Kualoa Ranch is again the site for another Hollywood blockbuster as it hosts the filming of Jurassic World, the 4th installment in the Jurassic Park series. Jurassic World “is a new sci-fi terror adventure set 22 years after the horrific events of Jurassic Park,” according to Colin Trevorrow, director of the film. The film is set to be released in June 2015. Code named “Ebb Tide” by the Kualoa Ranch workers and those working on the film, the base camp of Jurassic World is set up in the fields surrounding the ranch. When asked about Ebb Tide, Keith Fisher, lead vehicle coordinator for Jurassic World, said, “We’re filming a movie here. We’re leaving tomorrow to go to Kauai, then we’re going to go to New Orleans. It’s a circus, really. This whole thing is a circus. We’re essentially nomads. We’ve been all over the world.”For Kualoa Ranch, the film brings more than just publicity to the ranch. Kaipo Lau, a worker at Kualoa Ranch, said, “According to the Hawaii Actor’s Union, I believe that Ebb Tide is contracted to be here for a couple more months. We’re all excited because we’re pretty sure the majority of it was filmed here at Kualoa Ranch. It’s hard for people to get permits to film in other places, but here at Kualoa we’re pretty flexible about that kind of stuff. It helps us out a lot.”According to Lau, 90 percent of Kualoa Ranch’s annual revenue comes from tourists, and the other 10 percent comes from the animals. “When we have these big movie companies that come in and film here, it’s really good publicity for us, and it brings in a lot more tourists. It’s a win win both ways,” Lau added. For those like Fisher who work behind the scenes, the demands of a Hollywood blockbuster can be overwhelming. Fisher said, “I never planned on having this job. I lived in Los Angeles and went to school for theatre, but the acting business is hard. You have to be wealthy and you have to know someone to do well. I tried out different things, and now I’m here in Hawaii, hiring people and telling people what to do. Hard work pays off.”Because Hawaii is such a popular place for movies to be filmed, those that live in Hawaii are constantly presented with opportunities to be a part of these productions. Lau said, “I joined the Hawaii Actor’s Union, so I’ve been in a lot of movies that were filmed here in Hawaii. Sadly, I won’t be a part of this one. Some of my coworkers have gotten to be in some of the shots though.”Lau continued, “When you are in a film like Ebb Tide, you don’t know what you’re looking at, there’s just camera’s flying everywhere. It’s cool to see the whole production aspect of it, to see how it orchestrates, and how important team work really is. The whole crew of Ebb Tide is now up to 800 people. They filmed a lot of landscape shots here at Kualoa ranch, a lot more than the first few films. The first Jurassic Park was just a glimpse into what this one will be.”
Writer: Emily Halls ~ Multimedia Journalist
