Standing out at the annual Met Gala is no easy feat. The event features the world’s biggest celebrities wearing outfits by the world’s most celebrated designers, so celebrities will often need to accessorize to garner extra attention.
One of the most intriguing accessories to appear on the runway for the Met Gala in recent years was Frank Ocean’s Robot Baby. The green-skinned animatronic, which goes by the name of Cody, fascinated crowds at the 2021 Met Gala by blinking, nodding its head, and waving to those gathered around the red carpet. The media said Cody was “one of the most memorable parts of the night.”
Lee Romaire, the Emmy Award-winning special effects artist who founded Romaire Studios in 2000, and his team were the creative minds who brought Cody to life. “Frank was interested in doing something with a ‘wow’ factor,” Romaire shares, “and even though it took a bit of experimentation to get there, the ultimate result was something unique and very memorable.”
Overcoming obstacles to deliver the wow factor
Projects that involve a “wow” factor have come to be a specialty of Romaire Studios. Its commitment to infusing movie-quality realism into animatronic features has made it a sought-after partner by top studios and theme parks. When a project verges on the impossible, Romaire and his team have proven they can deliver.
“We were once handed a project that had frustrated other studios for decades that involved an insanely difficult animatronic hand-held prop that had to extend and retract and glow at the same time,” Romaire recalls. “It took time, tenacity, and a lot of creativity, but we eventually figured it out. Our success is founded on a firm belief you can overcome whatever challenge you are handed.”
Romaire’s work has earned numerous awards, including two prestigious Themed Entertainment Awards 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” at Walt Disney World in 2022.
Making a vision come to life with Frank Ocean’s Cody
Romaire’s project for Frank Ocean and Cody initially involved creating a window display for Ocean’s Manhattan jewelry store. As it progressed, however, Ocean had the idea of bringing Cody with him to the Met Gala.
“The initial project was to create a standing baby, so we built an animatronic body that had all of the motors needed for movement underneath the platform below its feet,” Romaire shares. “Then, we received a call asking us to convert Cody to a hand-held animatronic Frank could walk down the red carpet with.”
The update involved some considerable challenges, and the Met Gala was only a few weeks away. Cody’s body was small — there wasn’t much room to insert the technology needed to bring him to life — but Romaire and his team dove in, believing once again they could overcome the challenge.
“We had to completely redesign Cody, moving all of the motors as well as the battery power to the inside of his body,” Romaire explains. “Once we figured it out, we also needed to develop a protocol for Frank’s team to follow to ensure everything worked correctly. It came off flawlessly.”
Romaire’s ability to pivot and work with his client’s unique needs is another of his studio’s strengths. Clients bring their dreams and Romaire brings them to life.
“We helped with iterations of the concept and provided guidance, but Cody was literally Frank’s baby,” Romaire shares. “He decided on the look, color, and finish — right down to Cody’s orthodontic braces. Even the onesie Cody wears is a pattern based on one of Frank’s silk scarves in his luxury goods line.”
Mixing technology and art for magical results
With Cody, the engineering Romaire provided blended age-old creative practices with the latest technological processes. The studio did a likeness sculpt of an actual child’s face, then turned to technology to develop the proportions of the body. The process also involved testing many finishes for the look of the skin, including blue, yellow, and chrome.
“I love working with people like Frank,” Romaire says. “He knows what he wants, but it takes a bit of experimentation to get there. I’m kind of the same way in my creative work. I fiddle and try things, experimenting a bit to get it where I want it so it can arrive at the best version of what I envisioned.”
When reporters asked Ocean what he hoped to bring to the Met Gala red carpet by showing up with Cody, he responded, “Movie magic.” While Romaire’s animatronic masterpieces can definitely deliver that kind of magic, he says Cody succeeded because it was designed to engage with Ocean and others at the Met Gala in a believable way.
“The magic was actually Frank acting and reacting with the baby,” Romaire says. “We created a ‘canned’ looping program for his movements, and once he was powered on, Cody ran through the program and did what he did. The way Frank engaged made it seem that Cody was reacting to him. Frank’s performance influenced the spectators, who believed the baby was looking directly at them and waving. I don’t think it could have come off any better, and I’m very happy to have been involved in the project. It was pretty magical.”
