Watch the First Clip From MOANA 2, and Learn New Behind-the-Scenes Details on Making the Film

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As a seasoned gamer and animation enthusiast who has been fortunate enough to witness the behind-the-scenes magic of Walt Disney Animation Studios, I can confidently say that my experience with Moana 2 was nothing short of enchanting. From the traditional Polynesian dance performances to the insightful conversations with the film’s directors and character designers, it was an immersive journey into a world that seamlessly blends culture, creativity, and storytelling.

The long-awaited second installment of “Moana” is all set to premiere in theaters on November 27, and here’s our first glimpse into the eagerly awaited sequel with a new tune titled “We’re Back.” Auliʻi Cravalho lends her voice to this intriguing clip. To catch more behind-the-scenes action of Walt Disney Animation Studios as they breathe life into this follow-up to the contemporary Disney animation masterpiece Moana, scroll down below.

In early September, Walt Disney Animation Studios invited TopMob and other journalists to an exclusive event for “Moana 2”. Following a captivating Polynesian dance performance, the Oceanic Cultural Trust shared their insights during an “Art of Celestial Navigation and Wayfinding Session”. This trust comprises anthropologists and historians from Pacific Islands who are instrumental in the creation of “Moana 2”, ensuring the film preserves the original’s cultural integrity. A sneak peek into the first half-hour of the movie was then offered, providing a glimpse into the team’s process for continuing Moana’s adventure.

Following an engaging discussion with the directors of Moana 2, David G. Derrick Jr., Dana Ledoux Miller, and Jason Hand, we were fortunate enough to chat with the character designers for the movie as well. Daniel Arriaga, character art director, Amy Smeed, and Kevin Webb, heads of animation, elucidated their process in reimagining the film’s characters visually. They provided us with a crash course on creating an animated Disney character, even demonstrating how to draw “Mini Maui.” Although our sketches didn’t quite reach Disney Animation standards, they were remarkably similar to Mini-Maui’s screen appearance, showcasing the team’s exceptional teaching abilities rather than our artistic prowess.

In the exciting journey of creating “Moana 2”, I was thrilled to learn about the refreshing updates on our beloved characters. Since there’s a four-year leap in the storyline, our heroine Moana has grown from a child into a teen. Her hairstyle and other aspects have been subtly revamped, but not our iconic Maui, played by Dwayne Johnson. The animators explained that they wanted to keep him just as we remember, saying, “Maui is exactly the same. He’s the one character that we just said ‘That’s Maui.’

Apart from watching Moana 2, we had the opportunity to witness the creative process behind its sounds. In a studio session, foley artist Ronni Brown demonstrated the art of generating film sounds using common items such as wet rags, ropes, baby bottles, and many more. Essentially, anything that can produce suitable sounds for the action on screen was utilized. For instance, coconut shells represented Pua’s footsteps when he jumped onto Moana’s boat, while dried-up Wisteria pods mimicked Hei-Hei’s unique noises. Leather and rubber pieces were used to create the sounds of snapping vines during one of Moana’s falls. Although some aspects of filmmaking may seem tedious, watching Ronni Brown at work made foley artistry appear nothing short of enjoyable.

The most exciting part of our day was stepping into a recording booth, where Disney’s team showed us how they perform Automatic Dialogue Replacement (ADR) for their movies, including the upcoming film “Moana 2”. Hualālai Chung, who voices Moni in the movie, guided us through the ADR process. We were given a scene featuring Moana and her new crew encountering Kakamori pirates, and we chose to do ADR for the character of Kele, who is described as a grumpy old man who never leaves the island. Although our role was limited to shouting “LAND!” upon seeing shore, it was an exhilarating experience to be involved in the making of an animated Disney film, even if our recording wasn’t used in the final movie. It’s clear that the creators have poured a lot of effort and affection into making “Moana 2”, and we can’t wait to see it on the big screen.

Moana 2 arrives in theaters on November 27.

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2024-11-19 03:32