During this spring 2015 semester, UHWO Academy for Creative Media student Hugh Fleming was as an intern here at ʻUluʻulu. As the semester has just ended, we’d like to thank Hugh for his hard work and dedication! We’d also like to share with you our blog readers (and potential future interns!) Hugh’s reflections on his experience here… Hugh shares:
Hard to believe that the end of the semester is here. Like others this semester flew by; with that being said there was and still is a lot of work being done behind doors in ‘Ulu‘ulu. I feel that a lot of the UHWO Student body is unaware of ‘Ulu‘ulu and what they are all about. The Henry Ku‘ualoha Giugni Moving Image Archive of Hawai‘i is not just an Archive it is a place where the staff continues to preserve Hawai‘i history.
I had the opportunity to see first hand how massive the collection of Hawaiian History is in ‘Ulu‘ulu. Equipment such as 16mm cameras to Film Reels, then came the cataloging of specific collections such as KGMB, KITV, OHA, AKANA. I remember looking at footage of the construction of the H1 near NIMITZ Hwy and hearing what I hear today. It is funny how 30 years have passed and we are repeating history. I was able to see footage in which I studied in Hawaiian studies about prior to working with the ‘Ulu‘ulu staff. I enjoyed working with the staff at ‘Ulu‘ulu. Most of all they all taught me how to take care of and preserve the media that is received daily. I was taught and re-learned a lot of the different formats of media; being I grew up with a lot of this media such as 8mm, Super 8mm, large 3/4″ 1/2″ open reel, Hi8, Digital 8mm, Betamax, large & small Betacam, miniDV, LP 12″ the list of media received during the Internship goes on. Just getting down the tape formats was key to cataloging in ‘Ulu‘ulu.
I struck an interest with the Akana collection. Keith Kalanai Akana captured the Ho‘omau Concert. This was the first concert produced in 1996 to support the first Hawaiian language Immersion school on Oahu, Punana Leo o Honolulu. Since then, Hawaiian Language immersion education has grown to include 4 more Punana Leo and 9 Kula Kaiapuni throughout Oahu. The concert continues, just this past February 2015 the Ho’omau Concert was the 32nd year since the establishment of ‘Aha Punana Leo. So just seeing the growth continue is amazing.
I feel that if I never ever went through Hawaiian Studies, and other courses in college I would not appreciate what I have experienced as much as I did this past 5 months in ‘Ulu‘ulu. I would of not known how important the Hawaiian Language is, and what occurred in the early days of Hawaiian people. Let alone to see other footage from the 70′s and 80′s that are still effecting to this very day.
… Yes I would really like to work more in this industry around the archives and preserving media. I just completed a 10 minute short documentary about Ford Island here on Oahu. Some of the footage I used was from the actual day of December 7, 1941. Being into documentary film making; ‘Ulu‘ulu can be used by anyone as a reference for footage, let alone use it for college course work. ‘Ulu‘ulu is a vital tool, and we all of an opportunity to utilize their resources and their experiences.
For future CM [Creative Media] Students, dive in, pay attention, take your time, don’t get overwhelmed but most of all JUST HAVE FUN. One item of concern go look over the ‘Ulu‘ulu website and pick a specific collection you would like to learn more about. Maybe this topic came up in Hawaiian studies or other courses that you have taken in the past or will be taking in the future. Look at their website and tell the staff at ‘Ulu‘ulu that you would like to research more of that footage.
For more of Hugh’s internship reflections, check out his tumblr at http://hugh-fleming.tumblr.com/
Our staff would like to thank Hugh for choosing to intern with us and we wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors!
ʻUluʻulu: The Henry Kuʻualoha Giugni Moving Image Archive of Hawaiʻi 