CAST & CREW

Christopher Kaipulaumakaniolono Baker

Original Hawaiian Chant and Kanaloanuiākea Chant Performer, Fisherman, Surfer

Christopher Kaipulaumakaniolono Baker was the voice of Maui in the ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi language version of Disney’s Moana. He composed and performed the original Hawaiian chants for the film.

Kaneikoliakawahineika’iukapuomua Baker

Original Hawaiian Chant and Kanaloanuiākea Chant Performer, Freediver

Kaneikoliakawahineika’iukapuomua Baker performed the Kanaloanuiākea chant for the opening of the film as well as the original chant for the freediver character.

Brittany Biggs
Director, Co-Producer, Story By, Writer, Editor, Production Designer, Director of Photography, Animator, Character Rigger

Brittany Biggs is an animation professional, filmmaker, artist, and educator. She is currently a Previs Artist at DreamWorks Animation working on KUNG FU PANDA 4. Her animation feature film screen credits include DreamWorks’ TROLLS, KUNG FU PANDA 3, KUNG FU PANDA 2, and TURBO. Prior to her recent return to DreamWorks, she was an Assistant Professor of 3D Animation at the Academy for Creative Media at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa. In August 2020, she was selected as one of 102 fellows for the Unreal Fellowship in Virtual Production. In 2021, she received an Epic MegaGrant to support the production of MANŌ, her independent, short animated film. MANŌ is currently playing in the film festival circuit and can also be viewed on Hawaiian Airlines In-Flight Entertainment through January 2024.

Jeff Chasin
Co-Producer, Story By

Jeff Chasin is the co-producer of Manō, and he also contributed to the initial story concept. With over a decade of experience working on feature animated films, Jeff Chasin most recently served as the Production Manager on the Academy Award winning film Zootopia. His other feature film credits include Moana, The Croods, Monsters Vs Aliens, Kung Fu Panda, and Over the Hedge.

The Nakachi 'Ohana
Story Consultants & Hawaiian Cultural Advisors

Mike and Kaikea Nakachi from the Big Island are cultural practitioners, and they are descendants of Hawaiian kahu manō, or “shark guardians.” They are devoted to the study and preservation of sharks. Mike and Kaikea have been providing feedback and guidance relating to the story, manō 'aumakua, character designs, and visuals. They advocated for years for the state to pass a law protecting sharks, and on June 8, 2021, Hawaii House Bill 553 was passed, which establishes an offense for intentionally or knowingly capturing, entangling, or killing a shark in state marine water.

Dr. Kona Keala-Quinabo
Hawaiian Tattoo Designer

Dr. Kona Keala-Quinabo is a Hawaiian cultural practitioner of kākau uhi, or traditional Hawaiian tattoos. He designed the original tattoo for the generations of family members who share a connection with manō (sharks).

Brittany Dunton
Composer

Brittany Dunton is a media composer, pianist, music educator, and music theorist. Brittany earned her bachelor’s degree in Music Theory/Composition from Appalachian State University and her Master’s degree in Film Composition from Columbia College Chicago. Following her time at Columbia, Brittany worked with composers Mark Isham, Corey Jackson, Ramin Djawadi and is currently assisting Jake Monaco. She has been a part of projects such as the animated series Dinotrux, Be-Cool, Scooby-Doo!, and The Stinky and Dirty Show, the Oscar-winning animated short Piper, and the summer movie hits Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie and Keeping Up with the Joneses.

Steve Maher
Sound Designer & Sound Mixer

Steve Maher is a Sound Designer & Sound Mixer with over 10 years' experience working in sound. He has worked on a number of high profile projects including Brown Bag Films’ three-time Daytime Emmy winning children’s show Peter Rabbit (2015-16), and Hasbro Studios’ Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy. Steve is a six-time Daytime Emmy nominated sound editor and mixer and was also nominated for an Emile Award in 2018.

Gabriel Paiva Harwat
Visual Effects Supervisor, Effects Artist, Lighter

With more than twenty years in the VFX industry, Gabriel spent the last 6 years developing workflows with open-source software like Blender and Unreal Engine integrating affordable pipelines to work and collaborate on a free yet powerful environment.

Gabriel became a certified Unreal Engine Instructor and since then has been working with Epic Games in the Virtual Production Fellowship. As a Technical Artist, Teaching Assistant, Mentor, and Instructor, Gabriel is now fully committed to Unreal Engine, gathering and sharing everything he can learn about the Engine.

Michael Bouska
Score Mix

Lauren Mueller
Hawaiian Chant Recording Engineer

Brendan Carroll
Additional Camera, Animator, Rigger

Gavin Arucan
Visual Development Artist

Romain Albenque
Modeler, Surfacer

Laura Cosner
Modeler, Surfacer, Lighter

Amanda Estrada
Modeler, Surfacer

Brian Jefcoat
Modeler

Anne Kim
Modeler, Surfacer, Effects Artist, Compositor

Makar Malitsky
Modeler

Jessica Woo
Surfacer

Jessica Ambron
Animator

Mícheál Kiely
Animator

Ashleigh Thomas
Animator

Molly Tapken
Additional Animation

Michael Chang
Effects Artist

Katherine Harris
Effects Artist

Inflatable Film
Impact Producer

The String Section of the University of Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra
Music Scored By

Joseph Stepec
Music Director

Duane Padilla
Recording Engineer

Ananddev Banerjee
Assistant Recording Engineer

Nadine Alcantara

Tea Caliri

Jessica Chen

Samuel Chen

Dasom Cheon

Cameron Enomoto

Megan Ganeku

Mariah Gaoiran

Roman Gehrich

Sabrina Hardisty

Tyler Katsura

Christopher Kwock

Mackenzie Kwong

Naiya Lim

Calvin Liu

Jacey Mitchell

Carissa Miyamoto

Kaimi Mullaney

Alexandra Namson

Pieter Nauwelaerts

Kauai Paule

Keon Sagara

Maysa Segovia

Sienna Sonoda

Amber Sulich

Kylee Takanishi

Lauryn Takanishi

Cara Tan

Ryder Tanaka

Quinne Uchida

Sonia Walker-Aki

Christine Acham

Biggs Family

Christopher Boulton

DeSoto Brown

Dr. John HR Burns

Page Chang

Chasin Family

Deepak Chetty

Justin Davis (Davis 3D)

Michael Dowling

Lisette Flanary

Koina Freeman

Dean Hamer

Vilsoni Hereniko

Joseph Janeti

Shellie Kimura

Krystian Komisarek

Laura Margulies

Rebecca Mattos

Nol Meyer

Kevin Miller

Øyvind Nøstdal

Rebecca Perry

Jonee Peters

Brian Pohl

Sherrie Richman

Linda Sellheim

Laurie Sumiye

Tiffany Taira

Jon Ross

John Vierra

Joe Wilson

Academy for Creative Media, University of Hawai’i at Manoa

Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum

Epic Games

Epic MegaGrants Team

MELE Program, Honolulu Community College

Moana Ohana

One Ocean Conservation

Unreal Engine

Aquatic Surface

Fish School System V2

Fluid Ninja VFX Tools

M5 VFX Vol2. Fire and Flames

Project Nature: Tropical Vegetation

Rubble Debris Trash Pack

Tropical Jungle Pack

Ultra Dynamic Sky

Western Desert Town