Best warning sign ever!

Even though it doesn’t feel like winter, Christmas is in full swing here on Maui. About half of our neighborhood’s 18 homes have lights and decorations, and all of the kids in the ‘hood are getting crazy with anticipation.

We just got our tree after Thanksgiving. Of course it will be uber-flammable within a week, but I still like it better than artificial trees. There’s something about the smell of a Christmas tree that reminds me of those cold Upstate NY days. It sounds insane, but I miss the winter time in Syracuse.

My daughters are getting really excited about the holidays. My oldest can’t wait for the usual overload of presents from Grandma and Santa. I think this year our new daughter will be happy with a new seat, since we’re always sticking her in this one!

We had a blast decorating the tree. My Mom used to give an ornament each Christmas that reflected an important event that happened during that year. When I complained one year about never getting any mail, my Mom got me a miniature mailbox ornament overflowing with mini letters. I still have every one of those ornaments, and now we’re starting the same tradition with our family.

Hope you’re all having a great holiday season wherever you are!

My baby daughter had her first day at the beach today. She got her toes wet, felt the sand, and had a great time watching all the excitement from the shore. That’s the great thing about Hawaii. Yes, things are expensive here (like food, gas, clothes, electricity, water, etc). But the best things in Hawaii are completely free (the beach, the scenery, the Aloha!).

I was lucky enough to get a press pass for this year’s EA Sports Maui Invitational basketball tourney in Lahaina this year. The company I produce for (Maui’s Visitor Channel) already had footage from several years ago, but we needed some updated shots in HD. So I grabbed the camera and spent Monday surrounded by basketball.

I remember back in 1987 when my hometown team (the Orangemen of Syracuse) almost won the national title against Indiana. At the beginning of the next season they played the Maui Invitational, and it was so cool to see them competing here.

Now I’m living here on Maui, and I get to go to these awesome games myself. And the best part… I’m doing it for work! Now that’s something to be thankful for!

If you want to check out a quick vid we put together, click here and go to mauionline.com. Look on the right side of the page under “Events” and you’ll see the video link…

This is my new t-shirt. I’ve worn it for 3 days straight. I call it my analog robot tee.

I got it from RedBubble.com. Some interesting designs and photos on there from the community of users. I uploaded a few photos I’ve taken, but not much else. I’m more of a buyer than a contributor.

Since I’ve lived in Hawai‘i I’ve been buying mostly local tees from places like 808 Clothing Company and Maui Built. So it’s good to find a different tee like this. It reminds me of my own analog days.

Click here for the t-shirt designer’s profile

This is my little Baby C at about 12 weeks.

It’s awesome right now because she’s in the giggly phase, so she’s laughing at everything – makes me feel like an amazing entertainer. And she’s being so good. Just like our first daughter, she has no problem going out and having fun. We had a great time at the fair. We’ve been to the beach. She goes to Big C’s soccer games. Baby C rocks.

THANK YOU FORTUNE COOKIE!

Have you ever heard this one:

Why should I pay you to make a video when I can do it myself?

It’s a DIY world now more than ever. Nowhere else is this more obvious than in the field of video production. With equipment costs going down and need for content going up, realtors, small businesses, and entrepreneurs all over Maui are asking me the same question you see above.

The answers aren’t that easy to explain either. How do you explain creativity? How do you discuss technical knowledge like HD vs SD, web delivery vs broadcast, square vs non-square pixels? When a potential client asks how my video will be more effective than theirs, how do I make them understand? Justifying the intangible skills you bring to a project is not an easy thing to do when your client has a flip camera and a YouTube account. But the largest problem is that we’re selling a product our customers don’t think they need. That is, until their YouTube video gets 14 hits in 6 months and they’re wondering what went wrong.

And now with instant uploads, the editing side of the equation seems to have been forgotten all together. Clients don’t know that shooting is only the beginning of the process, or that the effectiveness of a video is discovered in the edit bay where it begins to take solid form as a cohesive marketing piece.

But we must keep making the case for quality in video production. Why? Because doing it half-way isn’t an option for our clients. A bad video can hurt them as much as a good video can help. How many of us have avoided a product or service because their commercial was so bad it actually turned the audience off? I remember a Quizno’s campaign that used freaky rodent puppets as their restaurant mascots in commercials.

Sure… rodents are the first thing I want to think about when looking for a place to eat. Even the big dogs make mistakes. And as digital content creators, it’s essential that we educate them on the importance of quality, and the dangers of poor quality.

So what can we do? How do we show clients that our creative skills and knowledge will turn their project from ok to outstanding? And most importantly, how can we reassure the client that by hiring creative professionals to make the video, their marketing efforts will ultimately benefit?

I know exactly what we do. We create great work that delivers results for our clients. We make good on the promise of video as the ultimate form of communication. We give 100% to every project, every time. We continue to learn new things, and evolve from producers to videographers to producer/editors, throwing in writing skills and motion graphics design along the way. We find the part of our clients’ stories that form connections with the viewers they’re trying to reach. We continue to give our clients more reasons to hire us, because today it’s not enough to create the video – you have to know how to promote and distribute it across multiple platforms.

I know… Easier said than done, right? We keep adding responsibilities to our job description without adding revenue to our bottom line. But what’s the alternative? Do we throw in the towel and let mediocrity envelop our profession, or do we rise to the challenges of today? I say we rise, and show our clients that there is still value in good production. And if they’re willing to pay for the quality, video can become the most effective tool in their social media arsenal.

Besides, what else am I gonna do with all this gear?

I recently went to one of my favorite beaches. I hadn’t been there in a while, almost a year, so it was great to get back.

It’s Kamaole Beach Park 3, or Kam 3 for short. It’s right across the street from the vacation condo we used to stay in before we moved here. It’s one of the best (and largest) beach parks on the island of Maui. It has swings, showers, picnic tables, facilities, and a huge grassy area perfect for throwing a frisbee or playing ball.

The South Maui community uses this park for all kinds of other activities too. It’s a favorite spot for bouncy castle birthday parties, Sunday tent worship, and especially sunset gazing with friends and a bottle of wine.

And yes, the scenery is as good as these pics suggest. So if you choose to spend a day at Kam 3 in South Maui, I promise you won’t regret it.

A panorama shot taken at Kalama Beach Park in central Kihei

This was a festive photo taken from Wailea looking towards the West Maui Mountains. Have a wonderful Holiday Weekend no matter where you are!

Here are a few photos from my scout of Polo Beach in Wailea. It’s an excellent beach park that has amenities, showers, and the best part – you can use the Fairmont Kea Lani’s beach chairs even if you’re not a guest!

Also, take my advice and go exploring around this beach. Go for a nice walk. There are some really cool tide pools and black rock beaches to be found. Enjoy…

View Polo Beach – Wailea, Maui in a larger map

These are pictures of a brilliant sunset I saw at Cove Park in Central Kihei. Maui has some great sunsets, but this one was the best I’ve ever seen. It came at the end of a long, rainy day as me and a friend were on our way to Da Kitchen for some local grinds. The sun peaked below the gray cloud ceiling and lit the entire sky for what seemed like an hour. It was exactly what I needed after a long hard day.

View Cove Park – Kihei, Maui in a larger map

Some of the best beaches are the ones you just stumble upon. This is a perfect example. It’s a beach that I can’t find the name of, near the tiny town of Olowalu on Maui’s west side. So for lack of an official name, let’s honor Olowolu by naming this one Chez’s Beach. And if anyone has an official name for this one, let me know…

View Olowalu, Maui in a larger map

If you’re wondering whether you should spend the better part of a day on top of Haleakala, ask yourself this: when will I have another chance to walk above the clouds on the summit of a 10,000 foot high dormant volcano? My recommendation is to make the trip. And as long as you’re going, make it early so you can watch the sunrise. It’s pretty cool. The bonus is that after the sunrise show is over you’ll have plenty of time to hike or horseback into the crater. Or yo can head back down the mountain and spend the rest of the day exploring Kula, Makawao, and the rest of Upcountry Maui. One word of caution – the Haleakala summit can get pretty cold. So stick to warm jackets, long sleeves, long pants, and hiking shoes/sneakers. Whatever you do, don’t wear your bathing suit, a t-shirt and slippers.

View Haleakala Crater – Maui in a larger map

Photos and videos don’t give Big Beach justice. It’s just one of those kinds of places that can’t be captured by visuals alone. You have to be there to see it’s beauty, because it’s just as much about the mood as it is about the scenery. It’s also about the boogie boarding, people, hiking and exploring. So here’s my attempt at capturing a day at Big Beach, armed with just my camera.

View Big Beach – Makena Maui in a larger map