Alchemy Studios
Prototyping, design, development and special effects. Ideas in, objects out.
Built for the places people remember
For nearly four decades our team — first as DesignWerx, Inc. and Backstage Technologies, now as Alchemy Studios — has built special effects, themed props, fabrication and branding for some of the most-visited theme parks in the world, including Universal Orlando, Universal Studios Japan, SeaWorld and Dollywood. For The Wizarding World of Harry Potter we sculpted and aged Bludger props and engineered the animated Chocolate Frog box, and for Universal Orlando we built water and fog effects.
Other clients have included ConAgra Foods (Slim Jim), Samsung, Gatorade, Jose Cuervo, Breitling, Daytona International Speedway, Fair Oaks Farms, Leon Air, Loveland Laser Tag, Kemperle of Florida and GT Marine.
The same shop has built climbing walls for national sporting events, branded towers and stages for motorsports, and promotional structures for global brands — and today writes the software behind payment platforms and a full virtual world in Unreal Engine.
Make · Design · Develop
Three workshops, one team. Most projects move through all three.
Make
Physical things, built to last
- Prototyping
- Working models and rapid prototypes, from first article to pre-production.
- Special effects
- Show effects, mechanisms and illusions for attractions, stages and events.
- Props and themed fabrication
- Hero props, climbing walls, set pieces and themed environments in foam, resin, steel and wood.
- Casting and molding
- Silicone and rigid molds; resin, plaster and urethane castings in short runs.
- Laser cutting and engraving
- Precision cutting and etching with our sister shop, Hughes Laser Lab.
Design
How it looks, how it works
- Product and industrial design
- 3D mechanical design, tooling and products ready to manufacture.
- 3D modeling and sculpting
- Digital sculpts, characters and models, with an in-house coloring team.
- Branding and identity
- Logos, brand systems, packaging and card design.
- Fleet and vehicle graphics
- Wraps for trucks, vans, trailers, race cars and boats, designed and installed.
- Signage and environments
- Dimensional letters, floor graphics and branded spaces.
Develop
The software behind it
- Platforms and web
- Cloud platforms, payment and card systems, websites and dashboards.
- Virtual worlds
- Multiplayer worlds in Unreal Engine for VR and desktop.
- Voice overs
- Narration, character voices and voice guides for products, films and worlds.
Platforms, worlds and the web
Alongside the shop, our team has designed and shipped around 700 platforms and websites — payment systems, member portals, stores, dashboards and virtual worlds — and spent decades teaching Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to the designers who came after.
Two of those platforms are our own, and they carry everything we know.
Developed by Alchemy Studios
The Realm® is a persistent multiplayer world built in Unreal Engine for VR and desktop: nine islands in a central sea, each with its own purpose, architecture and Land Title collectibles. We design every layer of it, from the world itself to the website, the member systems and the payments.
- The worldUnreal Engine 5, dedicated servers, first-person VR and flat-screen play.
- Passport StudioA one-time face scan builds each citizen's passport and likeness, with verified identity keeping the world safe.
- Land Titles and VMax BrokersCollectible Land Titles for every island, with a broker exchange for members who resell.
- Virtual learningPolymath University and Kingdom Cove's learning theatre bring classes into the world.
Platform, card art and integration by Alchemy Studios
Apex NEO Card is a patented card platform, protected by design, system and utility patents, that carries one verified member identity across metal and virtual cards. Our team designed the cards, the member platform and the merchant tools around it.
- Cards and identityMetal and virtual cards tied to a verified member, with tiers and custom designs for partners and nations.
- Front DeskA point-of-sale and payment gateway for vendors.
- Apex VCardsDigital business cards with laser-etched aluminum cards to match.
- Banking partnerApex is a technology platform, not a bank; banking services are provided by our partner bank in London.
Live sites by our team
Selected work
Former preferred vendor to Universal Studios (Orlando and Singapore), Islands of Adventure, Walt Disney, SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens, Dollywood and American Rock Climbing.
Brand and logo design
Identities built to work everywhere they land: dimensional logos, wordmarks and brand marks, carried through to signage, vehicle wraps, packaging, cards and screens.
Product lines
Graffix Tools
Installation tools for the sign and vehicle-wrap trade, including the Rivet Sealer 3000 and SE360 — designed and built by an installer, for installers.
Hughes Laser Lab
Laser cutting, engraving and etching, from one-off parts to production runs and laser-etched metal cards.
Company record
For partners, lenders and researchers verifying who we are. These details match our filings with the Florida Department of State.
- Legal name
- Alchemy Studios, LLC
- Entity type
- Florida limited liability company
- Document no.
- L15000160768
- Organized
- September 22, 2015
- Status
- Active, current with the Florida Division of Corporations
- Parent
- Wholly owned subsidiary of ZenChip PRIME Corp. since December 12, 2021
- Principal
- J. Daniel Hughes, Managing Member and Creative Director
- Predecessor
- DesignWerx, Inc.
- Location
- Orlando, Florida
Verify on the Florida Division of Corporations site by searching document number L15000160768.
Start a project: info@alchemystudiosorlando.com
Tell us what you want to make, its size and your deadline. We reply within two business days.