Spectrum Hawaii; Molokai; Interview with Filmmakers: Carroll Ballard, Director & Hiro Narita, Cinematographer

The following program is a production of Katie Chichi in Honolulu Hawaii Public Television. Spectrum is made possible in part by a grant from the Hawaii State foundation on culture and the arts and by the people of Chevron in Hawaii with assistance from the Kalua coy corporation. Thirty five miles off the coast the 12th largest city in America lies.

The island of Molokai where outdoor living is common practice where history remembers its children. It is an island of abundant resources of the rich which sustains thriving lives prosperous and warm. Its slower tempo and closer hospitality gives one time to acquire a point of view

and a very unique place. It's different from the other islands. If I question somebody why do you need a friend. And somebody told me maybe by law you should know this which is true. It is all friendly like say we are living up the definition from the tradition of Molokai. A small island where neighbors are well acquainted. The greetings are often shared. This said cheerful good morning every morning you know what are you doing how are you. No I don't suppose the rest of the world is too concerned about that. We are very much so. And a helping hand is frequently offered. What are you doing. Oh I'm going to kind of guy could I get something for you I have to. They don't have. To pick me up some onions or whatever you know

that. That's the way we get along. One of the many ways we get along. Is by song. Trouble and the tempo. Of a melody. Trio sing the song. He was once known as a place of knowledge.

And retreat. Here. Kings were educated. Restless soul. Could find spiritual solace. In isolated sanctuary. I'm ok really concerned with being a human being. Molokai has always been a center of learning and I think traditionally I should say a lion people. And that's the attractiveness and the beauty of Molokai. I don't know if the teacher is appreciated today as much as reliably she did back in the kiddies and poetess. I think with all due respect to the TV thing some

children may be spending cannot spend in. Enough time on their homework and perhaps to not motivated enough. Like all children well they lived in a country where the head sold a few extras in life that they brought and they did their homework. Marie place is a Hawaiian who has remained faithful to the traditional learning of Molokai away and believe that the body is sacred as Ledbury place to encourage natural healing. She meditates in prayer in addition to skillfully blending the local herbs in order to treat the elements of her family and friends. I do it all on my children. First. I go to the hospital. They always ask me if I haven't seen a children's record you know what happened here what do you do with them when they're babies. Knowing their child they say they have called in all the things I say I'll take care of them.

They're effective treatments and loving methods have attracted the attention of foreign visitors who now attend her demonstrations. Well did they really enjoy it and because they have it they don't even know why bodies herbs herbs. They thought it was just a plain weed is in your garden. I said No I said not all of them. But again they have to know how to carry and what it's for. Marie places honored requests to share her knowledge with local high schools. Where many students have remembered their family lessons in this healing art. She encourages such family traditions. That's what. Oh I know what my mother taught me that's what I carry on with my children. I know with my generation like myself I can say I will carry on as long as I leave.

A symbol the Kukui tree is easily discernible along hillsides by its light green color. The hills the mountains are covered with the complete tree. It's very symbolic of the world today. They still marry men don't. And enjoys wearing a necklace made from Cooley notes for identity. And to be used at the senior citizens use this a lot when we travel in the Highlands because it tells them. Not to completely. You must know by now it is a very valuable name to the wild. On the east end of oligarchy. There is. A sacred grove of Kukui trees. That harbors a mysterious past. Buried here is. Money Carla. The famed Kahuna.

And the spiritual power was so formidable The Chieftain sought his favor. What. Other kahunas were drawn to Molokai aid giving it an awesome reputation of. Being a center of mysterious power. Provided most. With protection. And peace. A lot of the peace that Molokai. Had during Hawaiian history was a result of the fact that all the kings in a way they were in awe of Molokai they formed marital alliances with smaller guys so they all had family over here so that there was no alienation. It's been called the mysterious island. Of Hawaii and chant echoes in the distance. An act of gratitude is being performed with a song of thanks for the

silent cloud. The filmy mist. The gentle wind that carry the scent of Miley and the hula. It is a chance to praise. The ocean.

Is where. You're on the north end of Molokai in the oceans waves wash up on the shores of a very special session. My grandfather. Had a sampan that we used to ride over to the north shore of the island. That's where they had. Planted Taro. And that he had a contract to deliver deadly poison to this to the settlement that large of a settlement. Everyone on Molokai soon learned about the call up up a second. Here a restricted community of leopards were to live out their lives. Neglected. Until one day. A change came. I had seen how it is shall we say like my father who was come from the mainland and live on Molokai after so long they just love it. They are one of us. After that they did not

afraid or ashamed to say what's bothering them. One such gentleman who was not afraid to say what was bothering him. Was Father Damien. A Belgian priest who sacrificed his life in the service of his mission. Before Dying. He had improved a lot of the Molokai lepers. And he built churches. Same Philomena was his base. But he also billed Our Lady of Sorrows. And. St. Josephs. Many of the best preserved churches on Molokai are located near the EVA Coconut Grove. Which was planted by King to make them a have fit. These houses of worship contain a partly native Hawaiian membership. Built on land provided by the Hawaiian homes commission.

This distinguished bureau. Which frames the altar of the Grace Episcopal Church and holy hook. Is the work of. John Shiloh. It depicts two angels in reverence before the flame of divinity. It was John's Shiloh's gift. To Molokai. A carved sculpture of wood reveals older Hawaii and customs. This image of he represents the goddess most prominent and legend. You know was the last thing Mother mother OK you know the Guardian the little place so when you do certain little day that's the felicity of the Lions what they knew you know one small table that belongs to. The human sculpture is but one example of a law by one of his work. His devotion to the principles of traditional away and would card.

Advance in step with his knowledge of the ancient legend. And lore. I think most of my ideas. And your religion legends. I thought like you know perpetuating some type of the Hawaiian culture if I went to wood working with carbon which are the traditional one on one here he carves a piece which he will enter in a major South Pacific exhibit in New Caledonia. It represents the Polynesian idea of creation known to all up by through the chant of creation. I'm self-taught. Just. Go by feel. Sometimes I don't. I don't see anything in the world for a long time. When I do see it I work it. Sometimes I lose it and I want another piece of wood. But here I'm well okay when it's been really nice if we have our own land. You know.

And I would think it's more easy easy now. We live on Oahu we had to be ran at a certain lifestyle you know like you know we got all the lifestyle we knew that a supermarket right out here on the ocean get icebox up in the mountain lot inspiration down feeling cramped after hours of detailed work turns to a natural solution there to back it gravity will be if you stand up shake it off and she saw ripples out the you know little mama get them it get them it you know in the net get the fish you know on the scale and clean on was a vessel where being on the porch to. Molokai. For fishing. Then. Good fishing area. They always see you before you see the way you fasten your sword in there. It's. Pretty casual. And if you hung.

This is all types of fishing I join it is one fight. Diving spear fishing any kind like I'm not the best you know. But just like everybody else here on Molokai. Everybody does a little bit of everything before I mean the fish you know hunting you know they have to. Supplement their. Diet. Molokai supply base where if you're not. That lazy. You'll be able to survive. Contributing to the early survival of Hawaiians were fish but. He once had the largest concentration of fish pond. In a way. Most of these ancient poems enclosed by coral and stone walls were ruined by silt and title activity. This is one of the exceptions however. Maintained by the Hawaiian Academy of knowledge and alternative educational

program. This pond is active. We have a unique situation here we have a fish pond and what students do is they go out and catch the fingerlings which are the poor. The mullet and their stock in cages that they build themselves. Working closely with the Department of Education and coming from a high school. Adolph helm supervises a variety of students between the ages of 15 and 18. They come out in the morning and spend their whole day here we offer them a broad range of subjects from Hawaiian language to arts and crafts do marine studies agriculture and of course they have to learn the standard math and English. Our main objective in terms of values here is is to make the person

who goes to school a better person. One is to learn self respect. One. Who is to learn. To love. The land of. The land base of the particular to. The ocean and its people. While a lot of the kids on mall of coke a lot of people might have the expression oh I might have some misconception in terms of what kids do. They don't necessarily do a lot of fishing. They don't necessarily do a lot of farming. Some of the kids down here this is the first time that they are exposed to that kind of environment. Some of the programs that we teach down here are subjects that I teach in a high school in terms of. Offering the kids more hands opportunity to get involved with the land. Of Molokai is a rich resource efforts

in agriculture. Are you hoping Hawaii to become self-sufficient mainland imports are fewer now. Large farms have been instrumental in raising Molokai up to become the stage leader in beans sweet potatoes bell peppers and watermelons. Yet he's rich LOVE US soil maintains the small farmer as well. A family farm offers a precious opportunity to remain close to the land. And to the animals. We respect that name we speak our elders who preceded us. They had to lift the debt ceiling. Did you want to cut it. Corn is a part of the land a very special part.

During the winter months it is America's favorite place to study and perfect. One KZN an ideal place for winter research. We have 365 days of perfect growing weather. The heart of the weather the better corn likes it the Hawaiian research company a custom farmers they supply America's corn companies with seed corn that is consistently reliable. This seed corn produces other generations of corn that will be uniform in size texture and maturity. There is also no danger of frost on Molokai. This is important to the farmers of America because. I've heard an estimate. That. Probably half of the corn or better that is currently grown in America.

As it one time had one of its ancestors here on more like. The corn of other countries is finding its source on Molokai aid to. Countries such as Canada South Korea. Germany Italy. And France. The research work that is done here is extremely important. You could consider more care to be the Silicon Valley of the seed corn industry where. Time. Is valued for many reasons. There is. Its beauty. It's song. It's wisdom. And it's history. But what about its future. People are always asking me about more crime and the development of Molokai. And.

I feel that. Mordecai will develop. At his own speed at the speed that the island wants that the island's people want. I don't think that anything will. Change that. I think it provides the opportunity. For Molokai to assume its historical being a place of. Retreat and learning. Lifelong devotee of learning who is taught in the public eye a classroom for forty two and a half years is the Cisco one. Oh and I like this place I just came back yesterday. I've been there a few days. Right now with people from London. I can see home Lisa good place to be from. And when mum okai assumes a festive dress the community assembles in celebration opens its doors

wears a smile. And. You. Yeah and. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Certain. Way. You. Can in. Any. Way. There's an old saying in this friend of retreat and knowledge. The older generations of Molokai have counseled the younger. With this even if you don't believe it respect it. To eat eat.

Eat. That my fellow program. One minute. Now. We. Step away from the program. Spectrum is made possible in part by a grant from the whole what you somebody get out of a

janitor at night and by seven people six different you know what five for the system three from the Kalua corn corporation one now. The following program is a production of Katie Chichi in Honolulu Hawaii

Public Television. The following program has been funded in part by the Hawaii State foundation on culture and the arts and a grant from the people of Chevron in Hawaii. Day one spectrum executive producer Nino J Martin interviews noted film director Carole Ballard. And cinematographer. Hero nutty. Mr. Ballard is in Hawaii to conduct an American Film Institute workshop focusing on the art of filmmaking within the Hollywood studio system. Is a director of Black Stallion and Never Cry Wolf. Two films that have been included in what is an international

film festival. Joining Mr. Ballard is a cinematographer on those two films hero not for his work on never cry will Mr. Rita as won a National Film Critics Award for Best Cinematography is also received an Emmy nomination for Best cinematography for his work on an NBC movie of the week entitled farewell to man's And here's Nino J Martin. Good evening and welcome to spectrum. Thank you for joining us. And I'd like to welcome both of our guests Carole Ballard and the hero and thank you for taking time out of that busy day that you've had all the hope down of the film festival How's it going. It's going really well. I mean there are some excellent films. I think it's a really good idea because the American film industry is always sort of been oriented in the other direction. It's about time that there was more contextual it toward the west and the western eastern look at

the middle part of the world. I mean toward the Pacific and across. The world is slowly becoming unified. One thing is to both of you. You started out wanting to do something else other than making films and suddenly Carol you were going to be an industrial designer. Growing up in California and then you were down in Los Angeles and decided to come filmmaker and hero you were a graphic designer and then got into films I'd like to find out from each of you. How that all happened for you Carol. Well. The important thing I guess the important word for me was independence. I wanted to do something where I was pretty much my own boss and I didn't like working for a big company like the idea of working for a big company. So I was in high school I gravitated toward like designing cars and

things. So I got interested in becoming a designer and I went to a school in Los Angeles and after I was there about two years I realized that I was in a gig that there was really no way to go but the work for a big corporation because you know you have a lot of money and design products and sell them. That takes a lot of money and a faction of or you work for a big corporation. So after that brilliant reality finally impressed itself upon joining the Army for a walk around for several years saw some interesting movies decided to get in that because it was then that you did some documentaries particularly with animal you did swine with about pigs. Yeah I got to go all day without bringing that one right in

one about the cats. Why animals. Well essentially because I was terrified of actors you know I really wanted to make feature films I really wanted to get in the big time. But I was I was really afraid of you know. Dealing with people at that time there was a lot of learning in the educational system to do small things which is after college that became a little good for me and for survivalists. And so was I. Mail is pictures of animals you want to wards with them certainly And finally are Francis Ford Coppola call him is that how would you like to direct a black satin That must have been quite a day for you. Well he didn't say he wanted to make a jet black stallion. He said they want to make a film. I thought OK now we're going to get big. There wasn't a later that I found out that they were thinking about the black stallion and that was not me that was not great because I felt that there

would be more give me a break you know become the animal the wrecking of the Glaxo what happens here that it was just a bit of yeah. Then you did of course never cry wolf which we'll be talking about in just a minute when we get to you know you were you were born in Korea and then mine. How did you get over here. Well after the war we moved back to Japan. Where my parents were home and then after my father died my mother and less of a friend and moved to Hawaii and we got to our back. Both of us have to thank our me in. Those two years as Carol did watch movies. I too spent a lot of time watching movies. Anyway when I was in high school because of a language problem I spent a lot of time in odd classes and photography classes where I could do my best and I was

always interested in picture making. By that exact not sure it was going to be what I was going to a painter or a graphic designer or whatever. Anyway slowly the idea of picture making of the single frame let's say in the village or or a painting became kind of frustrating. I wanted to see some sequence of the images and I think. We were wrong but years later this whole idea of sequence of language let me to you to make you got a movie camera to start playing around and that it came much later and. Much later. You know the two of you worked together recently on a project. Carol you directed. Never Cry Wolf. And you know you were the cinematographer. I like to explore some of your thoughts and philosophy some of the frustrations and so forth but before we do that I'd like to introduce our audience to a little clip that we have of them that we're talking about.

So let's take a look now at about a five minute clip given to us by Walt Disney Productions on the production of motion picture film Never Cry Wolf. Take a look at them. Director Carol Ballard's first feature film was the highly acclaimed The Black Stallion in 1079 Ballard recently completed his second movie. This one is called Never Cry Wolf. It's the story of a rookie biologist played by Charles Martin Smith challenged by life in the Arctic. In an age of formula movies Carol Ballard makes films that define duplications as he explains. It's a painstaking process. Certain shots were shot months away from other shots scene that would last the last 30 seconds on screen. You know one shot was shot August the 12th in this place and visiting over here was shot next year in July and that place over there 4000 miles away. Never Cry Wolf producer Louis Allen accommodated Ballard style.

So there are surprises all the time going along but I mean he knows exactly what he wants and one has to as a producer function around the way he works rather than try to impose a schedule on a particular way of working on him. After that I don't think that he's all the better for that. When the sun is low on the horizon the dawn or dusk filmmakers call it the magic hour for the glowing quality of photography. In the Land of the midnight sun. Ballard enjoyed a luxury. Picture appears like. My God we waited for the magic hour every single night. No. Fact is that the magic hour was all night long. I couldn't call him a perfectionist. He just isn't going to settle for something if it isn't done right. And. As a result takes an awful long time to make a picture. Actor Charles Martin Smith spent two. I'm never on. I remember the first when we were in this valley in the middle of nowhere. I got off the plane there was a grizzly bear rolling around. Right next to the strip that you landed and you know

you made a pick up truck and threw some clothes I when the sun was setting and I wanted as great lighting of course I just started throwing him out there and said OK Charlie hacked this way. You really have to hand it to him I mean the great thing about Charlie is he stayed in there boy. And there are many actors around today wouldn't. You think really liberal with me as far as letting me develop the character myself which I think I think I hadn't expected. We ended up working together. Smith's most challenging scenes were played opposite these first time actors. You know what Eskimos Ballard recruited for the film. No. Thanks I don't eat fish. With you. Actually. They were completely natural and absolutely relaxed. And it was difficult for

me because as soon as you put an actor next to a real person like that especially if they are everything that an actor do it is going to look really funny you know really you know he's acting. So I had to become as real as they did in the part of Tyler. Caribou. So I'm conducting an experiment to see whether. A carnival or a big animal. Could live. I mean it. Was a. Good idea. What Carol Ballard learned about a vanishing Eskimo culture became part of Never Cry Wolf. I went up in the northern settlements and looked around and people have changed a lot. You know they've been relocated and they've been moved into a new

town. They all live in these things are like trailers and eat junk food and sugar pops. And it's changed them and that girl in a bind. And she wanted me to buy her drinks so I bought her some and then after a while she wanted to come home with you. Guys. I made a mistake. I smile at her. That's what happens when the. Media becomes a sugar eater. Farley Mowat wrote the book on which Never Cry Wolf is based. He was skeptical at first about having his work adapted for a movie but nobody can translate a book into a film there are two different things one another of my books was adapted for television. MO It was so offended by the result that he smashed his typewriter into his TV set. And every author is terrified by what the film people will do to his book. Usually with good reason.

But when the producer told me who'd been hired to direct never cried. Moments phobia disappeared when he picked Carol Ballard to direct it. I knew we were home free because I had seen the Black Star and considered it one of the finest pieces of nature and by nature I mean not only animals but man nature photography had ever seen. So from there on I was just in a state of euphoria. But finally Never Cry Wolf is a product of caramel Ballard's own passion. Stems from a conviction he wants people to see what they have to lose. I really feel very very very strongly structure where the most ghastly. Horrible crimes imaginable. But you know people are wiping out species and. Things that haven't been tested. Like. A scene from Never Cry Wolf feature that's been out for several years now directed by Carol Ballard and photographed by here on everything. Our guests today on spectrum Carol.

Why did you make a Never Cry Wolf. Well it's like asking you know tell me about that sort of create Croatian war. You know I mean it's like there are all kinds of reasons. It was the deal I could make at that particular time. It was I was extremely naive to think that it was going to be a simple project and I could just go out there and get off and go home. Whole combination of things. Why did you. You have said that you don't you don't like living in your school but you like having the interplay with the natural world. How does that relate to them or Karl. Well it relates to my own life as a child I grew up in the Sierras spent most of my time to myself. I didn't have any brothers or sisters and

I lived in a certain way I related to all the things that were around me. I related to the lake and the water and the fish and the tree stuff. And it was extremely difficult for me when I had to away from that environment in the city. I just about went crazy for a few years. I mean I almost became a freeway shooter issue in Carson. And that's what I mean. I mean what happens when the more we are kind of acculturated in the more that we move into you know an urbanized environment the more we live inside our own heads. We're no longer aware of all the sensual things that are going on as a lot that we do we hear the air conditioning we hear Do I hear the cables drag along the floor you know was focused in on what's the pictures that are in my head we create the wounds out of our brain rather than living it. Living in the world is right there.

How much though was the message that never had your message as a filmmaker. Contrast it with moments of a message in the book. Both of both of the messages were pretty much the same. I think in a way more it was getting to the same thing. I mean what happened to him in this story is that he was involved in the Second World War he would landed in Sicily with the Canadians and that was the most terrible part of the second or at least for the allied forces and the Canadians get slaughtered in Sicily and he just want to escape from the human race and that was why he went up there to conduct this experiment with the wolves. And after that then he did become involved with it with the Innuit people and that is what led him later on to write such books as people. Things that were involved with the experience that he had the native people there.

One thing that you mentioned. You think images you're an image person and making a film of this sort certainly you need as a cinematographer such as a hero to translate the images that you have as a director into a living medium is film. Why did you select the hero and how the two of you get together maybe a hero and you tell us how the two of you got together. So you do becomes you know it's harder for a while before we became film friends when you became a friend and talk about it. Cabinetmaking soulful. I'm not sure how he chose me to hold this particular film but I'm sure he sensed that I maybe you know I kind of take on too for this particular film. He would be the one the least to object that maybe the reason. Then you gave him a picture. So this is the image of the gun.

Yeah but I mean going in a lot of the images in the film in the beginning for me just sort of a big fuzzy ball of things you can't really see it all you sort of have a sense of what it is and it doesn't really become a reality until you finish editing it for a person who just before you have some ideas. Carroll was sometimes very specific. I mean to an inch and at the same time sometimes very very big. You know he would draw me a picture of scribbles on a napkin something and he said this is something like this I want to get. So I have to read his mind as much and I can't. And then also how he was reacting to the. Environment and how I was reacting at the same time. Them fortunately. It worked out very well. You have a very interesting use of color in this film might we mention this. Yes they would have

a lunch that's been in a world of grays and blues pretty much and up in the tundra it's very cold. You managed to infuse the picture with color occasionally for example that one shot where you have a wide shot of a Tundra with a mountain and there's the sun's or there that's kind of a golden color. Your teacher here at the high school you have to come from kind of the high school said that you at the time that you were going to school here like the somber colors as opposed to the bright and cheery ones and why is that. I have no idea why why I respond to those colors. Do you shoot. Do you look for those kinds of colors. Well not necessarily. But when we got to Alaska British Columbia there are loads of the colors and we thought and Carol would say Oh that's it I'm going to get it sometimes and then we come

back next day and try to get that. And again I was responding to those magical color arrangements. Part of the two of you work now. Carole do you hear oh this is exactly what I wonder does he give it to you and then you kind of look at it. How does that work. No no no movies are made by lots of people. I mean you don't just make a movie buy yourself a feature film you just can't do. I mean so really the function of a director in my point of view is to be sort of the guy who tries to get everybody going sort of keep trying to get this whole bunch of people to operate as a as a creative unit in terms of hero I mean hero the input that hero had put in the film was extremely crucial to how the film finally finally came out. And so it was prizes and me throwing out an idea and then

Hiro sort of making up the idea and kicking it around and then somebody else coming in and kicking around a little more and finally something would emerge out of it. But you didn't go into the same with images of them. Yeah sure I had images but I didn't have the whole deal figured out. I mean that the number of images that are in this picture is thousands and thousands of so. No I didn't I had sort of a fuzzy notion I had a few little little touchstones around there that yeah I was trying to get that a lot of them gave up on the process because they found better ones along the way with the will to film in the television medium is such an expensive medium you're talking about 11 million dollar budget here on the record. Well that wasn't the budget. How far did you run over a million dollars. Well that was a tube and it's an artist a sculptor or a painter has a one on one relationship with his medium painter can take a brush with a paint and canvas directly onto it with

television and film. You're dealing with all these people you're dealing with lights and equipment and so forth. Home removed you. As an artist from the final product from what you originally conceived sometimes you're a long ways away from it. Sometimes you go totally different from what you originally thought. But this is frustrating sometimes you discover something that's so much better. The point that the business of making a movie is like it's like riding a whirlwind. You know it's like a ride in some kind of slippery big ball bearing You know you just got to you know it's going to slide over this way you kind of have to stay on it because a lot of the time you just can't get it what it is you want to get something a lot of the time things happen just happen out of nowhere. There are some that are much more interesting than what it was you were struggling so hard to try to get. So you have to be able to be very flexible especially the kind of pictures that I really have to qualify that in terms of films that involve

animals and children and untrained actors really have to be able to to try to make spontaneous things happen you have to be able to try to respond to just sort of the flow of things. How much risk is there though on your part terms of making a film. And you you have to take a certain amount of risk. OK. But you also have to make the bosses happy. Where does that balance come. Well I've been lucky enough. First two films that I've done that I haven't hassled by the bosses so I haven't had that problem yet. Are you making the kind of pictures that you really want to make. The only way I can make a film is to make a film that I would like to see what is it. Well those of the. That's as close as I could come to because it's closer than cut of what I would like to see a film

this late about that subject because I don't know how you can lay judgments of the talking of a Jesuit who says by somebody else that gets to be sort of getting the cart before the horse. I think everybody who is a filmmaker did it has to respond to what their own values are their own feelings. In the couple minutes that we have left what are you each of you working on your own working on a project you know well. Well I'm I'm here on how why and when I saw a film festival I mean I don't have any you know project at the moment. Well in this business you know there are so many talks. And like right now I have maybe three possibilities. I can't count on anyone until I actually the camera roll so I don't have any particular project that I can tell you. Are you looking for work that so many want to hire here for you no

way you have actually any projects that you're working on now that we could be seeing the next couple years. Yeah I have several things have floated on the waters and it's the same deal. I mean a lot of deals just don't get made a lot of things will happen. It's not a reality until we are out there cranking and even then it's not necessarily reality. So it's a difficult and they put it deal together I have several deals that I am presently nurturing where they will actually sprout and grow and anything homeowners that normally take say a director producer would have you an idea concept to put a deal together until the picture is actually made. So they are county those that get canceled of course but I would say the average time for that is three years sometimes a lot more Never Cry Wolf was in one stage or another for over a period of about 12 years when I was involved with it for that long but it was.

You know it was people were trying to make it into a movie when you publicly take you. You did what five cuts on that. Yeah. Well yes we have five foot six previews of which five were total disasters and then we just had to go back in the editing room and try to make more sense that was we shot a million feet of film and million feet of film. If you wanted to look at it would take you eight hours a day five days a week take you six weeks just to look at it. So you know we shoot we actually shot about a six and a half hour movie because I was very there or thought the script was totally right and you know I just kept shooting things. And so if it's happy with fact when I'm writing them you know in the cut and then you're happy with the film. Well I'd never have that. Well it's I guess I don't have anymore gas.

One of our guests today on Spector and Carol Ballard's the director of Never Cry Wolf and hero never leave cinematographer thank you both for being with us on spectrum and good luck we'll be looking forward to more of your fine products and your talents. And thank you for joining us especially today hope that you enjoyed our conversation. You take care of yourself a lot. Stand by for the program. In one minute. Stumbling around a sentence.

Stand by for the program. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three two one. Spectrum was funded in part by a grant from the people of Chevron in Hawaii. And by the Hawaii State foundation on culture and the arts.