Similarly, Kurumada himself has followed that example of always being there to do the right thing. In addition to his service on the National Board, he is most well known to his Guild compatriots for his longtime service on the Western AD/UPM/TC Council, where he was first elected as an alternate member in 1999. Within a year he was tapped to fill a full Council member seat and would continue to serve for until 2005 including four terms as Council Chair.
Kurumada recalls that it was 2000 Capra Award recipient Cheryl Downey who literally challenged him into more active participation with the Guild. “After working on several committees and sub-committees and events I wondered why a group that is prized as professional organizers, to me, seemed so unorganized,” Kurumada recalled. “Cheryl — who was Council chair at the time — heard my complaint, phoned me and said: ‘If you think things could be better organized, then why don’t you come and help us?’ So I decided to do just that and I have never regretted it. Becoming involved in the Council and especially on the Board has given me a perspective and insight to the Guild, its members, and overall goals that I would not have otherwise.”
Kurumada has also dedicated years of his life to numerous Guild committees including: eight years on the AD/UPM/TC Residency Committee; a full decade on both the AD/UPM New Technology Committee and the AD/UPM/TC Mentor Committee; eleven years on the AD/UPM/TC Administrative Committee; fourteen years with the Council’s UPM Committee; and ten years on the DGA’s Asian American Committee which he is pleased to have had a hand in founding.
“It is by nature for most Asians to remain in the wings when it comes to seeking involvement in situations where they are the minority,” said Kurumada. “I am proud that some Asian members have told me that because of my presence they decided to step up and become more involved in the Guild.”
From the years Kurumada has already dedicated to Guild service, it would be an easy thing to rest on his past accomplishments. But for him, Guild service isn’t just something to look back on, but a continuous process to be constantly tended. “As I become more familiar with the issues that face members, I learned that most problems have been around a long time and there are no easy answers so change takes time. You must be patient and keep working towards the higher objective as circumstances change in the business and new members need to be educated on the roadblocks that keep issues from being resolved. What was impossible to approach one year can become a ripe opportunity the next year. I am by nature patient, but I have seen a lot of very positive changes come about simply because we kept the fires of change burning.”
Although a quick glance at all of his Guild service makes it appear as though his DGA work was a full time job, Kurumada has carved quite an impressive professional career as a well respected Unit Production Manager and Assistant Director. Over the years he has worked with some of the best directors in the industry including: Mel Brooks on Life Stinks; James Bridges on Perfect and Mike’s Murder; John Carpenter on John Carpenter’s Vampires and Ghosts of Mars; John Herzfeld on 15 Minutes; Ted Kotcheff on Winter People; Barry Levinson on Tin Men; Herbert Ross on Undercover Blues; and current DGA President Michael Apted on Continental Divide and Class Action. “Having the opportunity to work with some of the brightest and most creative minds in the industry has been something I will always be proud of,” said Kurumada. “I always learned a great deal from my directors. Sometimes it was a lesson on how to be a better filmmaker and sometimes it was a simple life lesson.” He singles out DGA director-member James Bridges for special praise as a mentor. “We did five films together. I started as his 2nd AD and finished as his Executive Producer.” He is also proud of having worked on films that had an impact of American culture and point of view such as All the President’s Men with Alan Pakula, and Urban Cowboy and The China Syndrome with Bridges.
It is quite an impressive career for a kid who was born in Salt Lake City just after the close of WWII. He first became interested in the film industry through a college class in still photography and later enrolled in NYU Film School. After working as a sound mixer and assistant cameraman on documentaries he longed to break into feature film work. After a friend showed him a copy of the old DGA publication ACTION Magazine, he used it to contact DGA director-member Karl Genus.
“Karl could not have been more gracious,” Kurumada recalls. “He asked if I had ever heard of the Assistant Directors Training Program and agreed to write the letter of recommendation that I needed in order to apply to the program and take the admissions test. I didn’t get in the first year I applied, but I studied, did more research and got accepted on my second application. I started the New York Training Program in 1972. At that time it was not uncommon for someone to take three or even four years in order to build up enough days to join as a 2nd AD. I was very fortunate and got enough days to join the Guild by 1974.”
From those modest beginnings he would go on to carve such a remarkable career that his peers are now honoring him with the highest honor they can bestow. Asked why Kurumada was chosen for this honor, Western Assistant Directors/Unit Production Managers/Technical Coordinators (AD/UPM/TC) Council Chair Cleve Landsberg — who succeeded Kurumada to the post — responded, “Kim’s dedication and generosity are special. He has been a great leader and mentor, and continues to share his wisdom on behalf of Guild members. His advice and support mean a lot to me.”
Kurumada is touched to be the newest name on a long list of legendary AD/UPMs who have received the Frank Capra Achievement Award. “To receive such recognition by your own peer in an organization that has shaped my life is truly humbling and exiting at the same time. I hope members remember that in this game called the movie business, not every player starts out on the same square or with the same bank account. Some even have an extra pair of dice. It doesn’t really matter if you remember to use what you started with and add to that as you can when you can. I grew up in a town and culture that offered no promise towards entry into what I loved: making movies. But if you really love what you are doing, you will find a way and meet and lot of great people along the way.”