Disney’s Moana doesn’t sail into theaters until Nov. 23, but the filmmakers recently offered a sneak peek at the creative process behind the upcoming CG-animated film. The movie tells the story of an ambitious 16-year-old Pacific Islander girl who, against her father’s wishes, sets out on an ocean voyage to save her people. Along the way she teams up with Maui, a demigod voiced by Dwayne Johnson, and battles a host of foes including the Kakamora, a ruthless band of coconut-armored pirates.

Here are five things we learned about the making of Moana.

Finding the heart of the film took a village … and more. It all starts with research, says director John Musker. In order to gain insight for their story, the filmmakers forced themselves to travel to breathtaking Pacific islands including Tahiti and Samoa and soak up the culture. Of course they took in the landscape, but they also listened to the locals who counseled: “Know your mountain. To know where you’re going you have to know where you came from.”

This not only encouraged Musker and his team to dig deep into the islands’ history, it also gave them an appreciation for their hosts. “We discovered that the beauty of the South Pacific is really the people.” To that end, the filmmakers established the Oceanic Story Trust, a team of experts including anthropologists, educators and master navigators who collaborated with Disney’s creative team.

Catch a wave: The ocean shots in the movie are striking, both in terms of how the water looks and how it moves. “We knew the ocean was going to be a huge part of the movie because it’s such an important part of the culture and mythology,” said director Ron Clements.

About 80% of the shots have special effects, but they weren’t going for photo-realism. “We deal in believability, not necessarily reality.” The team really thought of the water itself as a character, as seen in the progression above where Moana and the high sea exchange a high five.

Dressed to kill … or at least fight. The directors describe the character of Moana as “bad-ass,” and this is reflected in her wardrobe and sense of style. Using photo references from their research trips, the team painstakingly worked on every detail of her look, maintaining her femininity while also keeping her edge. Clothing, accessories and hair were all taken into account. They even added a split to the front of her costume so she could do things like swim and jump more athletically.

Even if a costume is shown in the movie for six seconds, such as the one above, the team gave it ample time and attention. “We really do sweat the details,” said art director Bill Schwab.

The making of a (demi)god: Demigod Maui, who plays Moana’s somewhat reluctant guide, is voiced by Dwayne Johnson, and the actor can clearly be seen as a source of inspiration for the character’s look.

“Maui has a sense of mass, power, a lot of muscle. He has Dwayne Johnson’s dimples, eyebrows. Even though he’s a few thousand years old, he’s the sort of character who owns any room he walks into,” says Clements.

The challenges of “pec” animation: The character of Maui is festooned with tattoos, many depicting tiny versions of himself. Plus, they’re animated and serve as characters themselves, acting as Maui’s cheerleader and conscience. “His tattoos describe his accomplishments and feats of derring-do,” said animator Eric Goldberg. Master tattooists from the Pacific Islands were consulted for accuracy. 

Are you excited for Moana later this year? Let us know in the comments.