By: Nik Korba
Romaire Studios, which was founded in 2000 by Emmy Award-winning special effects artist Lee Romaire, has a unique reputation in the global entertainment industry. When the world’s biggest entertainment companies need a groundbreaking innovation, they turn to Romaire and his team. His studio, which is the foremost provider of live-action creatures, characters, and props for the worldwide entertainment industry, is known as the place where the impossible becomes possible.
“We are innovation leaders who succeed where others fail because we are tenacious,” Romaire explains. “We have a firm belief that there is always a way to overcome whatever challenge we are handed.”
One of those challenges was brought to Romaire by a major entertainment company and involved what he describes as “an insanely difficult animatronic hand prop” that needed to extend and retract while glowing. “This particular prop was one that other studios had tried to develop for decades with no success,” Romaire shares, “but we were relentless in our pursuit of a solution, eventually found it, and now the patent for the technology that drives the prop has our name on it.”
Romaire’s award-winning artistry and tenacity come together in his studio’s creations, resulting in art that is engineered for performance.
Delivering quality on time
Sometimes, it’s the timeline as well as the technology that presents a seemingly insurmountable challenge. That was the case when the popular YouTuber Socksfor1 wanted to create fully functional character suits depicting Freddy Fazbear, Bonnie, Chica, and three other iconic characters from “Five Nights at Freddy’s.”
To add to the challenge, Socksfor1 needed all six done in eight weeks, a monumental feat that was unheard of in the world of content creation, but Romaire Studios delivered once again. The six suits, which included animatronic faces and intricate programming, were created with excellence and delivered on time. The video that features them — Five Nights at Freddy’s in Real Life — has been viewed over 27 million times.
Setting new standards for realism
A commitment to realism is another factor that sets Romaire Studios apart. As Romaire began working with animatronics at some of the world’s leading entertainment companies, he realized they weren’t delivering the movie quality realism audiences were coming to expect.
“As I started getting more involved with animatronics, I recognized the need for a cinematic approach that would deliver a higher level of believability,” Romaire says. “That inspired me to increase the work the studio was doing in that area. We moved from providing skins and sculptures that were used in animatronics to producing full characters. Now we do it all, creating extremely complex animated effects that are used in theme parks around the world.”
In 2009, Romaire’s commitment to realism opened the door to a historic opportunity. Walt Disney Studios was looking for help revitalizing the Abraham Lincoln animatronic that appears in the Disneyland attraction “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” and tapped Romaire for the task, marking the first time in history they would bring in an artist from outside of Disney to sculpt the likeness of a former US president.
Romaire turned to historical photos to ensure his work on Lincoln was authentic. He discovered one of Lincoln’s eyebrows had a peak in it, some white showed under his irises, and one eyelid sat lower than the other — all features that were incorporated into the final product. To give an authentic look to the animatronic’s beard, Romaire even hand-placed every hair and then hand-shaved them.
“To be impactful, animatronics need to be believable,” Romaire notes. “The emotion needs to come through for audiences to engage.”
Providing an expert blend of engineering and art
The in-house engineering capabilities of Romaire Studios are constantly evolving to meet the growing needs of the entertainment industry. Its staff, which includes several animatronic electro-mechanical designers, has specialized expertise in electric actuation and extensive experience with rapid prototyping.
“We’ve developed a reputation for having it all,” Romaire says. “We not only have a top-notch engineering department but also top-notch artistic talent.”
As shown during its Five Nights at Freddy’s project, Romaire Studios also excels at project management, utilizing systems that allow it to precisely track the project process and ensure timely delivery. Its project management approach includes critical path scheduling at the work-package level and industry-leading risk management.
Romaire Studios’ attention to both artistic and technical details has earned them numerous accolades, including two prestigious Themed Entertainment Awards (THEAs) for the “The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash” attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2021 and Brand Experience for “Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser” Hotel at Walt Disney World in 2022. It’s also earned them a reputation for being able to deliver characters and effects that capture the imagination of all who see them.
“We are committed to making the impossible look, feel, and seem possible,” Romaire says. “Cutting-edge engineering and captivating aesthetics can only do so much. The real test is whether or not you can deliver a believable performance. It all begins and ends with a good show.”
Published by: Nelly Chavez
