Decoding the Enigma: Unveiling the Magic Behind Animatronics in Five Nights at Freddy's

A highly-anticipated film adaptation of Five Nights at Freddy's has finally arrived after the renowned video game franchise's successful run of almost a decade. To gain insights into the creation of the lifelike animatronics featured in the movie, we had the privilege of speaking with FNAF director Emma Tammi and lead designer Robert Bennett.

The popular horror games are most famous for their main antagonist, Freddy Fazbear, and his group of animatronic animals who relentlessly pursue the protagonist. Typically, the protagonist portrays a security guard working the night shift at a family-oriented pizzeria.

These games exploit the eerie unease we experienced during our childhood visits to places like Chuck E. Cheese. Many of us can recall the slightly unsettling memories of the animatronic rat and his companions, who would intermittently entertain the audience with programmed songs and jerky movements.

The animatronics featured in the FNAF movie were undeniably monstrous - in the most incredible way possible.

Given that Freddy and his crew play such pivotal roles in the FNAF series, it was absolutely crucial to ensure that the homicidal animatronics were flawlessly brought to life on the big screen. To shed light on this process, we had the privilege of chatting with director Emma Tammi and the mastermind responsible for creating these iconic mascots, Robert Bennett.

Robert Bennett reveals “biggest challenge” bringing FNAF animatronics to life

"There is always room for interpretation when you transfer something from the digital realm to the physical realm," Bennett explained. "However, in this specific scenario, our goal was to remain as faithful as possible. It was indeed a demanding task, but that's the essence of our work. It's what we thrive on."

The animatronics in FNAF are massive, powerful mechanical creatures that can swiftly navigate hallways and brutally attack security guards who are unaware.

When questioned about the difficulties the team encountered when bringing the animatronics to life, Bennett acknowledged that one of their major challenges was maintaining the authenticity of the designs while accommodating specific movements and adjusting for the actors wearing the suits in the movie.

“I believe {h1_placeholder_1} making a 3D object in a video game both visually and texturally accurate, especially in the shadows, is crucial. This aspect plays a significant role in ensuring that the objects function properly," explained Bennett. "There are instances where we need to adjust the length or shape to accommodate the actors or enhance their comfort. However, despite these adjustments, we must still remain faithful to the original design. I think this was the main challenge we faced for each character."

FNAF animatronics had multiple versions for the film

Tammi revealed that the team was not daunted by the extensive movements portrayed by the characters in the games. In fact, they skillfully replicated these actions in real life by developing various versions of each mascot - ranging from performer-friendly suits to fully mechanized animatronic replicas.

"We had an array of options: performers in suits and animatronic replicas," Tammi explained. "Sometimes it was a combination of both, with a suited performer accompanied by animatronic arms. This allowed us unparalleled flexibility and adaptability in bringing our desired moments to life. Hence, there was nothing we felt incapable of achieving."

Director Emma Tammi and creature designer Robert Bennett revealed that they developed various versions of the animatronics, with the intention of making Foxy a complete animatronic. While Freddy, Bonnie, and Chica were predominantly portrayed by actors in suits, the team also crafted animatronic renditions of them for specific circumstances. However, when it came to Foxy, the team opted for a purely animatronic approach. Bennett explained that bringing Foxy to life required the efforts of six performers to manipulate its movements.

"Freddy, Bonnie, and Chica were primarily portrayed by suit performers, but we also had an animatronic version of them that we could interchange. For instance, if the animatronic was simply standing on the stage without much movement, we would use the full animatronic. However, if we needed Freddy to lunge at someone, we preferred the suit performer. Foxy, on the other hand, was designed differently. We wanted to be able to see through the decay and holes, so we created a full animatronic for him. It took six performers to bring him to life when he was operational."

You can catch Five Nights at Freddy's in theaters on October 26, and it is also available for streaming on Peacock.