Where does the name Hilo come from?

Hilo is an ancient Polynesian word. It means to twist or braid — separate strands turned into a single cord — and it names the faint thread of light that appears on the ocean horizon at first dawn, which is also why it names the first thin crescent of the new moon. Hilo was the name of a famed Polynesian navigator as well. For a company built on light, that felt like the right name. We twist a lot of separate strands together — crew, craft, and a client's actual business goal — into one piece of work, and we chase that first light more mornings than most people would believe.

What is it like working with you?

Honestly, it is different from what most people expect, and usually in the best way. On set it runs like a family. There is energy, there is music, people are laughing. That is deliberate — a relaxed set produces better work. When talent is comfortable you get real expressions instead of performed ones, and when a client feels welcome rather than in the way, you get better feedback in the moment. You are welcome on set the entire day, and we want you there. You know your brand better than we ever will, and we would rather hear that something is not landing at ten in the morning than spend three hours fixing it in post.

What kind of video do you make?

Corporate and brand film, luxury real estate and commercial property, yacht and marine, product and e-commerce including Amazon, crowdfunding, testimonial, event, recruitment and animation. Everything is produced in-house from concept through final delivery. If you want to see work in your category, ask and we will send the actual films — not a sizzle reel cut from somebody else's footage.

Do you handle the whole production, or just the shoot?

The whole thing. Pre-production planning, scripting and storyboarding. Production with a full crew. Post-production editing, motion graphics, sound design and color. One company, one point of contact, one person responsible when something goes wrong.

Who actually shows up on the day?

A director on every single shoot — Timothy is on set, personally, every time. Not a coordinator, not a subcontracted freelancer you have never spoken to. Our crews are Hollywood-trained, with SXSW award-winning and Emmy-trained people and PGA members on staff, and most of them are Orange County natives. Sets run warm and they run on time. People tend to enjoy the day.

What cameras and gear do you shoot on?

RED and ARRI cinema cameras, in-house. Our aerial work is flown by FAA Part 107 certified pilots on our own team — not contracted out. Color grading traces back to Technicolor Hollywood, where Timothy trained in the early 2000s on the original Wizard of Oz LUT. The same cameras used on features you have seen, and a grade with real lineage behind it.

Can you help with the script and the concept?

Yes. Most projects start there. We will tell you what the film has to accomplish before we talk about how it looks — close a deal, raise a round, launch a product, sell a listing, fund a campaign. The creative follows the outcome, not the other way around.

Do you do animation and motion graphics?

Yes — 2D and 3D animation, kinetic typography, and motion graphics for explainer work or to clarify something a camera cannot show. Often combined with live action rather than used on its own.

What happens before the shoot?

The moment you sign, we go into pre-production. You get a dedicated brief, a shot list built around your goals, and a storyboard so you can see exactly what we are planning before shoot day. Every scene, every setup, every product angle is mapped out in advance, so we are not burning your time or your budget working it out on the day. You are not showing up to a studio hoping it goes well — you have already approved the visual plan. Locations, props, talent, wardrobe, equipment, permits: you tell us what you need once, and after that it is handled.

Do you stick to the storyboard on the day?

The storyboard is the blueprint, not a cage. It gets us eighty percent of the way there efficiently. The other twenty percent is where the real material lives — a better angle, a spontaneous expression, an idea someone has in the moment. Some of the best shots in any campaign are the ones nobody planned. We shoot with a plan and stay flexible enough to go get the magic when it shows up.

How do you handle communication during a project?

Most production horror stories are not about bad cameras or bad lighting. They are about bad communication — missed emails, unclear timelines, not knowing what is happening or when. We run the opposite. You get a clear timeline before we start, updates as we hit milestones, and a director who actually answers. Nobody on our team will call you three times asking for the same logo file. You tell us something once and it is handled.

How do you deliver the final work?

Organized, and with instructions — not a link and a prayer. You will know exactly what you are getting, which folder it is in, how to use each version, and what is coming next. Deliveries come with reference guides so your team can actually find and use the files six months from now.

What does the process look like?

Discovery and quote. Pre-production: script, storyboard, locations, permits, scheduling. The shoot. Post: edit, revisions, color, sound, delivery. You see a cut before anything is locked.

How long does a video take?

It depends on shoot days, locations and the post scope. You get a delivery date with your quote, before you commit to anything, and we hold to it.

Do you offer rush turnaround?

Yes, when the schedule allows. Tell us the deadline before we quote so we can build the crew and post schedule around it rather than discovering the problem halfway through.

How involved can we be?

As involved as you want. Some clients approve a script and see us again at the first cut. Others are on set all day. Both work. What we ask for is one decision-maker — approvals by committee are what turn a two-week project into a two-month one.

What if we want changes after the first cut?

Revisions are built into every project. You get a first cut, you give notes, we revise. The scope of included revisions is written into your quote so there is no argument about it later.

Do you keep us updated during production?

Yes, and you will not have to chase us. Every client gets the director's direct cell. Call, text or email — we answer same day, and usually within a couple of hours during an active project. The open door is real.

How do you price a project?

Every project is quoted individually, based on crew size, shoot days, locations, and post work. You get a written scope and a fixed quote. No line items appearing later.

Are there hidden costs?

No. If something changes mid-project — an added location, an extra shoot day, a scope change you request — we tell you what it costs before we do it, not after.

Do you require a deposit?

Yes, a deposit books the dates and starts pre-production. The payment schedule is set out in your quote before you sign anything.

Do you handle locations and permits?

Yes. We have been shooting this coastline for twenty-three years — we know which Fashion Island entrances allow a cart, which buildings want certificates of insurance in advance, where the light lands on the Laguna bluffs at five o'clock, and which parking structures turn a ten-hour day into a twelve-hour one.

Do you provide talent and actors?

We can cast and manage talent, or work with your team and real customers. For testimonial and recruitment work, real people usually outperform actors.

Based at Newport Center in Newport Beach, covering all of Orange County — Irvine, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Fullerton, Tustin, Mission Viejo, San Clemente, Yorba Linda and Laguna Niguel. We travel beyond that for the right project.

What do we get at the end, and in what formats?

Final files in the formats you need — broadcast, web, social cutdowns in vertical and square, and platform-specific versions for Amazon, YouTube or paid media. Delivered digitally. Tell us where it is going and we will build the right versions.

Do we get the raw footage?

Raw footage and project files can be included — ask during quoting so we can scope it, and we will tell you exactly what you receive and for how long we hold it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Video Production

Working With Hilo

Where does the name Hilo come from?
Hilo is an ancient Polynesian word. It means to twist or braid — separate strands turned into a single cord — and it names the faint thread of light that appears on the ocean horizon at first dawn, which is also why it names the first thin crescent of the new moon. Hilo was the name of a famed Polynesian navigator as well. For a company built on light, that felt like the right name. We twist a lot of separate strands together — crew, craft, and a client's actual business goal — into one piece of work, and we chase that first light more mornings than most people would believe.
What is it like working with you?
Honestly, it is different from what most people expect, and usually in the best way. On set it runs like a family. There is energy, there is music, people are laughing. That is deliberate — a relaxed set produces better work. When talent is comfortable you get real expressions instead of performed ones, and when a client feels welcome rather than in the way, you get better feedback in the moment. You are welcome on set the entire day, and we want you there. You know your brand better than we ever will, and we would rather hear that something is not landing at ten in the morning than spend three hours fixing it in post.

About the Work

What kind of video do you make?
Corporate and brand film, luxury real estate and commercial property, yacht and marine, product and e-commerce including Amazon, crowdfunding, testimonial, event, recruitment and animation. Everything is produced in-house from concept through final delivery. If you want to see work in your category, ask and we will send the actual films — not a sizzle reel cut from somebody else's footage.
Do you handle the whole production, or just the shoot?
The whole thing. Pre-production planning, scripting and storyboarding. Production with a full crew. Post-production editing, motion graphics, sound design and color. One company, one point of contact, one person responsible when something goes wrong.
Who actually shows up on the day?
A director on every single shoot — Timothy is on set, personally, every time. Not a coordinator, not a subcontracted freelancer you have never spoken to. Our crews are Hollywood-trained, with SXSW award-winning and Emmy-trained people and PGA members on staff, and most of them are Orange County natives. Sets run warm and they run on time. People tend to enjoy the day.
What cameras and gear do you shoot on?
RED and ARRI cinema cameras, in-house. Our aerial work is flown by FAA Part 107 certified pilots on our own team — not contracted out. Color grading traces back to Technicolor Hollywood, where Timothy trained in the early 2000s on the original Wizard of Oz LUT. The same cameras used on features you have seen, and a grade with real lineage behind it.
Can you help with the script and the concept?
Yes. Most projects start there. We will tell you what the film has to accomplish before we talk about how it looks — close a deal, raise a round, launch a product, sell a listing, fund a campaign. The creative follows the outcome, not the other way around.
Do you do animation and motion graphics?
Yes — 2D and 3D animation, kinetic typography, and motion graphics for explainer work or to clarify something a camera cannot show. Often combined with live action rather than used on its own.

How We Work

What happens before the shoot?
The moment you sign, we go into pre-production. You get a dedicated brief, a shot list built around your goals, and a storyboard so you can see exactly what we are planning before shoot day. Every scene, every setup, every product angle is mapped out in advance, so we are not burning your time or your budget working it out on the day. You are not showing up to a studio hoping it goes well — you have already approved the visual plan. Locations, props, talent, wardrobe, equipment, permits: you tell us what you need once, and after that it is handled.
Do you stick to the storyboard on the day?
The storyboard is the blueprint, not a cage. It gets us eighty percent of the way there efficiently. The other twenty percent is where the real material lives — a better angle, a spontaneous expression, an idea someone has in the moment. Some of the best shots in any campaign are the ones nobody planned. We shoot with a plan and stay flexible enough to go get the magic when it shows up.
How do you handle communication during a project?
Most production horror stories are not about bad cameras or bad lighting. They are about bad communication — missed emails, unclear timelines, not knowing what is happening or when. We run the opposite. You get a clear timeline before we start, updates as we hit milestones, and a director who actually answers. Nobody on our team will call you three times asking for the same logo file. You tell us something once and it is handled.
How do you deliver the final work?
Organized, and with instructions — not a link and a prayer. You will know exactly what you are getting, which folder it is in, how to use each version, and what is coming next. Deliveries come with reference guides so your team can actually find and use the files six months from now.

Process and Timeline

What does the process look like?
Discovery and quote. Pre-production: script, storyboard, locations, permits, scheduling. The shoot. Post: edit, revisions, color, sound, delivery. You see a cut before anything is locked.
How long does a video take?
It depends on shoot days, locations and the post scope. You get a delivery date with your quote, before you commit to anything, and we hold to it.
Do you offer rush turnaround?
Yes, when the schedule allows. Tell us the deadline before we quote so we can build the crew and post schedule around it rather than discovering the problem halfway through.
How involved can we be?
As involved as you want. Some clients approve a script and see us again at the first cut. Others are on set all day. Both work. What we ask for is one decision-maker — approvals by committee are what turn a two-week project into a two-month one.
What if we want changes after the first cut?
Revisions are built into every project. You get a first cut, you give notes, we revise. The scope of included revisions is written into your quote so there is no argument about it later.
Do you keep us updated during production?
Yes, and you will not have to chase us. Every client gets the director's direct cell. Call, text or email — we answer same day, and usually within a couple of hours during an active project. The open door is real.

Pricing

How do you price a project?
Every project is quoted individually, based on crew size, shoot days, locations, and post work. You get a written scope and a fixed quote. No line items appearing later.
Are there hidden costs?
No. If something changes mid-project — an added location, an extra shoot day, a scope change you request — we tell you what it costs before we do it, not after.
Do you require a deposit?
Yes, a deposit books the dates and starts pre-production. The payment schedule is set out in your quote before you sign anything.

Locations and Logistics

Do you handle locations and permits?
Yes. We have been shooting this coastline for twenty-three years — we know which Fashion Island entrances allow a cart, which buildings want certificates of insurance in advance, where the light lands on the Laguna bluffs at five o'clock, and which parking structures turn a ten-hour day into a twelve-hour one.
Do you provide talent and actors?
We can cast and manage talent, or work with your team and real customers. For testimonial and recruitment work, real people usually outperform actors.
Where do you work?
Based at Newport Center in Newport Beach, covering all of Orange County — Irvine, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Fullerton, Tustin, Mission Viejo, San Clemente, Yorba Linda and Laguna Niguel. We travel beyond that for the right project.

Delivery

What do we get at the end, and in what formats?
Final files in the formats you need — broadcast, web, social cutdowns in vertical and square, and platform-specific versions for Amazon, YouTube or paid media. Delivered digitally. Tell us where it is going and we will build the right versions.
Do we get the raw footage?
Raw footage and project files can be included — ask during quoting so we can scope it, and we will tell you exactly what you receive and for how long we hold it.

Why hire a production company instead of a videographer?

A videographer operates a camera. A production company decides what the film has to do before the camera comes out of the case, then builds the crew, the schedule and the edit around that. The difference shows up in whether the finished piece moves your business or just looks nice.

How do you know what my business needs on camera?

Twenty-three years and more than five hundred productions in one market. We have shot yachts in Newport Harbour, Class-A office space, fitness brands, wealth management firms and consumer products on Amazon. We have seen what converts in your category and what quietly wastes a budget.

What makes a video actually work?

A clear job. Close a deal, raise a round, launch a product, sell a listing, fill a role. Films built around an outcome outperform films built around a look, every time. We will ask you what success looks like before we talk about cameras.

How do we get started?

Call or email the director directly. We will talk through what you are trying to accomplish, what it will take, and what it will cost. You get a written scope and a fixed quote before anything is booked.