Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Megan duBois is a reporter who covers The Walt Disney Company. Mama Odie Audio-Animatronics figure for Tiana's Bayou Adventure.

Courtesy of David James/Disney/Lucasfilm Ltd. Call it the J.J. Effect. Animatronics — along with similar techniques like puppetry, makeup effects and miniatures — is making a comeback. The work was ...

Animatronics have a rich and storied history, much of it dating back to the 1964 World’s Fair. Walt Disney was fascinated by animatronics and Disney Imagineers designed and built several of them for ...

Before computer generated imagery became the industry standard, filmmakers relied on practical ingenuity to bring impossible visuals to life. Miniatures, matte paintings, animatronics, prosthetics, ...