Red Raion: A Decade of Immersive Storytelling
On the occasion of our 10th anniversary, Attractions Management has published an exclusive interview, here in its entirety.
This year marks a significant milestone for Red Raion, the CGI studio that has become a trusted name in producing immersive content for the attractions industry.
Founded in 2014, the company launched its brand the following year, during IAAPA Göteborg (then still called EAS - Europe Attractions Show), spending the last ten years bringing cutting-edge immersive experiences to theme parks, science centers, family entertainment centers, and museums around the world.
Ten years later, at the same event where it all began - this time in Barcelona, the company is presenting its 19th CGI movie for licensing, Beauty and the Beast - Once Upon a Mess, where it is showing an exclusive preview to operators during meetings. The movie is coming soon in 5D, VR, Dome, and Fly formats.
Today, we have Antonio Cannata (CEO and Co-Founder), Federico Laudani (Studio Director and Co-Founder) and Valeria Rizzo (Chief Brand Officer), tell us about this 10-year-long ongoing journey, including the main obstacles Red Raion has faced and its future plans.
Red Raion is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. What does this milestone mean to the company as a whole?
Antonio Cannata: When we entered the market, a clear gap was evident: no company was truly specialized in creating CGI content for attractions. On one side, you had Hollywood studios or generalist providers, on the other, you had distributors acting as middlemen.
We decided to create a new niche - CGI content for media-based attractions - and dedicate ourselves entirely to it.
We were the first to build a library of VR films specifically for attractions, which was groundbreaking at the time. From there, we refined our focus and specialization. We studied the market and evolved with it, expanded our catalog with other formats, and now we have a growing library of movies for licensing in 5D, VR, Dome, and Fly formats, and a very varied custom content portfolio.
Another distinctive element from the beginning has been our direct approach: clients work directly with us, the producers, without intermediaries. This transparency and clarity helped us earn trust early on.
Of course, creating a business from scratch in an already established global industry was no easy task. Step by step, we became a reliable partner, starting with simple projects like safety videos and evolving into highly complex productions.
Today, the market continues to expand, both geographically (with growth in China, the Middle East, and other regions) and across new types of venues such as resorts and cruise lines.
Having been here for 10 years, I am proud to say that if there’s a new technology, or a new kind of attraction, or a new location to improve with CGI, we are ready to face it.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in establishing the brand in such a competitive industry?
Valeria Rizzo: The first challenge was proving our value as a young company.
Some processes had been the same for decades, and many clients didn’t even realize they had a problem: CGI content for attractions was often treated as an afterthought or outsourced through middlemen. We had to change mindsets, showing operators that content is king. It’s not something you add at the end of a project, but a core element that should be discussed and designed from the very beginning.
Another challenge has been learning to work with different markets and cultures. Each region has its own uniqueness and requires a tailored approach. That’s how we built our international sales network, adapting to each context. And of course, this is a proactive industry - you can’t just sit back and wait for clients to find you.
Are there specific projects or partnerships that best represent the company’s spirit and identity?
Antonio Cannata: Yes, a few stand out. At Wonderla, we took an old attraction and gave it a completely new life through CGI, proving how content can renew and transform guest experiences.
Then there’s EECO Voyager, the experience we produced for Loveland Living Planet Aquarium, with which we won our first Brass Ring Award for Best New Product in the Virtual and Augmented Reality category.
And one of our most ambitious projects was 2125 - An Adventurous Journey Through Time and Space, the custom CGI dining experience we created in partnership with Leisure Expert Group for AIDA Cruises at a time when this type of immersive content wasn’t yet common. It was an extremely complex project, involving multiple screens and tight coordination between the digital content and the live actors in the dining room. I believe it remains a perfect example of our constant drive to innovate.
What role have creativity and storytelling played in defining Red Raion’s identity?
Federico Laudani: Creativity and storytelling are the heart of what we do at Red Raion. Our team includes dedicated creatives who shape each project from the ground up. From the very beginning, we wanted our productions to be more than just visually impressive: they had to carry an emotional impact and tell stories that audiences could connect with.
Every project starts with the emotional curve: we ask ourselves what the audience should feel at each stage - excitement, empathy, suspense, joy. Then we integrate visuals, special effects, music, and pacing so that all the elements work together as a single immersive journey.
For example, with Jurassic Jungle - Wild Escape, our previous movie for licensing, we crafted an experience focused on awe and adrenaline, where the spectacle of prehistoric creatures became a story about survival, courage, and wonder.
Storytelling allows us to transform each film from simple “passive” content into a shared memory for guests. That’s the difference between watching a movie and living an experience.
What is your mission for Red Raion’s role in the global attractions industry moving forward?
Antonio Cannata: The immersive entertainment market is constantly growing, and we aim to remain a reliable partner for operators worldwide. That means staying ahead of new technologies, understanding the evolving needs of clients and their audiences, and continuing to deliver high-quality CGI content that makes a difference.
Our mission is to create immersive and engaging experiences through the design and production of CGI content that is both innovative and memorable. We want to help location-based entertainment venues deliver unique experiences that their guests will never forget. And while I can’t reveal details yet, we have several exciting yet unannounced projects that reflect exactly these goals.
