fbrfilms

Yesterday was a dream. Mahalo to all that came out to make a dream come true. Stay tuned. 🥰

Appreciation/Happy Birthday Post. We owe a lot to @seanpthomas for really being the anchor of our movie @decade_of_the_dead . In order for a movie to work you really need the audience to have a point of view that makes them believe in whatever it is you’re telling them. In Transformers you have Shia Labeouf, in ET you had Henry Thomas and we had Sean. His performance was grounded, it was heartfelt, it was real. We had the great benefit of having a great, diverse and dynamic cast all around. But when it came to Sean’s character, his only desire was to protect. He played it very close guarded and introspective, that you really believed him in the world of the fantastical. It’s a hard thing to do when other characters are emotional, or fiery and larger than life. To be still and contemplative is almost harder. To not chew up scenery. So that the performances are like a symphony. Some are playing the trombone or cymbals while you’re playing the flute. So that it remains in harmony. It’s really masterful, but I think for him at this point it’s instinctual. I don’t think we ever really gave him much direction. That’s the mark of a great actor. You just let them go. Do their thing. Great actors take what’s written on the page and breathe life into it and elevate that character to a level nobody ever thought was possible or could’ve foreseen. Really a class act too. Family man. Been in the game for a long time. Super humble. Easy to work with. No ego. I mean the guy came and did our little crazy movie then worked with the Cohen brothers right after doing Shakespeare! Come on man. We were blessed. Anybody, if they get a chance to work with him is blessed. Just a pleasure. Happy Birthday Sean. Mahalo again. You’ll always have Ohana in Hawai’i. Can’t wait to do it again. ❤️

Big things have small beginnings. Stay tuned. 🥷

The final shot of principal photography. Huge thanks to these two superstars @seanpthomas and @marissamerrill . They were such troopers and such a pleasure to work with. All of us were like one big crazy family for this short time. All bonded by the dream to make the best damn movie ever in the craziest weather and beautiful locations.. We were all so exhausted at this point but so satisfied and joyous. Many of the crew never wanted it to end. We wanted to celebrate this final shot but couldn’t hug or kiss each other on the cheek Hawaiians style because we had a Covid compliant set. What a beautiful journey it was. Literally nobody ever fought. It was all gung ho and positive vibes. I hope that all my experiences as a filmmaker can be this beautiful. I owe my life to you all! Love you forever. ❤️

Here’s some BTS of @bombeezle jumping through a window for one of our foot chase scenes in the movie. Bear in mind this window opening is only 2 feet wide. In order to get his body through completely and fly through the air he had to run full speed and the takeoff area was only 8 feet long. Truly an amazing feat. He could have nailed his head badly if he missed. Terani was our lucky charm on the movie. He was our Best Boy grip but also played many parts in front of camera as well. He played a ravenous zombie, a Sworn assassin, a Sworn tower guard and possibly even more. We really owe him and @jimburg a lot for doing the majority of the Stunts and Stunt Coordination. The movie would not be as spectacular without them. We really wanted the movie to have some speed to it and to also have the zombies be faster since it’s been 10 years since the zombie apocalypse. They should have evolved over that time. Big ups to Terani on his super human abilities to perform these amazing stunts. Also great job by our camera operator @abrahamwilliamsdp for capturing this. I think we only did it once. Go check out our movie @decade_of_the_dead on @appletv and @youtube today!🧟

Here’s another CONNECTOR shot where I combined multiple “going to war montage shots “ into one shot from our film @decade_of_the_dead . This is where you take what could be 3-4 shots and combine them into one shot by having the movement/action connect each different angle together. This is what my idol Spielberg does best. Many thanks to @abrahamwilliamsdp for nailing the camera operating and @rebecca.teresia @ronye.mccarthy and @kobebryantsfan for nailing the performance! What do you think of connector shots? Go check out our movie available now on @appletv @youtube

Just had the great pleasure to be a guest on @downwithpodcast this morning with @chriscoffman @existentialdude @saltytofu_808 to talk about @decade_of_the_dead a little @kangarookidsmovie movies, art, AI, life and much much more! Go check it out! These guys are hilarious. And go check out @decade_of_the_dead everywhere on @appletv @youtube @comcast etc! Everyone have a kickass day!❤️

Naughty or Nice ? #happyrhappy #thewonderfulworldofrhappy

I love our life. I’m so grateful. I don’t take it for granted. Mahalo Ke Akua. ❤️🎄🙏

The hustle never stops. DECADE OF THE DEAD is available on @appletv @youtube 🔥 Tell your friends! Fun for the whole family this holiday season!🎄🧟

Honoring the Heroes of December 7, 1941 On this day, 83 years ago, the attack on Pearl Harbor changed the course of history. We honor the service members and civilians who displayed extraordinary courage in the face of unimaginable adversity. At U.S.VETS Hawai`i, we carry forward their legacy by serving those who have served. As we reflect on the bravery and sacrifices of that day, let us renew our commitment to supporting our veterans and ensuring their stories and contributions are never forgotten. Join us in remembering the resilience and unity that emerged from the events of December 7, 1941. #PearlHarborRemembrance #USVETS #HonoringOurHeroes #NeverForget

Here’s some BTS of @decade_of_the_dead of a montage sequence. I always love those scenes in movies where it cuts to people putting guns together, their knives in their sleeves, loading bullets and mags, loading up cases etc. We had a little time on day 1 because we finished early. And I knew that we had this montage coming up. So instead of wrapping early - because I had this amazing set, and a bunch of villagers already in costume and makeup, I used that time to grab some shots. I’m a huge fan of how Spielberg connects shots. He calls them CONNECTORS and he’s the master of it. That’s when you take let’s say 3 to 4 shots or even sometimes 7 shots and connect them into 1 shot seamlessly. It’s not to be fancy, or maybe sometimes it is, but it’s a way to keep the audience engaged. You are the DIRECTOR - so you are DIRECTING their attention. Many sequences like this are done with a series of multiple shots all cut together. But I wanted to try and connect them. I literally came up with this on the spot. If you look closely, one persons action leads your attention to the next person. It’s like a dance. Luckily we had some great performers and a great camera operator with @abrahamwilliamsdp . For the tone of this film I think it works. It’s very Indiana Jones feeling almost. These are the types of things that I love about the craft of filmmaking. Looking at how it’s been done before, and then thinking how you can do it differently. And of course having fun with it. Our film is out everywhere on @appletv @youtube and much more. Go check it out today!🧟 P.S. - This was not the final take. 🤣