QUESTION#1: How do your top 3 favorite films influence your filmmaking?: 

I was heavily inspired by the retro tones of many Spielbergian films Such as E.T. and Goonies. I am a big fan of 80's movies and wanted create something that echoes the themes of lovably unconventional friends being thrusted into a spooky adventure. In terms of location and influences, the narrative draws from a mix of modern day pieces including Stranger Things, How To Train Your Dragon, & American Horror Story 1984

QUESTION#2: What do you wish someone would ask you about your film and why?: 

I wish people would ask me what my favorite part of the film was because I would tell them I thoroughly loved the art of directing it. This film, in every essence, is a reflection of the things that inspire me in both life and cinema. Canada, 80s, road trips, camp, retro tunes, & mysterious stories. I've drawn from various experiences, pulled some impressionable characters from my childhood, and told a story much like those grew to love. Camp Kona's protagonist, Jasper, is a like a younger version of me and a piece of how I see the world. There's something deeply fulfilling about coming up with these characters and tales that are close to you then, being able to get other people excited about it. I loved pitching the idea of an "80s summer camp monster cartoon" to new people and seeing them light up. I loved walking my talented animators through the intricacies of how to animate Jasper and Kaia in various shots as we move through the story. Meeting with my producers, composers, actors, and artists and feeling honored that they put their 110% into fulfilling this dream kept always feeling grateful and inspired. We had a blast! Now that the film is doing its festival run I love that we are getting the chance to share our project and watch it connect with so many people.

QUESTION#3: What scared you the most about making this film?: 

Camp Kona was my first time directing an animated short film. I'd never written a movie from start to finish. I'd never led a crew or managed artists. Through it all I found that, while the responsibility may appear scary, the experience was thoroughly exciting and came with many unforeseen challenges. The film was created for my grad school thesis and we were given a year and a half to create a film from start to finish. Initially, I had a completely different idea that was 3D dystopian sci-fi however, I found it lacked authenticity. I wanted to tell a story that was more in line with the retro films I grew up on and after some soul-searching, I was inspired to create the idea for Camp Kona. Now I had something I could run with however, completely changing my idea a 3rd of the way through meant I had to work with a very condensed production schedule. I learned how to build a crew, develop an animation pipeline, delegate responsibilities, and become a director. I learned the importance of a team and how even though "alone you can go fast", "together you can go far" The process of making the film gave me the chance to grow as a leader, a creative, and as an individual. and I wouldn't change it for the world

QUESTION#4: You have to choose one to make your next movie: 1) unlimited budget but only a single take of every shot 2) Academy award winning composer, but they're not allowed to watch the film 3) A-list cast, but they're directed using only charades. Which one do you pick and why?: 

For this, I'd pick option two, Academy Award-winning composer. Film is the perfect audio-visual experience and while I find it is important to lock down a great story, what's equally as important is nailing the score. People think of Christopher Nolan's cinematic spectacles, such as Inception or The Dark Knight, and instantly recall the genius work that Hans Zimmer did. The two go hand in hand to create a genuine masterpiece.  

Working with my composer, Thomas Gallegos, for Camp Kona was one of my favorite experiences. I had a bit of previous music experience and this helped us communicate when it came to giving direction for the score. We were able to talk about musical tones and mood shifts as the film entered different scenes. We also shared countless references and examples from old films, horror game soundtracks, and TV series. In the end, I was blown away by the amazing work Thomas had done and thrilled that we were able to create an authentic 80's inspired score for the whole movie. Option 2 would be a blast and the fact that they couldn't see the film would make for a pretty fun and exciting challenge

QUESTION#5: What's does the future hold for this film and you?: 

My main goal is to get as many eyes on Camp Kona as possible and hope that people can find a way to escape into the mysteriously exciting world I've built while falling in love with the characters. More than anything, the film exists as a proof of concept leaving its viewers wondering " what next?" What happened to Jasper? What happened the year Kaia went missing? who else knows and what are they hiding? I'd love to explore Camp Kona in the form of a feature or series where I can fully expand and answer all of the questions in exciting and creative ways.

Social media tags to share with our readers: 

You can follow Camp Kona on instagram and TikTok @CampKonaFilm and you can follow the film's Director Adriel Meka in Instagram @arekusan_meka

URL link(s) to cool BTS images and videos: 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Cb1lbheuTvoiz3L62W5vSVTJWyiCvXw6?usp=share_link