Maui Studios

Maui Studios Māui is a kaupapa Māori production studio that develops digital content grounded in mātauranga. They taught us to seek Joy, and Peace for others. Mauri ora!

Our Values:

Māui is the word we use to refer to our growing community. By this we mean our whānau, hāpu, iwi, kura, partners, and close clients. We’re a strong ecosystem grounded in the gifts of Fortitude and Counsel designed into us from our tīpuna. Our thoughts and actions are guided by our values and are wrapped in Love, Respect and the pursuit of Understanding. Our ambition is to share our gifts with the world refined through diligence and discipline. We endeavour to embody the tikanga values gifted to us through our tīpuna and whānau as they raised us into who we are. We strive to be Kind, to be Modest, to be Patient and demonstrate Charity. They taught us to mirror these gifts in our thoughts, words, and most importantly our actions. This leads us toward Wisdom and Knowledge. Through these values and gifts the world comes to know who we are. These are our expectations:

Nurture whanaungatanga (sense of belonging) within our families, communities and wider networks, at all times. Manaakitanga is a keystone and is a measure of our ability to extend aroha to one another. Cloak others in hospitality. One must seek to find solutions that bring about kotahitanga (oneness) within our selves and those we associate with. Our power comes from each other. We must never forget our Rangatiratanga (self governance) and our ability to be chiefs in our own right. We must have self control, and seek opportunities to demonstrate leadership. We must be grounded in Mōhiotanga and Māramatanga so our decisions and actions are guided by knowledge and understanding. At every sensible opportunity, let us practice Tuakana-Teina relationships and seek opportunities to be both the teacher and the student to one another. We are a reflection of our whakapapa (lineage). We must act and conduct ourselves in a way that respects our tīpuna and honours their example. Be Kaitiaki (guardians) to the gifts and blessings brought to us through our whakapapa. Our Wairua flows within us, and our choices determine spiritual wellbeing. Cultivate it by demonstrating our gifts and values. Let Tikanga, that is based on our tīpuna wisdom, be our guide. They will not lead us astray. Our Mauri (life force) is a gift we’re destined to share with the world. Do not hold back. Be aware, and reverent of our Atua. This is the origin of everything.

05/10/2026

4,300 km by stars, swell and ancestral knowledge | Fa'afaite Va'a

Maui Studios produced a 15-part documentary web series following the crew of the Fa'afaite waka hourua on a 4,300 km voyage from Rarotonga to Tauranga Moana. Captured across 20 days at sea, the 2–5 minute episodes follow the navigators, crew and changing conditions of the journey.

The voyage brought together celestial navigators and a crew of 16, travelling without instruments beyond the knowledge carried by the Polynesian wayfinders who came before them. Produced for Ian Taylor's Land of Voyagers project, the series asks what it means for young Māori and Pasifika to recognise that this science already sits within the knowledge inherited from their tīpuna.

Role
○ Documentary Production
○ Documentary Storytelling
○ Cinematography
○ Editing and Post-production

Key Deliverables
■ 15-episode documentary web series
■ 2–5 minute episodes structured across the voyage
■ 20 days of at-sea cinematography
■ Coverage of the 4,300 km journey from Rarotonga to Tauranga Moana
■ Series editing and post-production

Outcome:
The completed series follows the voyage from preparations in Rarotonga and departure from Avarua through navigation challenges, storms, a Tuhua stopover and arrival at Tauranga Moana. On arrival, Fa'afaite joined the Tuia 250 flotilla marking 250 years since the first onshore encounters between Māori and Pākehā.

Commissioned by
Media / Animation Research

Executive Producer
Ian Taylor

Producer
Patrick Hussey

Director of Photography / Editor
Mads Henry Ryan Henry-Ryan

Production
Maui Studios

Watch the series:
https://mauistudios.app/cinema?film=x-faafaite-vaa-tracker-series

Request a Project:
https://mauiproject.live/

See more Māui Studios case studies:
https://mauistudios.app/

Bringing Asia-Pacific Cultures into the Classroom Through Play | CAPE eGameMaui Studios worked with CAPE – Centre for As...
27/09/2026

Bringing Asia-Pacific Cultures into the Classroom Through Play | CAPE eGame

Maui Studios worked with CAPE – Centre for Asia Pacific Excellence to design and deliver a browser-based 2D educational game for New Zealand Year 5–6 learners. Built across 2022–2024, the CAPE eGame uses interactive storytelling and structured gameplay to help students explore the diversity of Asian and Pacific cultures through a curriculum-relevant classroom resource.

This mattered because the game had to teach without flattening distinct cultures, remain age-appropriate, and run reliably across standard school devices and browsers. We brought game design, educational content, character and environment design, and web engineering together into one coherent experience.

Role:
○ Game Design
○ Visual Design
○ Web Engineering
○ Educational Resource Development
○ Immersive Design
○ Strategic Communication

Key Deliverables:
■ Fully playable browser-based 2D educational game
■ Interactive storytelling system and gameplay progression
■ Character and environment design across multiple cultures
■ Curriculum-aligned content for Year 5–6 learners
■ Cross-device web deployment for New Zealand schools

Result:
Māui Studios delivered a fully playable, curriculum-aligned browser game deployable across New Zealand primary schools without specialist installation or support. It remains the studio’s largest and most technically complex digital production to date.

Commissioned by
– Centre for Asia Pacific Excellence

Turning the Takitimu Waka Journey into an 18-Page Bilingual Graphic Novel | Vaka MoanaMāui Studios worked with Atea a Ra...
23/09/2026

Turning the Takitimu Waka Journey into an 18-Page Bilingual Graphic Novel | Vaka Moana

Māui Studios worked with Atea a Rangi Educational Trust to develop Takitimu — a custom illustrated educational publication for learners aged 10–13.

Across te reo Māori and English, the project translates the historical journey of the Takitimu waka into an age-appropriate visual story designed to support cultural understanding, historical learning and bilingual literacy.

This mattered because the story spans multiple people, places and historical moments.

Rather than simply illustrating a text resource, we treated the graphic novel as the foundation—combining cultural research, script refinement, world-building and bilingual page design so the visual asset base could also support future maps, activity books and classroom resources.

Role:

○ Graphic Novel Development
○ Illustration and Visual Design
○ Educational Resource Design
○ Historical Research and Script Development
○ Bilingual Publication Design

Key Deliverables:

■ Two book outputs across te reo Māori and English
■ 18 fully illustrated graphic novel pages
■ Four to six pages of introductory and contextual content
■ Custom cover artwork and four cover and back-cover layouts
■ A4 layouts prepared for web and print-ready production
■ Reusable illustration library for future educational resources

Result
Across a 38-week programme and 253 studio hours, the completed resource delivered an 18-page illustrated graphic novel, supporting contextual content and publication-ready layouts for digital and print use. Its reusable artwork also created a foundation for future maps, activity sheets and classroom tools.

Commissioned by
Atea a Rangi Educational Trust

Provider
Māui Studios Aotearoa Ltd

Kōrero tuku iho
Papa Tom Davis
Tangaroa Kainuku
Ngahiwi Tomoana
Te Ao Marama Tomoana
Atea a Rangi crew

Script
Piripi Smith

Translations
Louise Whaanga
Te Po Hawaikirangi
Arna Whaanga
Piripi Smith

Images and design
Maui Studios

Request a Project:
https://mauiproject.live/

See more Māui Studios case studies:
https://mauistudios.app/


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🗿 Ideation, haututū, workbook.
🔥 Dropping ideas.
🍠 Hate it or love it.

Māori Production Studios | Design Agency
Māori Animation | Illustration

One Brand System to Carry Five Pou | Mana TāhunaMaui Studios worked with Tāhuna Charitable Trust to renew its visual id...
20/09/2026

One Brand System to Carry Five Pou | Mana Tāhuna

Maui Studios worked with Tāhuna Charitable Trust to renew its visual identity for whānau, community and partners across the Whakatipu. Since establishing in 2020, Mana Tāhuna has grown to 28 kaimahi working across five interconnected pou, and the brand needed to reflect that growth without losing its grounding in Tāhuna.

This mattered because the identity had to do more than look consistent. It needed to carry whakapapa and place, unite the five pou within one coherent system, and remain practical across print, digital channels and signage. Led by toi Māori artistry and Kāi Tahu connection, the final tohu draws together pouwhenua, the hiwi of the waka taua and the korowai.

Role:
○ Brand Identity
○ Toi Māori Design
○ Visual Design
○ IP and Story Development
○ Strategic Communication

Key Deliverables:
■ Primary tohu combining pouwhenua, the hiwi of the waka taua and the korowai
■ Wordmark, full lockup and standalone logomark
■ Primary colour palette, monochromatic treatments and typography system
■ Colourways for Te Taiao, Hauora, Kaupapa Māori and Rangatahi
■ Brand collateral including letterhead, digital watermark, pull-up banners, email signature, display picture and favicon
■ Brand guidelines deck with alternative layouts and image-treatment guidance

Result:
A cohesive print-and-digital identity ready for application across letterheads, banners, digital channels and signage, with dedicated colourways allowing distinct kaupapa to sit within one brand language.

Commissioned by
Mana Tāhuna Charitable Trust

Project leadership
Michael Rewi (Kāi Tahu)
Webster (Ngā Puhi)

Conceptual development led by
Renata Karena (Kāi Tahu), Toi Māori artist
Henry Ryan (Kāi Tahu), designer, Maui Studios

Read the case study:
https://mauistudios.app/case-studies/mana-tahuna-brand

Request a Project:
https://mauiproject.live/

See more Māui Studios case studies:
https://mauistudios.app/

A Research Identity Built to Reveal What Is Hidden | TUWHIRIMaui Studios worked with Whai Ao – Dodd-Walls Centre / Univ...
17/09/2026

A Research Identity Built to Reveal What Is Hidden | TUWHIRI

Maui Studios worked with Whai Ao – Dodd-Walls Centre / University of Otago to create a logo suite and light visual identity for TUWHIRI, a new research initiative focused on terahertz upconversion, weather-based hazard insight, ozone detection and atmospheric science. The team needed a distinctive, launch-ready identity ahead of its 19 July 2026 kickoff.

TUWHIRI had to work at two levels: as a scientific acronym and as a te reo Māori concept carrying the meaning of disclosing or revealing what is hidden. We reviewed the TUWHIRI and ARONUI name directions, then built the final visual system around the ozone molecule and the initiative’s three-part collaboration across engineering, atmospheric science and photonics.

Role
○ Brand Identity
○ Name Direction Review
○ Cultural Consultation
○ Visual Design and Print Production

Key Deliverables
■ Design-level review of the TUWHIRI and ARONUI name directions
■ Final logo suite across primary, horizontal, stacked, icon-only, one-colour and reversed formats
■ Accessible colour palette and typography direction
■ Print-ready pin and sticker files supplied to production specification
■ Mini brand sheet with usage notes and small-format guidance

Result
The resolved, culturally reviewed identity was delivered ahead of the kickoff, with production files supplied directly to the pin and sticker supplier’s specification.

Commissioned by
Te Whai Ao – Dodd-Walls Centre / University of Otago

Read the case study:
https://mauistudios.app/case-studies/tuwhiri-research-brand

Request a Project:
https://mauiproject.live/

See more Māui Studios case studies:
https://mauistudios.app/

11/09/2026

🎥 1/3

Gambling Harm Awareness Week 2026 - "Lock in...don't get played" 🔐

Te Huinga Kōtuku (Purapura Whetū) acknowledges Aotearoa's Gambling Harm Awareness Week 2026 with a series of three short ads raising awareness of Online Gambling and how our mobile devices allow ease of access to Gambling platforms and how it can distract us from everyday life and situations.

Whether we're spending precious time with our whānau, doing a great job in our mahi or putting our best foot forward in our studies - we want to encourage our whānau and community to be aware of the predatory nature of Online Gambling sites and how it can creep into our daily lives.

Let's lock in e te whānau and keep these sneaky Online Gambling platforms out of our lives! Ngā mihi nui rawa atu ki Te Whatu Ora (NPHS) me Safer Gambling Aotearoa for funding this initiative. This creative project was led by Mahlon Saumalu in collaboration with Whitiwhiti Pānui Creative Hub and with the help of Mads from Māui Studios.w

A big ngā mihi nui to the following supports who helped bring this ad camapgin to life:

Māui Studios & team-
Purapura Whetū kaimahi
Harmony Church- .church
Ara Institute of Canterbury - staff, faculty & students- Ara Institute of Canterbury
Tupu whānau-
All those that provided locations, on screen-talent and all acting extras in the scenes.

11/09/2026

New Film Release | He Toi Whakairo II
2025 | 5:54 | Documentary | Kaupapa Māori

A short documentary portrait of carver and teacher Sam Hauwaho (Tūhoe, Te Aitanga a Hauiti), filmed for Te Papa Tongarewa's He Toi Whakairo exhibition. As Sam completes a deeply carved spiral work inspired by the iro grub, the film honours the living lineage of whakairo passed down from the late Tohunga Rangi Hetet.

Key Deliverables:

- Production of a short documentary profile for Te Papa’s He Toi Whakairo exhibition

- Cinematic documentation of Sam Hauwaho’s carving process and teaching legacy

- Exhibition-ready edit tailored to museum visitor flow

- Integration of archival and contemporary material to support intergenerational storytelling

- Delivery of a public-facing digital story for exhibition audiences

Production
Maui Studios

Starring
Sam Hauwaho, Veranoa Puketapu-Hetet, Rangi Hetet

Director of Photography
Madison Henry Ryan

Commissioned by
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa TongarewaTongarewa

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See more Films on Māuiflix ( Kaupapa Māori streaming alternative)
https://mauistudios.app/cinema

Plan your creative next kaupapa here:
https://mauiproject.live/

More at Maui Studios
https://mauistudios.app/

Building Rangatahi Confidence with Virtual Marae Co-design | Hauora Rangatahi 2026Hokianga Digital Education Experience:...
09/09/2026

Building Rangatahi Confidence with Virtual Marae Co-design | Hauora Rangatahi 2026

Hokianga Digital Education Experience: A culturally grounded, Fortnite-based hauora education experience for rangatahi - using UEFN as a foundation to embed kaupapa driven health learning within gameplay, narrative, and interactive decision-making.

A scoped narrative-led hauora experience where rangatahi encounter and think through real-world issues inside the game world - a reusable, multi-context tool designed to remain operational as a longer-term digital hauora resource.

Role:
○ Immersive Design
○ Unreal Engine & UEFN
○ Cultural Storytelling
○ Educational Resources
○ Strategic Communication

Deliverables:
■ Custom-built Fortnite / UEFN level aligned to hauora education goals
■ Narrative and learning objectives linked to real health challenges affecting rangatahi
■ Multiplayer for up to 50 concurrent players plus single-player usability
■ Cross-platform access (PC, Xbox, PlayStation, iPhone, Android, iPad, tablets)
■ Two rounds of revisions and bug-fixing; basic facilitator/educator support documentation
■ Milestone structure across initiation, midpoint approval, and final delivery outcome.
■ Defensible case study

See the Case Study Here:
https://mauistudios.app/case-studies

Plan your kaupapa here:
https://mauiproject.live/

More at Maui Studios
https://mauistudios.app/

Wrath of Quench Pt I | Science Communication Comic BookMaui Studios worked with Whai Ao - Dodd-Walls Centre for Photon...
31/07/2026

Wrath of Quench Pt I | Science Communication Comic Book

Maui Studios worked with Whai Ao - Dodd-Walls Centre for Photonic and Quantum Technologies Centre and Otago Museum to produce a science communication graphic novel exploring superconductivity, photonics and quantum science.

The project translated complex scientific concepts into an accessible illustrated narrative for rangatahi, schools, museums and public audiences.

Our role included visual design, science communication, publishing, strategic communication, and IP and story development. The final deliverables included a completed graphic novel, print-ready files, a digital distribution version, cover artwork and selected promotional visuals.

The publication launched during the United Nations International Year of Quantum Science and Technology and supported Te Whai Ao’s wider science outreach programme.

See the full Case Study here:
https://mauistudios.app/

Or Request a Project below:
https://mauiproject.live/

DM if you’re interested in developing a comic, science communication project, or illustrated narrative that makes complex information more accessible.

06/02/2026

Tēnei te rūrū te koukou mai nei!
Kīhai i māhitihiti, kīhai i mārakaraka te ūpoko nui o te rūrū terekou!
He pō, he pō, he ao! Ka awatea!

To commerate Waitangi Day we’re stoked to share the new Māui Studios Showreel illuminating stories we’ve helped bring to life over the past few years 🎥✨🔊

This brings together a range of kaupapa woven with care, and stands as a mihi to the talent across the motu. It reflects our ongoing exploration of identity, artistry, and the future of indigenous storytelling, all while keeping it tūturu as.

With every frame, we honour the whakapapa of our tūpuna and the visions of rangatahi yet to come. We’re looking forward to creating more visual, motion and immersive taonga, grounded in cultural intelligence and led with ngākau aroha 🪶

Address

59 Falsgrave Street
Waltham
8021

Telephone

+64224380276

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