Dominic Steinmetz shows Sept. 27, 2024, how the 3D-printed head of his yellow rabbit suit works, based on a character from the movie "Five Nights at Freddy's."

PENDLETON — Sweat coated Dominic Steinmetz’s body as he marched through the yard of his childhood home, wearing three layers and with little access to the outside air.

Steinmetz, 18, was presenting the outcome of his monthslong effort to honor one of his favorite movies, “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” a horror film based on a video game series by the same title. Over the course of about six months, he built a 6-foot-tall yellow rabbit suit depicting the film’s antagonist, who steps into the Yellow Rabbit character.

“Whenever I’ve looked at characters I thoroughly enjoy, I’ve always wanted to be like, what does it feel like to be in that?” he said. “I’ve always had some ability of mimicking sounds or motions, so when I finally get into the suit, it’s like I’ve completed the entirety of feeling that character. And it’s almost like, it’s not me, it’s just a whole new character.”

Creating the suit

As a fan of the video game and film, Steinmetz said part of what excites him about having the completed costume is seeing a real-life version of what he’s only seen on screen. He said his detail-oriented nature helped him get the costume as accurate as possible, within reason.

Steinmetz thought of the idea while sitting in a free period during his junior year of high school last spring. He sketched out what it would look like and began considering what materials he’d need. In the end, he spent around $500 of his own money while building the costume.

“I always wanted to make sure I got the right, not only just shape, but the texture,” he said. “Even when you go to feel it, it feels like what it would be. I wanted to make sure everything was as close as I could possibly make it.”

Made almost entirely of foam, 3D-printed hard plastic and bright yellow fleece, the suit features gloves, platform shoes, leg, arm and torso foam sections, and a helmet-like head with white teeth and glowing, color-changing eyes.

Under the suit, Steinmetz wears his everyday clothes as well as a long-sleeved tan jumpsuit, so with the suit on top, he’s got three layers on.

It took a lot of work before starting construction, he said. On a visit to the Tri-Cities, he bought two tones of yellow that seemed close to the movie’s costume. Then, he tested them in different lights to compare how they looked versus how the movie costume appeared during scenes and videos. In the end, he used art software to color-match the best he could.

“I actually spent a lot of time staying up in the middle of the night, losing a lot of sleep working on it,” he said. “I got several burns and cuts from it, from a hot glue gun.”

Steinmetz said he’d get into a flow while he worked, barely realizing time was passing or his playlist had ended.

“It’s not meditative, but more like your mind just blanks out on it,” he said, “and it obviously cuts right back in as soon as you get cut by a spring.”

Ready for Halloween horrors

Steinmetz’s mother, Marie Hancock, described her son as dedicated to the project.

“That’s when your mama chest gets real big,” she said of his growth in regard to costume projects, which he’s done for about six years now. “He’s really been diligent at it and his abilities haven’t been a passing childhood interest. It’s been something that he’s really stuck with.”

She said it’s cool to see him not only in the suit, but stepping into the character as well. Steinmetz said when he first put on the costume, his thoughts went in two directions.

“I felt the aggression that the character feels walking around. It makes you tall. It makes you feel powerful. It makes you almost feel threatening, which is, in a way, almost cool,” he said. “But at the same time, when I’m in the suit, the only thing I can think of is, ‘I cannot see a thing,’ and I feel like I am walking with a garbage truck on my body, trying to haul it around.”

Steinmetz plans to wear the yellow rabbit suit on Halloween in and around downtown Pendleton, maybe even entering costume contests. He said he hopes people will have positive reactions to the costume and recognize it from the movie.