Dale Hermanson

Dale Hermanson
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Born	(1957-09-26) September 26, 1957 South Dakota
Nationality	Fiji
Alma mater	University of Southern California (USC)
Occupation	Filmmaker Businessman Hotelier

Dale Hermanson (born September 26, 1957) is a filmmaker, businessman and hotelier based in Nadi, Fiji. He has lived and worked in Fiji since 1985, and holds both Fiji and US citizenship. During his filmmaking career he has produced over 100 documentaries and informational videos, primarily for his production company/advertising agency, Pasifika Communications. He also owns a small award-winning beachfront hotel in Nadi, Fiji called Aquarius On The Beach.

Early Life

Dale Hermanson was born into an Air Force family at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. His father, Gordon C. Hermanson, was a career Air Force officer from Nicollet, Minnesota, who served during WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. His mother was Eva Carolyn Hermanson (nee Landrith), who was born in Sand Springs, Oklahoma. He has one older brother, Paul S. Hermanson and had an older sister, Karla Kristine Hermanson who passed away in 2018.

During his 12 years of public school, Hermanson attended schools in six different states and in Guam, due to the frequent relocation of his military family. He was 16 years old when he decided on his career path in filmmaking and after one year at the University of New Mexico, was accepted into the prestigious University of Southern California (USC) Film School in 1976. He graduated from USC in 1979, cum laude. He completed courses towards a Master of Arts degree, also at USC, but left in 1980 before completing his final film and so did not complete his Master’s degree at USC.

Career

Following graduation from USC, Hermanson began a succession of freelance jobs in various roles for a number of cable and TV companies in Los Angeles. He worked for two years as the Post-Production Coordinator for Columbia Pictures Television, before resigning to take on a role with Hickox-Daniel Productions as a Segment Producer for the nationally syndicated TV show, “With Richard Hogue.” Hermanson produced 17 episodes of the show, which was a daytime interview/magazine produced with a live audience. This show ran for only one season.

Hermanson then began his own production company and worked as an editor for the Christian feature film, “Early Warning” (1981) produced by Missionary Enterprises. Following this, he worked as a scriptwriter for the same company, completing a feature length script on the biblical prophet Elijah. This film was not produced. He produced “Newsline,” a newsmagazine show for the Southern California Gas Company, and a dramatised “faux documentary” called “Six A.M.” on how the company would handle an earthquake, which Hermanson wrote and directed. These productions won an IABC Gold Quill award (1985), a PRO Award (1985) and an ITVA award (1984).

In 1985 Hermanson joined the US Peace Corps in Fiji and took on a role to help develop the Fiji National Video Centre. There, he produced a series of health education videos and other productions. In 1987, following the first military coup d’état in Fiji, Hermanson joined the then South Pacific Commission (later the Pacific Community) based in Fiji, where he served for 7 years as the Video/TV Specialist. Here he provided training and produced films for the entire Pacific islands region.

In 1994, together with Australian business partner Glen Hughes, Hermanson establishedPasifika Communications in Fiji. Despite the some political upheavals in Fiji (coup d ‘etats in 2000 and 2006) the company prospered, growing from a staff number of 5 to 24 in 2018. The company counted as clients both international brands in Fiji such as Vodafone, McDonalds and Unilever as well as non-commercial clients such as the United Nations Development Programme, UNICEF, WHO and others. The company won five Fiji awards for exporting, in 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000 and 2003. Three of the company’s films were also chosen for the Hawaii International Film Festival in 1996.

Hermanson travelled throughout the Pacific islands throughout his career at Pasifika, producing documentaries and informational films for regional and international organisations. He has filmed or produced documentaries in 14 of the Pacific’s island countries and territories.

Hermanson completed his Master’s degree after a gap of many years, and after completing his thesis, was awarded a Master of Arts in Development Studies from the in 2006.

From 2004 to 2012 Hermanson served on the board of directors for Save the Children Fiji, a local branch of the international Save The Children charity organisation. He also was the founding President of the Fiji Advertising Association, which was dissolved in 2006 after the military takeover of Fiji’s government.

In 2011, Hermanson bought a small budget hotel in Nadi, Fiji and renamed it Aquarius On The Beach. The hotel is located in the Wailoaloa Beach area of Fiji’s main island. Aquarius has won numerous awards since the family took over, including two Fiji Excellence in Tourism Awardsfor best budget hotel (2015, 2018) as well as several TripAdvisorTravellers’ Choice Awards

Personal Life

Hermanson is divorced and has two children, Shannon C. Ullrich and Erica K. Campbell, both of whom currently live in New Zealand. He has three granddaughters.

Filmography:

During the years of running Pasifika Communications, Hermanson has written, produced, direct and co-directed nearly 100 documentaries and dramatic video programs. A partial filmography is:

Documentaries and Dramatic Video Programs

Name	Year
First Call For Pacific Children	1993
Facts of Life	1986
Charlotte’s Story	1992
Like Any Other Lovers	1992
Fiji: Finding a Path Forward	2000
A Visit to the Fish Market	1995
28th South Pacific Conference	1988
Healthy Choices	1990
30th South Pacific Conference	1991
29th South Pacific Conference 1989, Guam	1989
First Foods for My Baby	1989
Challenge to Change	1988
40th Anniversary Celebration	1987
Helping Hands	1988
Managing After A Stroke	1991
Shellcraft: The Cook Islands Experience	1996
Better Safe Than Sorry	1995
Wan Presen Blong Niufala Bebe	1998
It Couldn’t Happen Here	1998
Men As Advocates Against Violence Against Women	2008
Staying On Course: A Pacific Island Perspective	2011
Globalisation: Focus On Pacific Women	2000
A Matter of Concern	1996
The Macuata Gillnet Ban	1998
Pacific Women: Building a Middle Road	1997
Community Solutions: Stepping Stones in the Pacific	2009
Focus On The Future: Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat	2010
Rays of Hope: Renewable Energy in the Pacific Islands	2003
Waste World	2000
Story of Adi Cakobau School	1998
Early Warning - Editor	1981
Kasis Road – co-Director	2000
Pacific Star – co-Director
Vot Long Pati Ia! (Your Vote, Our Party) – co-Director

Works or Publications

• Tuning in: Does TV Influence the Political Process in Fiji?
• Basic Video Production booklet written by Dale
• Setting Up A Video Production Unit booklet written by Dale
• Creative Camera Techniques
• UNESCO Pacific women television programme exchange inaugural meeting
• Setting Up A Small Scale Business: A Guide for Women in Fisheries
• An Introduction To Video Production Techniques
• Pacific Regional Survey Project (PACTEL) – Polynesia Report
• Pacific Regional Survey Project (PACTEL) – Micronesia Report
• The Big Pay Battle (cover story) Islands Business, June 1994, page 20
• Pacific TV: Looking the Gift Horse in the Mouth Islands Business, Nov 1992, page 35

TV Interviews with Dale Hermanson

• Interview on KVZK TV American Samoa 1991

• Interview on EMTV – Papua New Guinea 2020

External links

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