Insights from Five Nights at Freddy's Director and Designer: Delving into the Enigmatic Gleaming Eyes of Animatronics

The glowing eyes of the animatronics in the movie trailers did not go unnoticed by fans of Five Nights at Freddy's. In an exclusive interview with Dexerto, lead designer Robert Bennett and director Emma Tammi revealed the thought process behind this stylistic decision. After dominating the horror game industry for almost ten years, the highly-awaited Hollywood adaptation of Five Nights at Freddy's has finally arrived.

The FNAF series includes 9 mainline games and a wide range of fan-made and spin-off titles. Each game showcases redesigned or completely new versions of the animatronics from the main games.

A comprehensive list of all the FNAF animatronics reveals a vast array of unique interpretations of popular mascots such as Freddy, Bonnie, Foxy, and others. These variations include Toy and Shadow versions, among numerous other distinctive variations.

However, the stylistic choice made by the FNAF film team, where the animatronics' eyes glow at certain points in the movie, received mixed reactions from fans. It sparked a conversation within the FNAF fanbase when the trailers were initially released in summer 2023. Numerous fans expressed their dissatisfaction with this decision, claiming that it diminished the creepy factor and made the creatures appear "goofy" compared to their game counterparts. However, subsequent glimpses of the movie displayed a revised design without this specific feature, appeasing some of the initial concerns.

We got the chance to speak to FNAF director Emma Tammi and lead designer Robert Bennett about the animatronics’ eyes and how they went about making them glow for the film.

FNAF film director & designer speak up about animatronics’ glowing eyes

During our conversation, Tammi expressed her admiration for the characters' eyes, referring to them as one of her favorite aspects of the design and build process. Bennett agreed, emphasizing that the eyes played a crucial role in enhancing the overall appearance of the animatronics and were a focal point for the team's attention while working on the movie.

"For me, the eyes are the essence of any creature or character that we create at the creature shop," Bennett explained. "They are the window to the soul, the first thing that captures your attention. They hold immense significance. Just like when you engage in a conversation with someone, eye contact is paramount. It truly enhances the believability, and in this movie, the eyes themselves are characters of their own."

According to FNAF movie director Emma Tammi and lead designer Robert Bennett, the design process of the animatronics heavily focused on their eyes. Bennett explained the extensive efforts they put into finding the perfect material for the LEDs, ensuring that their eyes glowed correctly. Although the process was challenging, he expressed satisfaction with how amazing their eyes looked on film.

There are dark scenes in which only the eyes are visible. We dedicated a significant amount of time designing these scenes, determining the appropriate material for the LEDs behind the eyes to create the correct glow. This was technically challenging, but I am extremely satisfied with the final result. On camera, they look truly remarkable. Additionally, we wanted to ensure that they were appropriate for the time period, while also incorporating enough texture and complexity to give a subtle touch of realism that evokes empathy.

The film adaptation of Five Nights at Freddy's will be released in theaters on October 26, 2023. It will also be available for streaming on Peacock.