Membership Directory - Corporate
FGR8
About
Company Website Address: Available to Members
Business Description for Membership Directory: FGR8 designs, builds, and delivers advanced animatronics that bring beloved characters and stories to spectacular life for the world’s biggest brands. Founded by Emmy™ and Thea™ Award winners Chuck Fawcett and Steve Andersen, FGR8 merges cutting-edge robotics, AI-driven control systems, and hyper-realistic artistry to create characters that look, move, and feel real.
With over 30 years of innovation behind them, the team has helped define every major advancement in the animatronics industry—bringing impossible experiences to billions of guests worldwide. Trusted by clients like Disney, DreamWorks, Universal, and Warner Bros., FGR8 delivers the highest standard of “impossible realism,” transforming technology into emotion and imagination into life.
Additional Information: FGR8 – Business Bio
Bringing the Impossible to Life
FGR8 is an advanced animatronics company redefining what’s possible in live character experiences. Founded by Emmy™ and Thea™ Award winners Chuck Fawcett and Steve Andersen, the company designs and delivers lifelike, interactive characters that bring the world’s most beloved IPs to reality. With over three decades of innovation, the FGR8 team has created some of the most iconic and technically advanced animatronics ever built for theme parks, resorts, and global attractions.
What We Do
FGR8 specializes in advanced animatronics and AI-driven control systems that integrate lifelike movement, emotion, and interactivity. Its proprietary “plug-and-play” platform enables fluid, zero-jitter motion and organic performance—revolutionizing how characters come alive.
Each creation reflects meticulous artistry and precision engineering. FGR8’s mastery of material science, tissue simulation, and hyper-realistic finishing ensures every detail—skin, motion, expression—feels authentically alive.
Our Mission
To create the most authentic, believable, and emotionally resonant animatronic experiences on the planet—blending technology, storytelling, and human connection to make audiences believe in magic again.
Our Legacy
For more than 30 years, FGR8’s founders have shaped nearly every major innovation in animatronics. From early Sesame Street figures to today’s humanoids, their work has defined lifelike character creation. Their achievements have touched billions worldwide—through Disney, Universal, DreamWorks, SeaWorld, Nickelodeon, and Warner Bros.—while pioneering control systems that merge motion, audio, lighting, and video for cinematic realism.
Our Difference
Authentic Realism: Characters that move and emote like living beings.
AI-Driven Performance: Proprietary software enables autonomous, fluid behavior.
Trusted Expertise: Proven leaders in world-class themed entertainment.
Innovation Without Limits: We don’t just recreate reality—we invent the impossible.
Our Founders
Chuck Fawcett – President & Chief Creative Officer
An Emmy™ and Thea™ Award-winning designer and creative executive, Fawcett founded and grew Animax Designs into one of the industry’s most successful animatronics firms before co-founding FGR8. His work for Disney, DreamWorks, and Sesame Workshop has become iconic worldwide. A past International Board President of the Themed Entertainment Association and Co-Founder of the Big Break Foundation, he remains a leading voice for innovation and inclusivity.
Steve Andersen – Chief Executive Officer
A Thea™ Award-winning engineer and strategist, Andersen brings over 30 years of experience in high-tech and advanced manufacturing. Formerly EVP at Animax, he led delivery of the animatronic banshee for Avatar: The Experience at Gardens by the Bay. As CEO, he oversees operations, R&D, and strategy—ensuring every FGR8 creation meets the company’s uncompromising standard of “impossible realism.”
FGR8 at a Glance
Founded: 2024
Headquarters: Nashville, Tennessee
Core Expertise: Advanced animatronics, soft robotics, AI-integrated control systems
Awards: 2 Emmy™ Awards, 10 THEA Awards
Clients: Disney, Universal, DreamWorks, SeaWorld, Warner Bros., Nickelodeon, Sesame Workshop
Mission: To design, build, and deliver live character experiences that make the impossible believable.
Social Media Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-fawcett-a25aba7/
Division: Eastern North America
Province: Available to Members
City: Available to Members
Members
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