Wētā FX Gives Moana's Te Kā a Performance in Lava

Te Kā's body is made of lava, but her anger still has to read as a performance. In a new conversation with fxguide, Wētā FX's Anneka Fris and Stephen Unterfranz explain how animation and effects artists worked together on Disney's live-action Moana.

The November 5 interview follows Wētā FX's release of behind-the-scenes videos about the film. The studio credits Fris as animation supervisor and Unterfranz and Simon Jung as visual effects supervisors.

Giving heat a purpose

Fris explains that animators could indicate where Te Kā should feel hotter or more contained. A simplified puppet gave them control over her movement and mass, providing a performance for the effects team to develop.

Her surface then had to flow, crust and break apart while still preserving the emotion in the pose. According to the interview, animation anticipated the simulation, and effects artists worked to keep the character's intent visible through the changing material.

Read fxguide's Wētā FX interview

When the ocean has to act

The ocean presented a different animation problem: it needed to communicate curiosity and concern without a face or dialogue. Fris and Unterfranz describe finding the character in its overall shape and timing before adding detail such as foam and mist.

Te Fiti's transformation required its own balance. As her form moved through the island, artists had to account for the trees and vegetation that shaped her silhouette. A simplified stand-in for the crown helped animators judge its volume before the final foliage.

The result is a useful reminder that effects work can carry character as well as spectacle. Wētā FX's two videos show more of the film's ocean, environments and volcanic figures.

Explore Wētā FX's film credits