An Indie Band Struggles for Fans, Bookings and a Competent Producer – ROCKETSHIP RADIO by Kalani Hubbard and Adam Paul Stone

A struggling rock band must deal with the challenges of getting fans, playing shows and recording their new album while dealing with an incompetent producer.  RocketShip Radio Series filmmakers and actors Adam Paul Stone and Kalani Hubbard share about learning their craft and working together when both were in separate locations.

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Film Courage:  Where did you grow up?

Kalani Hubbard:

I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. My parents own and operate their own business, so I had a really good example growing up of what it means to do what you love for a living. I always wanted to make videos and music for a living when I was little. I would always make home movies with my dad’s old video camera and use the VCR to edit it all together.

Adam Paul Stone:

I grew up in a mid-size West Texas city, Lubbock, Texas. We didn’t have a lot of money but my parents worked really hard to make all 5 of us kids happy. My father is a film lover so a lot of my fondest memories from childhood consist of going to the movies with my family.

Film Courage:  Which of your parents do you resemble most?

Kalani:

My dad is a super nice and patient person. I’d say I got that side of him in me. My mom stays up late working all the time and has a ton of energy. I never sleep and always seem to be pretty energetic.  So, I’d say I’m a pretty good blend of both.

Adam:

I have a lot of my father in me; his creativeness and his sensitive nature.

 

Film Courage:  How did you learn to be a musician?  Was learning filmmaking and graphic design the same or different? 

Kalani:

I’m mostly self taught with music and film. For filmmaking and motion graphics, I watched a ton of tutorials online and just jumped in and started making videos. Learning by doing is the best way to grow for me.

Film Courage:  Tell us about your first year filmmaking, what kinds of projects did you make?  Were you using your own equipment, renting or borrowing?  What are the mistakes you are glad you made in that first year?

Adam:

My first year, I made my first short film a few music videos. I worked at UPS at the time and I saved every penny to buy my own camera so I could stop borrowing gear from friends. I made the mistake of believing I know everything about filmmaking when the truth was… I didn’t know ever much, I had to learn some humility.

Film Courage:  What was the initial idea for ROCKETSHIP RADIO SHOW?  Was it meant to be a comedy from the very beginning? 

Kalani:

I wanted to take real life experiences we had as a band, and create a comedy show out of it. Needless to say, we had a lot to work with. Comedy is my favorite, so I always intended it to be an uplifting comedy.

Adam:

We wanted to make a comedy about a real rock band, using real life grounded situations then elevating them comedically.

Film Courage:  Kalani, how did you pitch this idea to Adam?

Kalani:

I’ve been wanting to make a project with Adam for a while, so when I decided to make the show he was the first person I called. I basically told him, hey want to make a pilot episode about my band together? He said, let’s do a whole season.

Film Courage:  Adam, looking at your body of work it’s easy to see that you are a very busy filmmaker.  Why did you agree to work with Kalani on this project?

Adam:

Kalani and I met on a reality show called Internet Icon and we quickly became friends. About 9 months later, I flew out to San Francisco to direct a music video for Rocketship Radio. When Kalani came to me with the idea to co-write/direct/act in the show I couldn’t have been happier. I had been wanting/needing a project like this for a while.

Film Courage:  As you talked about this collaboration, what ground rules did you establish?

Kalani:

It just naturally came together. I think that’s what was so cool about working with Adam. There’s nothing getting in the way of creativity. We just talk, laugh, and write. It just comes together so well.

Adam:

I think the only rule that was set was to make it true to Rocketship Radio’s experiences.

Film Courage:  Once you guys agreed on the collaboration, how did you proceed with developing the idea and writing the script?  Would you write it together?  How long did it take?  How many rewrites? 

Kalani:

We lived across the country from each other at the time, so it was pretty cool to be able to collaborate so well, even though we were never in the same room. The internet was such a powerful tool for us. FaceTime, phone calls, Google hangouts, e-mails, Google doc sharing, and texting each other links was a huge help. We would basically talk over the jokes, story, and where we wanted it to go. Then one of us would write an episode and send it to the other to edit and add things. There were no rules on the editing side, which I think was very helpful; just do whatever would make the script better. I think it took us about a month to write the entire season.

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Adam:

I was living in New York and Kalani was in San Francisco. We would have these long phone calls talking about the scripts and going over ideas. Then one of us would write the full episode and the other would jump in and add ideas/clean it up. That’s basically how we did it for all 6 episodes.

Film Courage:  Adam, how early in the process did you decide you were going to act in ROCKETSHIP RADIO SHOW?

Adam:

Back when I flew out to direct a music video for Rocketship Radio, we shot a comedy sketch that ended up becoming the foundation for the show idea. So from the start we wanted my character to play a big part.

Film Courage:  Were either of you nervous to act in this project?  Why or why not? 

Kalani:

A good actor friend of mine once told me, ‘Anyone can act, if they are playing a version of themselves.’ I took that quote and ran with it. I wasn’t too nervous about it because I was just playing a exaggerated version of myself. I’m sure Adam had a harder time with acting, since we had a crazy character for him to play. He did awesome though.

Adam:

Yes, I didn’t know how directing/acting would go, and let me tell ya it was tough.

Film Courage:  Were you writing with locations and a budget in mind? 

Kalani:

I wrote knowing that we had almost no money to work with. I wrote to the best case scenario, and then when it came to locking locations, I just took what I could and adapted the script accordingly. With a super low budget film like ours, you gotta learn how to adapt the script on the fly, while keeping the story intact. It got pretty tough, but I’m very happy with the locations we had. A few times we showed up to a location that we already had locked, and they wouldn’t let us film there all of a sudden. So we had to literally take everyone around with us looking for a new location. All in all, everything worked out in the end and we adapted.

Adam:

I always like to keep what we have available in mind when writing, but it was harder for me since I didn’t know what Kalani could pull off in his hometown.

Film Courage:  What was your budget for all 6 episodes of RocketShip Radio?

Kalani:

We had no budget, so we had to keep it as low as possible. We ended up spending $800 in total on the entire season.

Film Courage:  What was the biggest cost?

Kalani:

The biggest cost was paying to film in the recording studio for a day. The close second was paying for Adam’s plane and train tickets.

Film Courage: How did you pay for all 6 episodes?

Kalani:

We had a little bit of money in the band fund, so we used that. The rest of it came out of our pockets.

Film Courage:  Biggest money waster and how you’d eliminate it next time?

Kalani:

I think the biggest money waster was food. When you have to feed a big of a group of people 3 meals a day for a week, it starts to add up. There’s really no getting around it.

Film Courage:  Where did you film ROCKETSHIP RADIO SHOW?  How were you able to get so many great locations? 

Kalani:

We filmed most of the show in Vacaville, CA. A lot of business were very nice and helpful and actually let us film there for free. It was very tough to find the right people to talk to, to get permission. We filmed the Cat Cafe scenes at the Cat Town Cafe in Oakland. My friend owns it, so we were lucky enough to have that awesome location.

Adam:

It was shot in Vacaville, CA, Oakland, CA, and Sacramento, CA primarily. Some shots were filmed in San Francisco. Kalani had all these amazing connections. He’s an amazing producer.

Film Courage:  How many shooting days did you plan for?  How many days did you actually shoot? 

Adam:

We were on a strict timeline due to other projects we all had coming up, so we planned for a week of shooting and Kalani did an additional few days after I went back to New York.

.Film Courage:  What camera(s) did you use?  How did you know you had the right camera to film this story?

Adam:

We used 2 Canon C100’s and these things are amazing. All of my short films have been on DSLRs and the C100’s are night and day. It’s a perfect camera for a project with a lower budget.

Film Courage:  What was the most emotional moment on the set filming ROCKETSHIP RADIO SHOW? 

Kalani:

For me, it was the day we filmed the big concert scene. Having such a huge crowd of extras and having a great stage location was such an awesome and stressful experience. We could only have the location after hours, so we started filming at midnight. We had such a slim crew, it was tough to get everything together, but the shots ended up looking great in the end.

Adam:

One day we shot a full day at a recording studio. It was a big day where all of us had to be on camera. We didn’t have a camera operator on set so I had to keep up with the shot list, story, acting, and had to hold the camera. I was so stressed I don’t think I ate at all that day.

Film Courage:  What has making ROCKETSHIP RADIO SHOW taught you about life?

Kalani:

I learned that when you do what you love, you will work crazy hard and give it all you have, and love every second of it. Even if it’s an insane amount of work and stress, and you’e not getting paid.

Adam:

I’ve learned so much about who I am as an artist. I think we have all learned so much from this project.

Film Courage:  What was the biggest challenge you faced during production? 

Kalani:

The biggest challenge was dealing with everyone’s schedules. Luckily my wife did an incredible job scheduling all of the locations and extras, but working with a ton of volunteers, you never know who is going to show up or cancel last minute. Kevin was a main character in the show, and we had to shoot around his schedule like crazy. It was tough adapting the script around his availability.

Adam:

Fighting everyone’s schedules and trying to keep your head straight when shooting the scenes from all six episodes out of order.

Film Courage:  It’s easy to get lost on the Rocketship Radio YouTube channel.  You have such great content posted there.  We find it impressive that an indie band places such emphasis on video.  Why is video content an important part of Rocketship Radio Show’s online strategy?  How are you able to keep up with video production in addition to the music you create?

Kalani:

Making videos is the best way we’ve been able to engage with our fans. We can put up a music video and people will be inspired and excited, or we can post a update video on our next big project. Youtube has given us a huge outlet to be creative and do what we love.

Film Courage:  Adam, it’s just as easy to get lost on your YouTube channel which features top notch music videos and short films.  What advice do you have for another filmmaker who is interested in filming music videos, both creatively and business wise? 

Adam:

If you are interested in directing music videos, I’d say first to watch a lot of videos. Then find a local band to practice on. Do it for free for the first 10 videos or so it’s important to gain a style and skill when you first start. Once you get to a place where people are e-mailing and calling you to do their videos, put a price on it because now you are in demand.

Film Courage:  What are your realistic expectations for the release of ROCKETSHIP RADIO SHOW?   What about your unrealistic hopes? 

Kalani:

My favorite part of the day is when I am sitting on the couch, watching a TV show and laughing. I want to be able to give that to other people, with our show. As many people as possible.

Adam:

I just want people to enjoy themselves, we created this show for people to laugh and have a good time and that’s really all I want.

Film Courage:  Why did you decide to release ROCKETSHIP RADIO SHOW on the Rocketship Radio YouTube channel? 

Kalani:

Originally, we wanted to release it on a YouTube networks’ channel. After pitching the show to a few networks, we decided to release it on our own channel.

Adam:

We dug around looking for other places to put it, but it never worked out or didn’t really fit. Putting it on Rocketship Radio’s channel seemed like the best fit for this first season.

Film Courage:  Are there any other plans for distribution? 

Kalani:

For now, just YouTube. We’re in process of looking into other avenues.

Adam:

As of right now, no.

Film Courage:  What do you want audiences to gain from watching ROCKETSHIP RADIO SHOW? 

Kalani:

I want people to watch our show and truly enjoy themselves. No matter what they are going through or how good or bad of a day they had, I want our show to be able to brighten it, give them a good laugh and some hope. I also hope that they enjoy the music, and find inspiration from it.

Adam:

I want them to have a good time. Maybe cheer up a bad day or make a great day even better.

Film Courage:  Biggest supporter in your life and why?

Kalani:

My wife has been the biggest supporter of all time. The show literally would not have happened without her. I always talk about my big dreams and ideas, and she’s the one who actually makes sure I follow through with it. She was on set every day doing hair and makeup, and tying up loose ends.

Adam:

My father and mother have had my back and have supported me even when I didn’t believe in myself.

Film Courage:  Quote or mantra that you live by?

Kalani:

“I should probably find a quote I like.” – Me

Adam:

“Art depends on luck and talent.” – Francis Ford Coppola

Film Courage:  Have you written episodes 7-12 of ROCKETSHIP RADIO SHOW yet? 

Kalani:

We’ve been talking over the ideas and story for season 2. We’re super excited about it and we’ll probably start writing within the next few months.

Adam:

We are in the early stages of development for Season 2. We are kind of waiting to see how people react.

Film Courage:  What’s next for you creatively? 

Kalani:

Adam’s been talking to me about his new short film, so we’ll probably be working on that. We’ll also start writing season 2 and start production for that as well.

Adam:

I have just finished writing my third short film and I’m very excited about getting started on pre-production.
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Kalani Hubbard Bio:

Kalani Hubbard is a passionate filmmaker who stops at nothing to make his concepts into reality, though his professional experience in filming and editing, to his new found love of writing and producing.
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His unique talent launched his reputation in the YouTube community and connected him to popular YouTubers such as Chester See, YOMYOMF, The Brothers Riedell, Matthias, Megan Batoon, and others to produce and collaborate great videos.  These creative projects inspired him to write and produce his very first comedy web series ‘Rocketship Radio,’ in 2014.
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Kalani founded the video production company Rocketship Films, LLC., which has created content for corporate clients such as VM Ware, Levi’s, and Kaiser Permanente. Previously, he gained his experience and professionalism through working at a production house in the Bay Area and his skillfulness won him first place in three different video competitions.
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Although his career started over a decade ago as an editor in a small production house, his new ability and passion for writing and producing will see the launch of many more films in the future.

Adam Paul Stone Bio:

From an early age, Adam Paul Stone was always imagining movies in his head. He first held a camera at the age of 13, filming things like silly home videos and a mini-series with his friends. He joined a media class in junior high and became very popular for his shooting and editing skills. It was in this class that Stone decided that being a filmmaker was what he was meant to do.
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During his final years of high school, Stone was busy trying to find a way to make his dream become a reality. He looked at colleges but soon realized that school was not the route for him. Luckily, a bright idea came to him that would shortly kick off his career as a filmmaker. He began writing a screenplay for what is now known as his first short film “A Complex Structure Known as a Relationship.” Within days he had a cast and crew and filming began. It premiered at the Flatland Film Festival in October of 2010.
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In 2011, Stone began shooting music videos for local artists and helped produce the charity film “At the Top of Your Lungs” which premiered in 2011. In 2012, he began directing music videos for local YouTube stars, Justin Robinett and Michael Henry, whose videos have reached millions of views.
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In late 2012, Stone began working on his next short film “Ben, I Like You.” The film premiered in May of 2013 at a local screening then was later screened at the 2013 Flatland Film Festival where it won the “Audience Choice Award.”
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Stone has directed 100s of music videos and commercials. He has worked with MTV, CNBC, Andre Fennell a seven time Grammy Nominated Writer/ Producer and Adam was also in the Top 100 of the hit internet reality show Internet Icon.

Synopsis:

A struggling rock band must deal with the challenges of getting fans, playing shows & recording their new album while dealing with their incompetent producer.

Starring:

Kalani Hubbard
Dustin Ward
Logan McKern
Kevin Ohlin
Adam Paul Stone

Guest Starring:

Kyle Hatch
Anthony Ma
Adam Myatt (Cat-Man of West Oakland)

The show will include music from the band’s brand new album “Above The Skyline.”