Business Panel

Adapting Japanese content for an American Audience

Date: December 7th, 2013
Time: 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
Location: Loews Hotel Hollywood – Los Feliz Room
The Los Feliz Room is located on the Mezzanine Level of the hotel, floor “M” on the Hotel Elevators.
Address: 1755 North Highland Avenue Hollywood, CA 90028
Parking: Hotel Valet Parking for the day is $15 for up to 4 hours or $20 for up to 10 hours. You may also self-park in the Hollywood & Highland parking garage for $10.

With so much unique original content coming from Japan, there is a huge opportunity in adaptations for an American audience. Join our discussion with industry leaders as we explore the ins and outs of adaptations.

PANELISTS

Masi Oka

Actor, Writer, Producer

Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actor Masi Oka burst onto the scene in NBC’s series “Heroes” and currently can be seen on the hit series, “Hawaii 5-0.” Oka has had recurring and guest roles in a slew of primetime shows, both scripted and improvisational (i.e. Reno 911), and has appeared in feature films including “Friends with Benefits” and “Get Smart.” He currently is stepping behind the camera for the feature film adaption of the worldwide anime phenomenon “Bleach,” which he will produce along with Callahan Filmworks and VIZ Productions. He is also working with Yoshimoto to bring the famed Second City, and American improv, to Japan.
After graduating Brown University with degrees in Mathematics and Computer Science and a Theatre Arts minor, Oka pursued an acting career while taking his first job at George Lucas’ Oscar-winning special effects house Industrial Light & Magic (ILM).Oka was born in Tokyo, Japan, and moved to Los Angeles at age six. Fluent in Japanese, his hobbies include Kendo, fencing, table tennis, watching romantic comedies, playing the piano and singing.

Jason Hoffs

Author

Jason Hoffs is a feature film and television producer based in West Hollywood, California. Hoffs currently serves as Head of Production for VIZ Productions, a subsidiary of Viz Media. VIZ Productions acquires world-class Japanese intellectual properties(in the form of manga, anime, novels and film remakes), and packages them with Hollywood creative talent, such as actors, directors and screenwriters. VIZ Productions works with all of the major Hollywood film studios, especially Warner Bros. Pictures.
VIZ Productions (Hoffs and Executive Producer Hidemi Fukuhara) is currently producing the upcoming Warner Bros. release EDGE OF TOMORROW, based on the light novel ALL YOU NEED IS KILL by Sakurazaka Hiroshi. The film stars Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt, is directed by Doug Liman (THE BOURNE IDENTITY) and is scheduled for release June 6, 2014. Other VIZ Productions films in development at Warner Bros. pictures include an adaptation of the classic science fiction novel YUKIKAZE by Kambayashi Chohei, which will also star Tom Cruise, and an adaptation of the world-famous graphic novel DEATH NOTE.
Prior to joining VIZ Productions, Hoffs had a long association with the director Steven Spielberg. Hoffs served as Executive Producer on Spielberg’s THE TERMINAL, starring Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones. As a production executive at Spielberg’s studio, Dreamworks, Hoffs was responsible for overseeing such hit films as MEET THE PARENTS, SMALL SOLDIERS, THE PEACEMAKER, MOUSEHUNT, THE FLINSTONES, and CASPER.

Vicki Shigekuni Wong

Producer

Vicki is a native of Los Angeles, California, a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, and has enjoyed diverse businesses in fashion, media and a surgical center. Vicki also served as the editor/writer of Face, an Asian women’s lifestyle magazine. After seeing Hachiko’s Shibuya Station statue in Japan over 20 years ago, she adopted a Shiba and named him after the famous loyal dog. When Hachiko passed away, Vicki wanted to inspire people to appreciate the emotional intelligence of animals. She produced “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale” (2009) starring Richard Gere (co-producer) and directed by Lasse Hallstrom (My Life as a Dog, Chocolat, The Cider House Rules) which popularized Hachi’s story around the world. In 2009, she founded Hachidog Productions with veteran Hollywood producer Paul Mason. Vicki is currently focused on “Hachi: The Waiting Years”, and working with Shochiku, the Japanese production and distribution company, on Japanese remakes covering romantic action to poignant animal stories. A third generation Japanese- American, Vicki hopes to introduce traditional Japanese themes of loyalty and passion to the US through film.

MODERATOR