Report Title:

UH; Repair and Maintenance; Academy for Creative Media

 

Description:

Establishes the system‑wide, statewide academy for creative media program under the University of Hawaii.  Amends Act 11, Special Session Laws of Hawaii 2007, to more specifically delete all references to a lease agreement with PBS Hawaii and provide that funds shall be expended to expand the programs and facilities of the academy for creative media program at a system‑wide level, including funding directed to the West Oahu‑Kapolei region.  (HB2521 SD2)

 


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2521

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008

H.D. 2

STATE OF HAWAII

S.D. 2

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT


 

 

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that in 2007, emerging creative media programs at the University of Hawaii academy for creative media program, Waianae high school, and a broad range of multidisciplinary programs like Project EAST on the neighbor islands have achieved specific levels of achievement to enable evaluations of their performance in the context of the requirements of a globally-integrated economy.

     As pointed out by New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman in an op-ed commentary endorsing the National Center on Education and the Economy's report:  "We need to radically overhaul . . . an education system designed in the 1900's for people to do 'routine work' and refocus it on producing people who can imagine things that have never been available before, who can create ingenious marketing and sales campaigns, write books, build furniture, make movies and design software that will capture people's imaginations and become indispensable for millions" (December 13, 2006, New York Times).

     Just as Waianae Searider Productions demonstrated the transformational power of multi-media literacy to engage at-risk students and Project EAST students have distinguished themselves in national competitions with their homegrown science-technology and multimedia skills, Hawaii has the opportunity to establish itself as a true "crossroads of the Pacific" in the field of creative media.

     The legislature further finds that, since being approved by the University of Hawaii board of regents three years ago, the academy for creative media program is the fastest growing new program at the University of Hawaii.  For spring 2007, one hundred seventy-six enrolled students, including sixty majors, filled two hundred seventy-five seats in twenty of the thirty-two new courses in film production, screenwriting, indigenous filmmaking, computer animation, critical studies, and video game design.

     More than three hundred fifty original short films and video games have been written, directed, and produced by students that reflect their unique diversity and backgrounds.  Over forty-eight student films were screened at film festivals from Atlanta to Shanghai, including the Hawaii International Film Festival between 2004-2006.  Students have been offered internship opportunities with major motion picture productions (Superman Returns) and television shows (LOST and local morning news shows) and opportunities to showcase their work on local television.  For example, certain commercials for Toyota/Scion of Hawaii were entirely produced by students.

     Since its inception, the academy for creative media program has been responsible for raising and funding all of its own operating expenses, other than faculty salaries and basic office overhead.  This has meant providing all of the funding for hardware, software, computers, cameras, sound equipment, editing equipment, etc.  In its first three years, the academy for creative media program raised over $1,481,000 to support the students and program.

     The academy for creative media program also received gifts from generous donors and supporters to build and install the program's animation render farm, a bank of over fifty computers that efficiently converts, assigns, and monitors animation projects.  The system is available for all campuses on all islands via the Internet and is currently being used by the Manoa, Leeward, and Kapiolani campuses, as well as Waianae Seariders Production.  Additional funds were also raised from the Kellogg Foundation to quadruple the capacity of the animation render farm project to provide system-wide animation computing power, via the Internet, to digital media programs on all of the University of Hawaii campuses and Hawaii public schools at all levels.  Furthermore, a $500,000 federal grant was received for the program to produce an original documentary on statehood, which is currently in post-production.

     In spite of its success, the academy for creative media program is without a central facility or permanent home on any campus and does not receive any funding for programmatic needs other than faculty salaries.  Yet it contributes significantly to economic development in the State and a first-rate University of Hawaii system.

     For these reasons, the legislature finds that the establishment of an academy for creative media program within the University of Hawaii is an issue of statewide concern.  It is an integral component of the State's development of a creative media industry in Hawaii, and as such, the siting of the academy for creative media program is the cornerstone of the State's development of the Kapolei‑west Oahu region as the hub of Hawaii's creative media industry.

     The purpose of this Act is to enhance the role of the academy for creative media program in developing the skilled workforce to support digital media production sound stages, post‑production services, and related businesses in the west Oahu region, as well as providing creative career and business opportunities for students from throughout the State, by:

     (1)  Establishing the academy for creative media program at the University of Hawaii and specifying its management structure; and

     (2)  Amending Act 11, Special Session Laws of Hawaii 2007, to delete provisions relating to leasing the Public Broadcasting System Hawaii facility.

     SECTION 2.  Chapter 304A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part IV, subpart M, to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§304A-    Academy for creative media program; established.  (a)  There is established within the University of Hawaii the academy for creative media program, which shall have programs on campuses statewide and be administered by the University of Hawaii.  The academy for creative media program shall offer courses and confer degrees as deemed appropriate and as authorized by the board, including certificate programs, and associate, bachelor, master, and doctorate degrees.  The mission of the academy for creative media program shall be to emphasize narrative or story telling, theories, skills, and application across multiple platforms of digital media and within a context of cultural and aesthetic values by empowering students to tell their own stories of Hawaii, the Pacific, and Asia, through a unique program in indigenous filmmaking.

     (b)  The academy for creative media program shall coordinate its offerings at University of Hawaii campuses statewide and shall encourage and support mentor opportunities at all school levels throughout the State."

     SECTION 3.  Act 11, Special Session Laws of Hawaii 2007, is amended by amending part II to read as follows:

"PART II

     SECTION 2.  Since being approved by the University of Hawaii board of regents [three] four years ago, the academy for creative media program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa is the fastest growing new program at the University of Hawaii.  [For spring 2007, with one hundred seventy-six enrolled students (including sixty majors) who fill two hundred seventy-five seats in twenty of the thirty-two new courses in film production, screenwriting, indigenous filmmaking, computer animation, critical studies, and video game design.  More than three hundred fifty original short films and video games have been written, directed, and produced by students that reflect their unique diversity and backgrounds.  Over forty-eight student films were screened at film festivals from Atlanta to Shanghai, including the Hawaii International Film Festival 2004-2006.  Students are offered internship opportunities with major motion picture productions (Superman Returns) and television shows (LOST and local morning news shows), and have opportunities to showcase their work on local television, such as commercials for Toyota/Scion of Hawaii, which were entirely produced by students.

     Since its inception, the academy for creative media has been responsible for raising and funding all of its own operating expenses outside of faculty salaries and basic office overhead.  This has meant providing all of the funding for hardware, software, computers, cameras, sound equipment, editing equipment, etc.  Overall, the academy for creative media has raised over $1,481,000 to support the students and program.

     The school recently received a total of $200,000 that was privately raised or gifts from generous donors and supporters to build and install the school's animation render farm, a bank of over fifty computers that efficiently converts, assigns, and monitors animation projects.  The system is available for all campuses on all islands via the Internet, and is currently being used by the Manoa, Leeward, and Kapiolani campuses, as well as Waianae Seariders Production.  An additional $146,500 has been raised from the Kellogg Foundation, to quadruple the capacity of the animation render farm project to provide system-wide animation computing power, via the Internet, to digital media programs on all of the University of Hawaii campuses and Hawaii public schools at all levels.  Furthermore, a $500,000 federal grant was received for the school to produce an original documentary on statehood, which is currently in post-production.]

     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.] program has outgrown its space on the Manoa campus and has needs for specialized teaching and creative space.

     The purpose of this part is to[:

     (1)  Authorize 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

     (2)  Appropriate] appropriate funds for the [purposes of this part.] academy for creative media program.

     [SECTION 3.  (a)  The existing public broadcasting facility and studio located on the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus shall be leased to PBS Hawaii for a term of not less than thirty-five years.  The lease agreement shall include the following:

     (1)  PBS Hawaii shall be responsible for renovation and construction of any additional space to the existing facility located at 2350 Dole street;

     (2)  PBS Hawaii shall provide an interim home for the academy for creative media in space equal to forty per cent of the net usable square footage of the facility, including any newly constructed space; provided that the academy for creative media shall occupy an exclusive space with no common areas with PBS Hawaii and shall be the only subtenant at the facility;

     (3)  PBS Hawaii shall be responsible for the annual maintenance and operating costs of the building and shall continue to pay for the costs attributed to the academy for creative media based on current allocations of cost to square footage;

     (4)  The University of Hawaii shall expend at least $4,870,000, as appropriated in section 3 of this Act, for equipment and installation suitable for the academy for creative media programs, costs associated with handicapped compliance, and common area spaces; and

     (5)  A written memorandum of understanding of the above conditions shall be executed between the University of Hawaii at Manoa and PBS Hawaii in 2007.

     (b)  PBS Hawaii shall share the long-term use of the building without cost, apart from the costs under subsection (a)(1), (2), and (3); provided that if PBS Hawaii is no longer a public broadcasting system affiliate in good standing, or is no longer licensed by the Federal Communications Commission as either a community or university licensee, the facility shall be returned to the University of Hawaii at Manoa.]

     SECTION [4.] 3.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $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.] program.

     The appropriation made for the [equipment and installation for the] academy for creative media [programs] program authorized by this part shall not lapse at the end of the fiscal year for which the appropriation is made; provided that all moneys from the appropriation unencumbered as of June 30, 2009, shall lapse as of that date.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this part[.]; provided that funds shall be expended to expand programs and facilities of the academy for creative media program statewide as administered by the University of Hawaii pursuant to section 304A‑   , Hawaii Revised Statutes; provided further that the expansion of programs and facilities of the academy for creative media program shall include expansion of the West Oahu‑Kapolei region."

     SECTION 4.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect upon approval; provided that section 3 shall take effect on June 29, 2008.