Close Menu
  • Gaming
    • Game Guides
    • Codes
    • Game News
    • Game Previews
    • Game Reviews
    • Game Features
    • Game Lists
    • Platforms
      • Nintendo
      • PC
      • PlayStation
      • Xbox
      • Mobile
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Movie Features
    • Movie Reviews
    • TV
    • Reality TV
    • Royals
  • Celebrity
  • Human Interest
  • Astrology
  • Videos
  • More
    • Anime
    • Lists
    • Podcasts
    • Reviews
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram LinkedIn YouTube
  • About Us
  • Join Our Team
  • Meet the Team
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Sitemap
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Advertising Policy
The Nerd Stash
  • Gaming
  • Celebrity
  • Human Interest
  • Videos
The Nerd Stash
Home»Movie Features»Five Nights At Freddy’s Is A Triumph Of Production Design

Five Nights At Freddy’s Is A Triumph Of Production Design

Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza is the main character.

Joshua McCoyBy Joshua McCoyOctober 28, 20234 Mins Read
Chica from the Five Nights at Freddy's movie
Image Source: Universal

Skip To...

  • Designers Are Five Nights at Freddy’s Unsung Heroes
  • Five Nights at Freddy’s and the “Point” of Video Game Movies
This article is over 1 years old and may contain outdated information.

Design is Five Nights at Freddy’s secret weapon. This is true of the game franchise, but the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie relies on the set dressing above all else. The film has characters, jokes, and far too much backstory, but those elements fade to the back of your mind before the credits roll. Five Nights at Freddy’s is valuable as a showcase for animatronics and Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza before anything else.

Designers Are Five Nights at Freddy’s Unsung Heroes

Josh Hutcherson as Mike in Five Nights at Freddy's
Image Source: Universal Pictures YouTube

When we discuss films, we tend to attribute all praise and criticism to a single name. This generally falls upon the most famous person on the cast or crew. The writer, director, celebrity producer, or star appears in every mention. Five Nights at Freddy’s doesn’t have that problem because its director is relatively unknown and only has a few established performers. We all know a hundred directors, and likely a few dozen writers, but we can’t name many special effects professionals. They’re the ones who make most of the movies we know. An Avengers movie lives or dies on its VFX work, as endless armchair critics regularly point out. Five Nights at Freddy’s relies more on its production designers, set decorators, and Jim Henson’s Creature Shop to elevate its horror experience.

Marc Fisichella was the production designer on the set of Five Nights at Freddy’s. Fisichella has filled the same role on many products across genres. He worked with Blumhouse before in its 2019 films, Ma and Fantasy Island. As the production designer, Fisichella sets the design style for the film. He’s partially responsible for the live-action recreation of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. He wasn’t alone. Previous collaborator Claire Sanchez stepped in to provide set decoration, a critical job in this film. The art department features 20 dedicated professionals. Jim Henson’s Creature Shop deserves high praise for its practical animatronic effects considering bringing Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, Foxy, and the restaurant to life was the most critical aspect of the film to nail, and these artists succeeded.

Related:

Five Nights at Freddy’s Releases Official Trailer

Five Nights at Freddy’s and the “Point” of Video Game Movies

Bonnie in Freddy Fazbear's in Five Nights at Freddy's
Image Source: Universal Pictures YouTube

I despise the way we discuss video game adaptations. Many cultural commentators still treat games as an inherently lesser art form. The live-action adaptation of a moving story like The Last of Us is met with shocked gasps. Shot-for-shot remakes are celebrated. It’s as if every interactive narrative as a medium must be rescued to be taken seriously. Most games are better in their original form. As much as we pretend a live-action adaptation lends prestige, it’s a downgrade in most cases. The “video game movie” curse has been nonsense since the early 90s, but removing one of the central features of a work will hurt its appeal. Though I’ll vociferously defend the value of games in their original medium, I must also admit the desire to see some digital creations realized with Hollywood money. It’s like meeting Megatron at Universal Studios.

Five Nights at Freddy’s retells the story of the first game. More importantly, it faithfully captures Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza and its animatronics. The joy of the film is seeing Freddy and his pals realized through dudes in suits or modern robotics. An animated series couldn’t achieve that. You can watch a making-of video and see the tactile representations of your favorite jump scare lumbering through your favorite pizza place. This is a simple pleasure. It’s not about expanding the lore or experiencing a new perspective. Instead, live-action video game adaptations give you the fun of feeling like Freddy Fazbear’s is a tangible place. Set aside your desire for characters, narrative, or good writing – Five Nights at Freddy’s is perfect for fans who want to believe Freddy is out there somewhere.

Related:

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Ending, Explained

Five Nights at Freddy’s is enjoyable exclusively thanks to the work of designers, artists, and prop professionals who rarely receive their due praise. Instead of relying on the typical tenants of storytelling, Five Nights at Freddy’s justifies the ticket price through superior design. The animatronics look great, Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza is flawless, and the visuals are generally excellent. Like the game, the lore is a secondary concern compared to the joy of witnessing these terrifying restaurant robots.

Related Topics
Five Nights at Freddy's fnaf
Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit Email
Joshua McCoy
  • Website

Josh is a lifelong film buff, tournament-winning Smash Bros. player, Dungeons & Dragons expert, and dedicated writer in the movies, TV, and gaming spaces.

SUGGESTED READS

rarest DVD horror movies from the 1980s
Movie Lists

The Top 10 Rarest ’80s DVD Horror Movies Worth a Small Fortune

Into the Restless Ruins key art
Game Features

Into the Restless Ruins Interview: ‘If Anything, Indies Are in a Better Position to Thrive Than Bigger Companies’

Racers in Mario Kart World
Game Features

Mario Kart World Is a Gamble That Will Probably Pay Off for Nintendo

A menacing tornado looms behind a soldier in an otherwise quiet English town in Atomfall
8.5
Features

Atomfall Review – Survivor Elite

Mortal Kombat 2 first promo images without Cole Young
Movie News

Mortal Kombat 2 Promo Images Are Here With No Sign of Cole Young; Excellent!

The modernized interior of the Bank map in Rainbow Six Siege X
Game Features

Rainbow Six Siege X – Hands-On Impressions: Once More Into the Breach

Trending
SpaceX-Controlled Texas Town Could Strip Residents of Property Use Rights: ‘Are We Surprised? No, Not at All’

SpaceX-Controlled Texas Town Could Strip Residents of Property Use Rights: ‘Are We Surprised? No, Not at All’

Evolve: The Marathon Review (Xbox One)

#IDARB Review (Xbox One)

‘Hotline Miami 2’ Banned in Australia

The Nerd Stash
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube LinkedIn
  • About Us
  • Join Our Team
  • Meet the Team
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Sitemap
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Advertising Policy
© 2025 The Nerd Stash. All Rights Reserved.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.