A decade ago, a major entertainment company known for its innovative theme park attractions was seeking to make history once again. It had a vision for a groundbreaking creation that would be the smallest hand-held animatronic ever to appear in a park, but it needed an artistic genius to bring it to life, so the company called upon Emmy Award-winning special effects artist Lee Romaire and his team at Romaire Studios.
Romaire Studios is widely known for developing animatronic masterpieces that deliver movie-quality realism. They bring to each project decades of experience as well as the passion and tenacity needed to overcome challenges, which is just what the historic hand-held animatronic needed.
Working relentlessly and under the veil of secrecy often required by global entertainment companies, Romaire Studios delivered the project. The result — a tiny reptilian sidekick who had first appeared in a beloved animated feature film — once again showed the team’s unparalleled capacity for producing animatronics that bring art and technology to life.
Wowing audience with movie-quality realism
Romaire’s fascination with the artistry of animatronics began at a young age. Inspired in large part by a visit to Walt Disney World, he developed an appreciation for attractions that had a veneer of realism.
“The attractions I saw at Walt Disney World were artificial environments that magically incorporated movement,” Romaire remembers. “Through the merger of art and engineering, what was fake became alive. I was captivated. I quickly learned to appreciate the combination of many disciplines it takes to bring those inanimate objects to life.”
Romaire began his work in the entertainment industry creating special effects make-up. His early work as a sculptor involved helping to create some of the animatronic creatures produced by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.
After launching his own studio, Romaire saw the need for a cinematic approach to animatronic development that would deliver the movie-quality realism audiences loved. That type of work would become his specialty and ultimately lead to him becoming the foremost provider of live-action characters, creatures, and props.
“Once I saw the need in the industry, I shifted the studio’s focus in that direction,” Romaire explains. “Our work providing sculpture and skins for animatronics expanded to include full characters, and eventually, we were developing extremely complex animated effects for multiple theme park companies.”
Romaire’s work in the entertainment industry has also been the focus of multiple prestigious Themed Entertainment Awards. The first of these was won by Universal for the studio’s work on creating “The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash” attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2021, and another Brand Experience award was presented to Disney for the studio’s work on the “Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser” Hotel at Walt Disney World in 2022.
Building on the three pillars of animatronic excellence
Romaire and his team have risen to the top of their industry by focusing on three main components that come together in animatronics: art, engineering, and performance.
“We work hard to make the impossible look, feel, and seem possible,” Romaire explains. “Getting that depth of realism requires looking at the project from a variety of angles because cutting-edge engineering and beautiful aesthetics can only take a project so far. We know that success only comes when you can deliver a believable performance, which all begins and ends with a good show.”
Romaire’s work on the well-known Abraham Lincoln animatronic that plays the central role in Disneyland’s “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” shows his passionate commitment to delivering a good show. Disney approached Romaire in 2008 when it needed someone to refresh the cherished attraction, marking the first time Disney had enlisted the aid of an artist from outside of its ranks to help sculpt the likeness of a former US president.
Romaire’s commitment to adding next-level realism to Lincoln’s image did not disappoint. It involved studying photos of the former president to identify each unique facial feature and recreating those features in a three-dimensional sculpture. Romaire’s team even placed each facial hair by hand, shaving them by hand for maximum realism.
“Lincoln’s look, as well as his movements, had to hold up to the highest scrutiny,” Romaire explains. “To satisfy Disney, we needed to create a character that looked great from the back row of the attraction as well as from five feet away. All three components — art, engineering, and performance — needed to be managed with excellence.”
Blending vision with passion to achieve results
While Romaire brings a strong artistic vision to his work, he admits it relies just as much on having a passion to overcome the obstacles that often lie between the dream and the reality.
“Regardless of the challenge you are handed, you need to have tenacity and a firm belief you can overcome it,” Romaire says. “On one occasion, the studio was entrusted with a project that involved creating an insanely challenging hand-held animatronic prop that had to extend, retract, and glow at the same time. For decades, others had sought to make it a reality with no success. Today, we have our names on the patent for that technology because we refused to believe it couldn’t be done.”
Romaire Studios takes the artistry of animatronics to new heights, consistently delivering projects that amaze audiences with their believability and beauty. When those in the entertainment industry need excellence, they know they can turn to Romaire Studios for results, even when others say the task is impossible.