Walt Disney Animation Studios’ new feature film “Moana” is about an adventurous teenager who, with help from demigod Maui, sails out on a daring mission to prove herself a master wayfinder and save her people.
This morning I woke up singing:
I’ve been standing at the edge of the water
‘Long as I can remember, never really knowing why
I wish I could be the perfect daughter
But I come back to the water, no matter how hard I try
Every turn I take, every trail I track
Every path I make, every road leads back
To the place I know, where I can not go
Though I long to be
Lyrics from the song” How Far I‘ll Go” by Alessia from the movie “Moana”. This song has been stuck in my head since last night. I truly enjoyed the movie “Moana” I found myself singing and dancing in my seat the storyline was solid as always a little adult humor. After seeing the movie I am hoping for a live show soon. Dwayne Johnson as “The Rock” and Auli’i Cravalho’s who is a new comer to the movie industry did an amazing job behind the scenes. I loved the underlining message, but I won’t spill the beans..“Moana” sails into U.S. theaters on Nov. 23, 2016 just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday season.
My Favorite Quote from the Movie:
Gramma Tala- “For generations, this peaceful island has been home to our family, but beyond our reef a great danger is coming. Legend tells of a hero who will journey to find the Maui, and together the demigod Maui, and together they will save us all.”
FUN FACTS
CHARACTERS: DRESSED UP – Moana dons seven outfits in the movie, including the red tapa garment
the character wears as a toddler when she first encounters the ocean character.
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Moana’s main look includes a tapa top and pandanus skirt with a shredded pandanus underskirt. Costume designer Neysa Bové created the outfit so it would be suitable for an adventurer. “The skirt has a slit in front to allow movement— whether she’s swimming, running or navigating her canoe,” says Bové.
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One elaborate outfit worn during a dance sequence is visible for just six seconds.
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Inspired by the Taualuga ceremonies of Samoa, Bové created a ceremonial garment for Moana that is covered in shells and pearls. Her Tuiga—or headdress—has shells from the ocean and red feathers to symbolize royalty.
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All the characters in “Moana” wear outfits made only from materials that would have been available to them 2,000 years ago.
HAIRY SITUATION
Early designs of mighty demigod Maui lacked his signature do. He did, in fact, sport a tough-looking bald noggin. But Oceanic Story Trust consultants from Tahiti advised filmmakers that Maui, the subject of many and varied legends, was typically imagined with a full head of hair. So character designers went to work on creating the look and a team of technicians figured out how to realize it.
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Technology had to be refined to allow for a wet look for Moana’s curly do, since she spends some time underwater. Artists invited volunteers with similar hairstyles to come into the studio and get dunked so they could perfect the look.
SPLISH SPLASH
The ocean is more than a setting in “Moana”—it’s a character. Tasked with creating a rig that would allow animators to pose the ocean and create performances that would showcase the emotion and spirit of the character, the rigging team built a rig with a curved wave-like shape that could be varied depending on the need of the story.
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The rig allowed layout to pose the character and animation to create a performance.
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The effects team added water effects—flowing water, splashes and drips—to enhance the look.
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The creative process included an in-depth look at what was developed for Rapunzel’s hair in “Tangled.”
RESEARCH
GET IT RIGHT – Deeply inspired by their time in the Pacific Islands, filmmakers continued to work with several of the people they met within their trips. This group of advisors came to be known as the Oceanic Story Trust (OST). The Trust includes anthropologists, educators, linguists, master tattooists, choreographers, haka practitioners, master navigators and cultural advisors who collaborated with Disney’s creative team.
ALL WET
Since much of the film is set on the ocean or near it, filmmakers worked hard to create systems and processes to create believable water. Keen to understand the clarity of the water, the team created a physical rig that was 50 feet long. A series of balls that were painted gray, black and red were hung from a rope every five feet and photographed underwater in a pool in Van Nuys, Mission Bay in San Diego and off the coast of Bora Bora. Imagine getting that through customs!
During her journey, Moana (voice of Auli’i Cravalho) meets the once-mighty demigod Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson), who guides her in her quest to become a master wayfinder. Together, they sail across the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous monsters and impossible odds, and along the way, Moana fulfills the ancient quest of her ancestors and discovers the one thing she’s always sought: her own identity.
“You’re Welcome” film clip
“Moana Meets Maui” film clip
The Moana soundtrack can be pre-ordered today HERE and a digital pre-order will be available Friday, Oct. 28th. The Moana original motion picture soundtrack features 14 tracks and will be available wherever music is sold and streamed on Nov. 18, 2016. The Moana two-disc deluxe edition and the digital deluxe edition soundtrack, which are also available Nov. 18, feature additional tracks including demos, outtakes and instrumental karaoke tracks. For more information on Walt Disney Records’ releases, like them on Facebook.com/ disneymusic or follow them at Twitter.com/disneymusic and Instagram.com/disneymusic/.
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