WE'RE MAKING THE BIG OL' OCEAN SEEM SMALLER DAY BY DAY
At Twiddle Productions, our goal is to create projects that ignite the imagination, nourish the soul, and educate the minds of both children and adults alike. We are passionate about bringing a fresh perspective and vision to each project we undertake, whether it involves developing cultural-based content, thought-provoking animation, engaging storybooks, or innovative curriculum.
Despite being located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, our team possesses a wealth of experience and expertise. We are a diverse group of talented individuals, each with our own unique background and perspective. Our collective knowledge and creativity allow us to create content that is not only visually stunning but also culturally relevant and educational. We are committed to pushing the boundaries of what is possible and creating content that inspires, educates, and entertains. 
As a testament to our team's capabilities, here is a small sampling of projects that our past and present crew members have created, are working on, or have been involved with
Meet a few of our Team members and Partners |
Michael Q. Ceballos
CEO/ Founder/ Director/ Executive Producer/Art Director
Twiddle Productions is headed up by Michael Q. Ceballos, Michael Q. Ceballos is a Producer/Director/Animator and the CEO of Twiddle Productions Inc. With over 25 years of experience in the animation and game industries, he has created a track record of creating engaging content for audiences of all ages. His first job in the animation industry was on Duckman at Klasky Csupo. He then worked at the legendary Hanna Barbera studio on an animated series version of the film Dumb and Dumber. But it was at Nickelodeon where he honed his skills on five seasons of the cult hit, The Angry Beavers, as lead character designer and supervisor. He also worked with legendary Godfather and Rosemary's Baby film producer Robert Evans on his animated biographic show for Comedy Central, Kid Notorious.
In 2005, Michael relocated to Honolulu, Hawai‘i, where he art directed and co-wrote two RPG educational games titled Cosmos Chaos! for struggling 4th-grade readers for the Nintendo DS system. He also created and produced the award-winning E Hoʻomau! animated series of films and educational books which featured three animated Hawaiian legends, nine science books, and three graphic novels.
In 2013, Michael formed Twiddle Productions Inc. and directed and produced Ola Na Iwi: Hāloa, an animated short film telling the origins of the Hawaiian people, along with the companion children's storybooks Ola Na Iwi: I am Hawai’i and Ola Na Iwi: He Hawai’i Au. In 2017, his short film Maisa the Chamoru Girl who Saves Guåhan, which was produced with the Guam Department of Education, won Best Short Film at the 2017 Pasifika Film Festival.
Starting in 2019, Michael has produced and directed a range of other projects, including Titration: Radioactive Waste, Princeton, and the Navajo Nation, an award-winning short animated film created in association with Princeton University. He also produced and directed Moho, a story about what would happen if Duke Kahanumoku were to return to Waikiki today, The Peek-a-Bows, an animation/live-action mini-series featuring the Maui-based musical group Peek-a-Bows, and most recently, the 5-episode series Nā Kama Kai’s Maka‘ala Bay: Lessons from the Sea which teaches kids ocean safety and Hawaiian culture for the Hawai’i based non profit company Nā Kama Kai.
Currently, Michael is working on a Hawaiian language version of Nā Kama Kai’s Maka‘ala Bay: Lessons from the Sea series, and he will start production on Tales of Armenian Hope: The Kids Crusade, which tells the story of how a young Jackie Coogan raised money, food, and clothing for surviving orphans of the Armenian genocide. This project is in association with The Shoah foundation at USC.
In addition to his production work, Michael is also passionate about teaching and education. He recently created Keiki Coding, a place-based educational program and series of books that teach kids how to create and code video games. He also holds Animation, Drawing, and Robotic classes at the Twiddle Productions Studios.
He is also a founder and Producer of CAFF The Cultural Animation Film Festival which takes place yearly at The Honolulu Museum of Art Doris Duke Theatre.
CEO/ Founder/ Director/ Executive Producer/Art Director
Twiddle Productions is headed up by Michael Q. Ceballos, Michael Q. Ceballos is a Producer/Director/Animator and the CEO of Twiddle Productions Inc. With over 25 years of experience in the animation and game industries, he has created a track record of creating engaging content for audiences of all ages. His first job in the animation industry was on Duckman at Klasky Csupo. He then worked at the legendary Hanna Barbera studio on an animated series version of the film Dumb and Dumber. But it was at Nickelodeon where he honed his skills on five seasons of the cult hit, The Angry Beavers, as lead character designer and supervisor. He also worked with legendary Godfather and Rosemary's Baby film producer Robert Evans on his animated biographic show for Comedy Central, Kid Notorious.
In 2005, Michael relocated to Honolulu, Hawai‘i, where he art directed and co-wrote two RPG educational games titled Cosmos Chaos! for struggling 4th-grade readers for the Nintendo DS system. He also created and produced the award-winning E Hoʻomau! animated series of films and educational books which featured three animated Hawaiian legends, nine science books, and three graphic novels.
In 2013, Michael formed Twiddle Productions Inc. and directed and produced Ola Na Iwi: Hāloa, an animated short film telling the origins of the Hawaiian people, along with the companion children's storybooks Ola Na Iwi: I am Hawai’i and Ola Na Iwi: He Hawai’i Au. In 2017, his short film Maisa the Chamoru Girl who Saves Guåhan, which was produced with the Guam Department of Education, won Best Short Film at the 2017 Pasifika Film Festival.
Starting in 2019, Michael has produced and directed a range of other projects, including Titration: Radioactive Waste, Princeton, and the Navajo Nation, an award-winning short animated film created in association with Princeton University. He also produced and directed Moho, a story about what would happen if Duke Kahanumoku were to return to Waikiki today, The Peek-a-Bows, an animation/live-action mini-series featuring the Maui-based musical group Peek-a-Bows, and most recently, the 5-episode series Nā Kama Kai’s Maka‘ala Bay: Lessons from the Sea which teaches kids ocean safety and Hawaiian culture for the Hawai’i based non profit company Nā Kama Kai.
Currently, Michael is working on a Hawaiian language version of Nā Kama Kai’s Maka‘ala Bay: Lessons from the Sea series, and he will start production on Tales of Armenian Hope: The Kids Crusade, which tells the story of how a young Jackie Coogan raised money, food, and clothing for surviving orphans of the Armenian genocide. This project is in association with The Shoah foundation at USC.
In addition to his production work, Michael is also passionate about teaching and education. He recently created Keiki Coding, a place-based educational program and series of books that teach kids how to create and code video games. He also holds Animation, Drawing, and Robotic classes at the Twiddle Productions Studios.
He is also a founder and Producer of CAFF The Cultural Animation Film Festival which takes place yearly at The Honolulu Museum of Art Doris Duke Theatre.
Mathew Kawika Ortiz
Concept Artist/Art Director/Storyboards/ Backgrounds Mr. Matthew Kawika Ortiz is a Hawaiʻi-based artist who specializes in storyboards, illustration, graphic design,and printmaking. Mr. Ortiz recently illustrated the childrenʼs book Mohala Mai ʻo Hau, which was awarded the bronze medal for the 2010 international Moonbeam Childrenʼs Book Awards and a Ka Palapala Poʻokela award nominee. Matt started out his career interning and creating conceptual art for the Warner Brothers feature film Superman Returns. He also storyboarded all three E Hoʻomau! films, background designs on Ola Nā Iwi: Hāloa short animated film, and was also the co-art director on the award winning short film Maisa the Chamoru Girl who Saves Guåhan. Mr. Ortiz also travels cross country painting his signature murals featuring whimsical views of sustainable treehouses, boats and buildings. Most recently Matt was featured on the NBC hit show Making it co-hosted by Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman. Matt along with craftspeople skilled in different media from across the nation competed against each other to be named the "Master Maker." |
Kai Lono
Animator/Compositor Kai Lono started his career out of high school in animation as a intern on the E Hoomau Hawaiian legend animated project. He soon became the Background lead and set the Background style for E Hoomau: The Menehune and The Birds which screens locally at HIFF and festivals across the country. In addition to his background in animation, Kai is also a musician and illustrator. 
Cherise Takiguchi
Lead Animator Cherise is a Hawai'i-based artist and animator who’s work can be seen in many diverse projects such as the Universal Studios 3D Ride "Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem", and the 3D animated Looney Tunes short, "I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat”, “Veggie Tales”, and the Discovery Channels “Dinosaur Revolution”Cherise has also taught animation at Kapi'olani Community College and 'Iolani School. |
Twiddle Creative Partners
Arpi Krikorian
Artist/ Sosse Executive Producer Hailing from Pasadena, California, Arpi Krikorian started her artistic endeavors at a young age when she attended the Art Center College of Design’s (ACCD) High School program. Shortly afterwards, she was accepted into their undergraduate program and received a BA in illustration. Four years later, an internship led to a full time artist on staff position at Nickelodeon Animation Studios in Burbank, Ca. where she worked as a storyboard artist for The Angry Beavers. In addition to Beavers she also worked on other NickToon hits like Hey Arnold, CatDog and Dora the Explorer. In 2012, Arpi refocused her artistic skills to create Arpi Krikorian Designs where she has successfully created both artwork and product showcasing the Armenian culture. It was this change in her artistic career that once again brought her full circle as an Executive Producer alongside Twiddle Productions Inc. on Sosse and The Daredevils of Sassoun whose visuals will be based on her Armenian artwork and style. 
Kimo Armitage
Writer Kimo Armitage is an award winning playwright and children's book author. He has written and edited over 20 books, mostly for children, in Hawaiian and English. He published his first novel, The Healers, with the University of Hawai‘i Press in February 2016 which uses traditional Hawaiian themes and techniques. He received his doctoral degree in creative writing from the University of Hawai‘i. His poetry draws upon the rich stories of his youth spent in Hale‘iwa, Hawai‘i, where he was raised by his maternal grandparents. |
Keith Kaczorek
Writer/Producer KEITH KACZOREK is a writer and producer with over 20 years of professional experience. He began his career at MTV writing for the groundbreaking comedy game show “Remote Control” as well as Spring Break specials and “Beavis & Butt-Head.” He has since written comedy and animation for FBC, ABC, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, the Disney Channel, Disney TV Animation, Jim Henson Productions and Spike TV among others. He was co-developer and executive story editor for five seasons on Nickelodeon’s “The Angry Beavers” cartoon show and wrote for NBC’s “Las Vegas.” He’s frequently collaborated with Barry Stringfellow and has also created promos for MTV, Nickelodeon and Nick At Nite. Like The Dude in “The Big Lebowski” he abides in Los Angeles and has a rug that really brings his living room together. 
Dr. Mary Therese Perez Hattori
A native CHamoru of Guåhan(Guam), Dr. Hattori holds a B.Ed. and Professional Diploma in Secondary Social Studies with a concentration in Pacific Islands History, an M.Ed. in Educational Technology, and an Ed.D. in Professional Educational Practice from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Her academic interests include educational technology, culturally sustaining education and leadership, Pacific Islands Studies, and indigenous research methodologies. She is a Scholarship Specialist with the East-West Center and Cooperating Graduate Faculty with the University of Hawai'i, as well as an author, community organizer, poet, public speaker, and philanthropist. Read more about her at https://maryhattori.wordpress.com/ |