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Hawaiʻi-born filmmaking with the craft, crew and experience to deliver anywhere.

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Selected work ↓

Commercial · Branded · Long form

Selected work

From thirty seconds to feature length, every frame begins with the same question: what will the audience feel?

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Cannes Lion

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Sundance

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BAFTA / L.A.

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Pele Awards

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USC Cinematic Arts

Filmmakers first

Directors

James
Sereno

Director · Producer · Owner

James Sereno is a director, producer and founder of Kinetic Productions. A graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, he brings a love of character, humor and honest emotion to commercials and independent films. His work has earned a Cannes Bronze Lion and numerous Pele Awards, including recognition for lifetime achievement.

His filmmaking spans directing and producing Paradise Broken and Haole, producing Hang Loose and Man Up, and serving as executive producer on the Sundance selections Gook and Ms. Purple. His award-winning short Silent Years, which he wrote, produced and directed, also received recognition from BAFTA/L.A.

Raised in Hawaiʻi, James is drawn to the people and stories that make a place its own. Whether creating a thirty-second spot or a feature film, he looks for the human connection that stays with an audience.

Work with James ↗

Ryan
Kawamoto

Writer · Director
Vice President of Community Relations

Ryan Kawamoto is a writer and director with more than 20 years at Kinetic Productions, creating story driven work across advertising, documentary and narrative filmmaking. His clients have included Kaiser Permanente, Island Insurance, First Hawaiian Bank, HawaiiUSA FCU and the Hawaiʻi Lodging & Tourism Association.

His work has earned numerous Pele Awards, including multiple Best of Show honors. He was named AAF Hawaiʻi’s 2012 Advertising Man of the Year.

Kawamoto is also an award-winning documentary filmmaker. His most recent film, Removed by Force: The Eviction of Hawaiʻi’s Japanese Americans During World War II, earned a Gold Telly Award and was presented at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in 2026. JACL named Kawamoto the Japanese American of the Biennium in Arts, Literature and Communications.

Work with Ryan ↗

Made here. Ready for anywhere.

Local understanding.
National experience.

Kinetic is an award-winning production company based in Honolulu. We bring directors, producers and Hawaiʻi’s best crews together to make commercials, branded films and long-form stories with clarity and heart.

We know the islands, the culture and the logistics. Whether we are leading a production from first treatment to final delivery or partnering with a visiting agency, the goal is the same: make exceptional work and make the process feel effortless.

Production

The team behind the work

Executive Producer

Susan Ishizu

With more than two decades of production leadership, Susan balances ambitious creative with calm, meticulous execution. Her experience, resourcefulness and steady attention to detail help carry every project smoothly from preparation through final delivery.

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Producer · Creative

Justine Mar

A University of Hawaiʻi cinematic arts graduate, Justine brings a fresh visual eye and hands-on production energy to every set. Her thoughtful, collaborative approach supports the creative process while helping each production stay organized, responsive and moving forward.

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A dancer’s hand reaching into warm sunlight against the Koʻolau mountains

Selected clients

Hawaiian AirlinesLevi’sLexusExperianUnitedHealthcareFirst Hawaiian BankHawaiian ElectricCentral Pacific BankKaiser PermanenteOHAZippy’s

Have a story to tell?

Let’s make
something together.

jsereno@kineticproductions.com ↗

Honolulu, Hawaiʻi

Stories, Madefresh. Daily