Academy for Creative Media sending four "Super Interns" to Australia for summer film work

University of Hawaiʻi
Contact:
Tom Brislin, (808) 956-3788
Academy for Creative Media
Posted: Mar 10, 2005


The Academy for Creative Media and UH-Manoa Chancellor Peter Englert announced the selection of four students who will intern on the set of the Warner Brothers‘ blockbuster Superman Returns, which has started filming in Australia.

Ronson Akina, Chrystal Jameson, Matthew Ortiz and Nelson Quan will be the ACM Exclusive Production Interns on the Superman set in Sydney, where Academy Chairman Chris Lee is on leave as Executive Producer for the film. The students will earn UH credit as well as get a unique immersion in a major film production.

"This is an exceptional opportunity for our students to gain first-hand experience at the highest level of their discipline," said Chancellor Englert. "We are also grateful for the support of our donors and corporate sponsors that have helped to make this possible."

The Roy and Hilda Takeyama Foundation is generously supporting the internship program with a $10,000 donation that will help the students defray their summer tuition and living expenses in Sydney.

Hawaiian Airlines is donating seats for the students for their Honolulu-Sydney round-trip flights.

Executive Producer and ACM Chairman Chris Lee said, "I am very grateful to our director, Bryan Singer, our studio, Warner Brothers, and the entire cast and crew of Superman Returns for providing this unique chance for the our students to study directly with some the most famous and talented people in Hollywood."

Ronson Akina, 30, is a junior in ACM studying filmmaking. He came to Manoa from the New Media Arts program at Kapiolani Community College

Chrystal Jameson, 26, grew up on the Big Island and is a senior studying filmmaking. She hopes to pursue her studies in graduate school.

Matthew Ortiz, 21, is a Kamehameha graduate studying Computer Animation at ACM after attending Loyola Marymount.

Nelson Quan, 20, is an Iolani graduate studying filmmaking, and is interested in becoming a producer.

Jameson‘s and Quan‘s first-year student films were featured in the 2004 Hawaii International Film Festival.

"We deeply appreciate the continuing support of Roy and Hilda Takeyama, which will make this dream come true for our ACM interns," said Academy Associate Chair Tom Brislin. "The sponsorship by Hawaiian Airlines demonstrates its commitment not only to the education of our students, but in helping us to build a Hawaii-based film industry with outstanding local talent."

The Roy and Hilda Takeyama Foundation has supported ACM from its inception, helping underwrite the costs of cameras and editing computers the students use in their productions, and supporting student awards and internships.

The Manoa Study Abroad Center will be the academic administrator for the unique internship program.