SB3168 SD1

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that in 2007, emerging creative media programs at the University of Hawaii academy for creative media, at Waianae high school, or within a broad range of multidisciplinary programs like Project EAST on the neighbor islands have now achieved a specific level of achievements to evaluate their performance in the context of what a globally-integrated economy requires. 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 has demonstrated the transformational power of multi-media literacy to engage our most 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 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 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. In its first three years, the academy for creative media raised over $1,481,000 to support the students and program.

The school also received 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. 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 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. Yet it contributes significantly to economic development in the State and a first-rate University of Hawaii system.

For the foregoing reasons, the legislature determines that the establishment of an academy for creative media 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 school 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 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 at the University of Hawaii at west Oahu campus and specifying its management structure; and

(2) Amending Act 11, Special Session of 2007, to delete the provisions relating to a lease of the PBS 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 be administered by the University of Hawaii at west Oahu. 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 Hawai‘i, the Pacific, and Asia, through a unique program in indigenous filmmaking.

(b) The head of the academy for creative media program shall have training and experience in creative media, including the film and digital media industry or other related creative fields; knowledge and experience in both the creative and production components of creative media; and international resources and experience in these areas. The creative director shall be responsible for broad oversight, direction, and management of the academy for creative media program.

(c) 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 years ago, the academy for creative media 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.]

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 programs.

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.~~] 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~~].

The appropriation made for the [~~equipment and installation for the~~] academy for creative media programs 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 no funds shall be expended unless the academy for creative media is permanently established at and administered by the University of Hawaii at west Oahu, pursuant to section 304A- , Hawaii Revised Statutes."

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

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

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	3168
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII