A Project That Never Happened

Some ideas arrive with such clarity and excitement that they feel inevitable, as though they are already part of your story before they have even begun. This was one of those ideas.

Shortly after filming The Bell Carol, I found myself drawn to the thought of creating something even more visually striking, something that would take the atmosphere of that project and push it further. The concept was simple, yet bold: two grand pianos placed in the water, set against the natural beauty of Hawaii. The piece I wrote for it was called Kaiaka Bay, named after the very place where The Bell Carol had been filmed, just behind my home in Haleiwa.

From the beginning, the vision carried a sense of nostalgia. I imagined subtle Hawaiian influences woven into the music, paired with imagery that suggested stepping back in time, perhaps even to the nineteenth century. It was less about telling a specific story and more about creating a feeling, an atmosphere that lingered somewhere between memory and imagination.

We began filming across several locations, each one offering something different, but everything ultimately led toward the central image: two grand pianos standing in the ocean. It was, in hindsight, a rather questionable decision. Salt water and fine instruments do not belong together, and we knew that even then. Still, we pressed on, wrapping the legs of the pianos in black plastic and resting them carefully on small concrete stones placed in the sand. It was a delicate balancing act between creativity and practicality.

The beach we chose on Oahu was known for its dramatic tidal movement, something we had taken into account, though perhaps not quite enough. When the tide came in, it rose higher than we had expected, transforming the scene in a way that was both beautiful and slightly alarming. What we did not realise at the time was that the sight of two grand pianos standing in the ocean had drawn such attention that it actually stopped traffic along Kamehameha Highway. It must have seemed completely surreal to anyone passing by.

Despite the challenges, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the filming. There was something special about bringing such an unusual idea to life, even if only for a short time. Yet, as is often the case with creative projects, reality eventually intervened. Scheduling conflicts began to emerge, and what had once felt like an unstoppable vision gradually became more difficult to sustain.

In the end, the project was never completed.

What remains are fragments of what might have been, captured in a couple of short video clips that were released as trailers at the time. They serve as a reminder of the idea, the atmosphere, and the brief moment when it all felt possible.

Sometimes, not every project reaches its final form. Yet even the unfinished ones have their place. They shape the work that follows, and they stay with you, quietly, as part of your creative journey.