HB1868 HD1

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that by 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 such as Project EAST on the neighbor islands, had already achieved a specific level of achievements to be able to evaluate their performance in the context of the requirements of a globally-integrated economy. As pointed out by New York Times columnist, Thomas Friedman, in his recent 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 multimedia literacy to engage our most at-risk students, and just as 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" for digital education. It is time for Hawaii to take full advantage of its natural constituency with the countries of the Pacific rim and the rising tide of global popular culture in all its forms, including video games, animation, and indigenous film to leverage Hawaii's inherent strengths.

Digital entertainment in the form of computer-animated films and video games not only dominates the entertainment business today (e.g., top box office hits like Finding Nemo and Happy Feet), but is a globally-distributed economy. Technology means that companies can grow where people want to live, not where they have to work. Today's biggest hits come from outside of Hollywood--from Emeryville (Pixar), Australia, New Zealand (Happy Feet and Lord of the Rings), and upstate New York (Ice Age). The $25 billion videogame industry is based wherever the talent is, and not where the legacy infrastructure is. In the competition for artistic talent, Hawaii offers the perfect place to raise a family and the perfect lifestyle for artists in the creative digital field.

Since being approved by the board of regents three years ago, the academy for creative media has become the fastest growing program at the University of Hawaii with two hundred seventy students enrolled in courses and forty-five students enrolled as majors in the academy. These students fill two hundred fifty-three seats in twenty-nine courses in film production, screenwriting, indigenous filmmaking, computer animation, critical studies, and videogame design. The students have written, directed, and produced more than three hundred fifty original short films and video games that reflect their unique diversity and backgrounds. Over forty student films were screened at film festivals from Atlanta to Shanghai, including the Hawaii International Film Festival from 2004 to 2006. Students have also been offered internship opportunities with major motion picture productions (Superman Returns) and television shows (LOST and local morning news shows), and have had opportunities to showcase their work on local television, such as the commercials that they produced entirely on their own for Toyota/Scion of Hawaii.

Recently, the academy for creative media received a total of $795,600 in funds that were privately raised or gifts from generous donors and supporters to build, expand, and install the school's Animation RenderFarm at Leeward community college. The Animation RenderFarm will provide system-wide animation computing power via the Internet, to digital media programs on all University of Hawaii campuses and Hawaii schools. The academy also received a $500,000 federal grant to produce an original documentary on statehood, which is currently in post-production.

The creative media industry is a billion dollar industry with the potential to create thousands of high-paying jobs in Hawaii, and most logically, the academy for creative media is the stage on which Hawaii's homegrown creative media workforce can be created, developed, and educated. The academy can accelerate the State's efforts to become a creative media digital hub.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds and provide creative financial incentives for a permanent facility to house digital equipment and media, classrooms, production laboratories, and related facilities for the academy for creative media, enabling the academy to become a premiere digital media enterprise that will help build the creative media industry in Hawaii.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009 for the planning, design, and construction of a permanent facility for the academy for creative media at the University of Hawaii.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act; provided that no funds shall be expended if the University of Hawaii's capital improvement project request for state funding for either a centennial classroom building or a new college of education building is approved; provided further that the University of Hawaii shall accommodate the planning, design, and construction of a permanent facility for the academy for creative media at the University of Hawaii in conjunction with either the centennial classroom building project or the new college of education building project.

SECTION 3. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, including any law that either limits or disqualifies the costs associated with the planning, design, and construction of a permanent facility for the academy for creative media at the University of Hawaii for the tax credits available under Act 221, Session Laws of Hawaii 2001, any tax credit relating to digital media, film, television, or new market development, or any combination of general funds and tax credits may be used for the financing of the construction and equipping of the academy for creative media at the University of Hawaii.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2007.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	1868
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII