Maui student filmmakers visit Spider-Man: Brand New Day set team in Los Angeles

Hisako Film Lab students from Maui traveled to Los Angeles on July 14 for a behind-the-scenes Creator x Filmmaker Experience tied to Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The trip connected young filmmakers with Destin Daniel Cretton and other crew members, underscoring how major studio access can open career pathways for Hawaii students.

Why it matters: - The trip gave Maui student filmmakers direct access to a major Marvel production and the people behind it. - Hisako Film Lab says experiences like this are meant to build confidence, expand creative networks and show students that filmmaking careers can start in Hawaiʻi. - The event also connected the students with creators from around the world, widening their view of the industry beyond Maui.

What happened: - Hisako Film Lab students traveled from Maui to Los Angeles on July 14 for the Spider-Man: Brand New Day Creator x Filmmaker Experience. - The event took place at The Lighthouse in Venice Beach, California. - Sony Pictures made the event possible. - About 140 filmmakers, content creators and storytellers took part. - Students heard from Destin Daniel Cretton, the Maui-born, Haʻikū-raised director of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. - The students also met Director of Photography Brett Pawlak, Production Designer Charlie Wood, Marvel Studios Head of Visual Development Ryan Meinerding, editors Gina Sansom and Harry Yoon, and stunt team members Anthony Correa Baniaga Jr. and Aidan Kennedy. - The group viewed production displays, watched live demonstrations and then spent time asking questions in smaller conversations with the creative team.

The details: - The event emphasized filmmaking as a collaborative process, with students hearing how creative teams share ideas and build on one another’s perspectives. - Students also connected with young creators who were making their own content and sharing a passion for storytelling. - Sam P, a Hisako Film Lab alum, said the experience showed that a small Maui community can still support creators and that Harry Yoon’s career path reinforced the value of continuing to work no matter the scale. - Destin Daniel Cretton said Hisako Film Lab was created to give Maui youth encouragement, curiosity and big dreams, and that the organization brings students together through year-round labs, industry exposure and trips like this one. - Joy Cretton, co-director of Hisako Film Lab, said many students were part of something on this scale for the first time and left more determined to tell their own stories. - Melia D, a Hisako Film Lab alum, said the press event made her realize that people working on Spider-Man are regular people who pursued what they love. - Marissa J, a Hisako Film Lab intern, said Harry Yoon’s openness and advice gave her confidence that she can do it too.

Between the lines: - The visit was not just a fan experience. It functioned as career exposure and mentorship for students who may not otherwise see high-level film production up close. - Hisako Film Lab is positioning storytelling as both an artistic outlet and a pathway into multiple creative jobs, from editing and visual effects to logistics and production design. - The messaging from the trip centered on representation and access: Maui students saw people with similar roots working at the top of the industry.

What's next: - Hisako Film Lab says it will keep using labs, professional exposure and field trips to support young Maui storytellers. - The organization wants students to bring what they learned back home and help grow Hawaiʻi’s local creative community. - The group points to storytelling as a path that can start on Maui and reach far beyond the islands.

The bottom line: - For these Maui students, Spider-Man: Brand New Day was less about the franchise and more about possibility, connection and proof that creative careers can begin in their own community. - Learn more about Hisako Film Lab in the organization’s official announcement.