Steven Prusakowski
Weeks before Moana 2 was breaking box office records and capturing the hearts of audiences, I was invited for an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at where the magic begins: Walt Disney Animation Studios. More specifically, I explored the collaboration behind the art—the talented people who work together to tell the stories.
An ambitious animated film like Moana 2 relies on writers and animators, but the team extends far beyond them, involving hundreds (if not thousands) of people working in unison. At Disney, the process begins with having the right people in the room—those whose heritage is represented in the film. It’s not just about representation; it’s about authentic representation.
Cultural Consultant Lāina Kanoa-Wong welcomed us in a traditional manner and shared the work he and the Disney team did to ensure the music, art, costumes, language, and even the fastening on Moana’s Polynesian outrigger canoe were accurate.
CHARACTER VOICE RECORDING / ADR SESSION
After watching the first 30 minutes of the film, what a thrill it was to become part of it. We head into the sound recording booth for an ADR session with Hualālai Chung (who plays Moni). ADR stands for Automated Dialogue Replacement – the process of re-recording dialogue in a studio after filming. With the help of a very enthusiastic Chung, I was given the opportunity to add my voice to the film, playing his role of Moni.
The actor was very helpful and put a great deal of emphasis on every line of the dialogue which really helped breathe life into my performance. Though I stumbled through a word or two, all turned out well. Be sure to watch the final results at the end. You’re watching a star in the making. Ok, maybe not, but it did turn out pretty well.
TRADITIONAL DANCE
Later in the day we were treated to beautiful traditional Pacific Islander music and performance by a quartet of talented dancers, really setting the mood for all the Moana conversations and presentations before us.
WAYFINDING
Wayfinding is a central aspect of the film, as Moana finds her to not only navigate the ocean but also to lead her people. Lāina Kanoa-Wong returned for a little history and science lesson to help explain just how Pacific Islanders navigated the vast ocean well before GPS and google maps exited, relying only on the sun, moon, wind and waves. A truly fascinating presentation that gave a new found respect for those who challenged nature to cross great lengths. The interactive presentation had journalists finding their bearings based on hypothetical positioning of nature’s elements.
SOUND EFFECTS RECORDING / FOLEY
Later, foley artist, Ronni Brown shared the very hands on work she does to create the sound effects for the world of Moana. Brown allowed journalist to come up and give it a try which you can watch below. Brown prefers to go very old school with her process only using tangible items to make practical sound effects, avoiding any digital creation or manipulation. She hunts through thousands of items to find those that will produce just the sound she needs, them times the recording to the visual.
For the presentation Brown provided a squeegee, baby bottle nipples, and hair gel to allow us create the sound of dozens of peculiar fish that cover Maui’s body. It was an presentation for the senses, visually bizarre, with the pleasant aroma of hair gel, and a sticky, damp touch that I won’t soon forget. But, by the end of the session, this unusual mix of items delivered just the right sound for the scene.
ANIMATION
Three of the lead animators Amy Smeed, Kevin Webb, and Daniel Arriaga sat down to discuss their role in telling Moana’s story. One fascinating aspect was how the animators learned to embody the characters in real life so they all moved uniquely. Once they locked down how an individual character moved that would the be translated in the animation process to provide each character with their own distinct feel. Since Moana is older now than the first film, she had to move like a young adult while still retaining certain qualities. Webb explained his experience with just that.
“Even though I don’t have the same gait or proportions as Moana, I can all get up and shoot reference of that for myself. Just to feel out certain mechanics and find certain specificities in the performance.
There is a point when you’re working on a film and working with a character when the character stops being a 3D puppet and a piece of software and becomes a real person to me, just as real as any one of my friends or family members, and I can just intrinsically know what it would be like to sit across the table from them and have a conversation with them. I can see their mannerisms. I can see the way they walk.
We spend every day of our lives with her and with all these characters. They become a part of you. They become someone you know. Once the whole team is in that space feeling the same way, that to me is the coolest thing about this. We have dozens of different animators all working on Moana in a single sequence. It feels like one performance. That’s the magic trick of it all.”
THE MUSIC OF ‘MOANA 2’
Moana is known for its music making the next presentation a real treat – a live performance of several of the film’s songs by the writers themselves, Grammy Award winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, professionally known as Barlow and Bear. While filming was not permitted, you can listen to some of their work in the following clip.
Finally Sat down with animator Austin Taylor to help us draw our own Mini Maui the animated tattoo that resides on the body of Maui (played by Duane Johnson). I would say it turned out pretty well. And if you enjoyed this behind the scenes look at the magic of Walt Disney Animation Studios… You’re Welcome!
PHOTOS FROM WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS
See all the artistry in action as Moana 2 is now playing exclusively in theaters.
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