Skip to content

'Moana 2 is a favourite of films I've worked on'

Disney A still from Moana 2, with the main characters on a Polynesian island, with lots of different characters on the beach in the background. There is a straw hut and lots of trees.Disney
A crowd artist ensures the background of film scenes looks "natural and real"

A visual effects artist from East Yorkshire who has worked on some of Hollywood's biggest films can now add Moana 2 to his impressive list of titles.

The Disney animated musical is a follow up to the 2016 original and tells the story of an adventurous Polynesian girl who sets off on a daring mission across the ocean.

It is released in UK cinemas on Friday and features the work of crowd artist Ben Brown, from Beverley, who has also worked on Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War and Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody.

However, he said Moana 2 was among his most favourite films that he has worked on and spotting his name on the credits was "always a great moment".

Mr Brown, who now lives in Vancouver, Canada, said he is currently working on another Disney film, as part of the Princess Tiana franchise.

Describing his role as a crowd artist, he said his main duty is to "populate the background of shots".

He said: "If you think of walking down the street and you’ve got your main characters in front of you, if it looks empty it looks a bit weird and a bit unnerving, so we put people in and give it that life it needs to look more natural and real."

A still taken from a zoom call, featuring Mr Brown, who has short dark hair, dark rimmed glasses, and a dark moustache. He talks into a microphone and wears headphones.
Ben Brown said he was a "very annoying" person to watch films with

Mr Brown said he was first inspired to train as a visual effects artist after watching "special features on disc two of DVDs", which showed him "there’s this whole world out there" in terms of careers in film.

After studying at East Riding College and Cardiff University, he got his break in the industry by gaining graduate placements and internships, before working with Industrial Light & Magic.

He described the moment he found out he would be working for George Lucas's production company - famous for the Star Wars films and Jurassic Park, adding: "I genuinely had to pinch myself".

Disney An animated still taken from Moana 2, it shows a night-time scene of the characters sailing on a raft, with a whale underneath in the sea. There are luminous stars and patterns on the whale.Disney
The sequel to 2016's Moana will take the characters on a new voyage

Despite working on several feature films, Mr Brown said he found watching films he had worked on difficult.

He described himself as "my own worst critic", often picking out moments in the films he wished he had "more time to work on".

Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.

More on this story
Related internet links