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Table of Contents
SHIRO'S HEAD Screenings
JASON SOEDA: Aloha, Kel! Tell us, what inspired the Muna brothers to write SHIRO'S HEAD? KEL MUNA: Aloha yan Hafa Adai! For me, it was the collision of frustration and perfect timing. At the time, I just graduated film school and we were establishing our small videography company in LA and San Francisco which began to grow faster than Don and I as a two-man team could accommodate. Although I was very grateful for all of the opportunities and clientele that trusted our work, at the end of the day it still felt like work. Just like in any business, our creativity had to be compromised to meet the needs of our business. There's nothing wrong with that - that's the nature of business. But ask anyone that has a passion for the arts and they'll tell you that you can't have it all. Usually it's either the money or the art. So as we did our event productions, wedding videos, etc. the need for creating something bigger continued to grow. Don and I have always been creative growing up - writing songs, playing instruments, storytelling, etc. And so for a long time we've always been in search of a way to feed our creativity so that it would not only be fulfilling but inspiring to others as well. So one day we found ourselves at a crossroads with our videography business. We could either spend our time, money and effort to grow the business since it was outgrowing us - or we could take that same time, money and effort and finally take the plunge into one of the biggest creative endeavors we could imagine which thankfully, turned out to be SHIRO'S HEAD. The funny thing, is it wasn't until we had the confidence and guts in ourselves to put it all on the line that everything started falling into place. It was one of those "now or never" moments. JS: You and Don describe SHIRO'S HEAD as a "DIY grass roots project." What was the atmosphere like in comparison to other big budget projects you both have worked on? KM: Well, we're sticklers about quality control no matter what the budget. There are two sides to it. First and foremost, we couldn't have been blessed with a better vibe while making SHIRO'S HEAD. Don and I really had no money for the budget of the movie, so we had to count on resources such as family, friends and ourselves to get the production rolling along. And I think it was because of the fact that we had no money that there was this unbelievable weightlessness of having no pressure. The only obligations, stress or expectations were those that Don and I put on ourselves. So because it was a DIY production with just me and Don turning the cranks, it was very relaxed and free but most of all it was FUN! Second, because we had no money we couldn't hire anyone. So Don and I were our own DP's, continuity, camera ops, hair and makeup, admin for scheduling call sheets, etc. So it took its toll on us hardcore, and there were times when we felt spread thin. Yeah, that's when the real fun started. But I wouldn't have changed a thing. I recommend all aspiring (or even established) filmmakers to make a low-budget movie at least once. You'll really learn a lot about yourself and your craft. JS: It's wonderful how you and Don have been able to collaborate on so many projects between Guam and the U.S. You guys even attended the same film school. How have you managed to stick together and be successful for so long? KM: Actually, my film school was in classrooms, books and hands-on experience industry gear which was great. But Don went to the best film school - the film school of learning as you do. All I did was teach him all the cool stuff when I graduated! I think the reason why we've been so fortunate (especially as brothers) to stick together throughout the years is that we're exact opposites. What I mean is that our personalities are different so when it comes to decisions on our approach to certain ideas whether it's how to shoot a scene, how to score a scene or even to delete a scene - one compliments the other well enough to take the entire matrix apart piece by piece in a way that the other wouldn't have even thought about. And it goes both ways. I'm so grateful for the chemistry that Don and I have together and the ideas that he brings to the table because I wouldn't have thought of half of what was implemented in SHIRO'S HEAD if it weren't for his thought process. But for us to stick together for this long has happened only because we're both humble enough to know not to take ourselves seriously. We save that for our work. JS: We hear that you kept some of the dialogue unscripted to help keep the dialogue sound more natural. How did that work out? KM: It worked out a lot better than expected. Again, because Don and I were the writers, directors, etc., we were able to make these decisions on the fly to help suit the particular scene. Also, our cast of non-actors were very, very generous in trusting me and Don to bring their best to the screen and they all did an unbelievably amazing job! When people discover that our cast was just a bunch of cool people off the street and not trained actors, they can't believe it. And to tell you the truth, sometimes it's hard for me to believe it too. And as directors of course we had to have the ability to work more with our cast's visuals than their dialogue delivery to keep the suspension of disbelief credible. With that said, there are a lot of instances during the production of SHIRO'S HEAD where the movie gods smiled down on us and we got just plain lucky. JS: What was your biggest challenge in the production of SHIRO'S HEAD? KM: The budget. Or lack thereof for obvious reasons. Well, that and the weather. Guam - as beautiful as she is - gets temperamental with her weather, so we had to literally get our exterior shots in a few takes while the clouds were consistent. It was true run and gun style. It was like, "Hey, the rain stopped! Pull over and get the shot!" JS: Your film's official Web site has lots of advice for aspiring filmmakers. You even co-authored a book called "Why Go To Film School - The Beginner's Guide To Filmmaking." Why share so many of your secrets? KM: I don't think of them as being secrets, really. Aspiring filmmakers out there just need some solid, basic info to build their foundation to get started with their dreams. And I'm a true believer in chasing your dreams. If you have the talent, the rest can be learned in a book or on the net. The reality is that not everyone is in the same situation to go to a film school let alone afford to go. Trust me, I know. I'm still paying my loans! Good film school's tuitions are no joke, man. They get way too pricey, especially for the available technology that's been made available in recent years. So we thought it would be a great way to extend our knowledge to others and at the same time try to make a few dollars to help out with our costs as well. Surprisingly, it's gotten some cool reviews and we're happy that we've helped others along the way. JS: What's next for the Muna Brothers? KM: As it stands, we're making our festival rounds with SHIRO'S HEAD followed by distribution whether it's done independently or with a distribution company. In the near future our intentions are to create and develop more content for all mediums - movies, TV, online, etc. SHIRO'S HEAD is our first feature-length movie. This is just the beginning and it's taken a while for us to get here, so we feel that we still have a long ways to go. I'm just very grateful that the experience has been very kind to us and that it's given back to us as much as we put in to it, if not more. For that, I'm extremely grateful. Thank you so much for your time Jason. I look forward to meeting up with you and the HIFF staff at the festival! Read More... Don Muna's Interview
Just For Fun: HIFF Survey
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