be spoiled. Without giving too much away, Elmore and his talented crew - including luminous editor Jay K. Evans - used a combination of elements to achieve scenes of Shanghai. These included actual water shots from China, a green screen and clever use of downtown buildings. Though it was shot on video, he used the red camera's relatively new technology to achieve a look that resembles high-quality film.

Elmore, who attended Campbell High School and has directed since he made “;cheesy music videos”; in high school, says it's “;really an honor”; for the trailer to be made by a local filmmaker. In past years, HIFF tapped Hollywood directors to promote the festival in three minutes. But Elmore believes the locally produced trailers look even better.

“;I'm proud that we can make something that's comparable to what the Hollywood guys do,”; he says. “;As a team we can get to a level that looks just like what they do on the mainland. With the talent that's in these islands, we can really do some magic.”;