3D Printing and The Movie Industry
3D printing has revolutionized a lot of aspects of our lives, and that does not include movie production and filming.
From the scenery and miniatures to elements of costumes –everything can be produced quicker, more accurately, and with the details that fit the specific purpose.
Many popular shows and movies have made use of 3D printing that you might not have even noticed.
How 3D Printing Technology is Useful in the Film Industry
Explosion Scenes
Almost all adventure movies include a scene where a vehicle explodes. Be it a car, airplane, or helicopter.
If real machines are used in those scenes, it causes a massive increase in the budget –especially if the first take fails for whatever reason.
And that’s where 3D printing comes into play. 3D printed models at a scale of 1:3 explode with the same dramatic effect of real vehicles but cost way less.
Moreover, they can be produced multiple times as the hard part about this process is drawing the digital model on the computer. Once it’s done, however, you can print it twice or thrice and merely add the final processing.
Furthermore, 3D printing can also be used to create miniatures of buildings to destroy them or film them as a part in the panoramic shooting.
Before, model makers and designers used to work with gypsum, plywood, wood, and cardboard. Now, they use the universal plastic used in 3D printing.
Over-night Scenery
3D printers have changed the game for making scenery as unique artifacts and objects can be made exclusively for the scene. Particular objects like dishware, armor, weapons, and interior design items can be produced.
Imagine the background scenery that passingly appears on the screen, such as stack fillings in the room or a table setting in the background. With 3D printing, they can be made with little to no final processing and can be printed faster as the quality of the surface doesn’t have to be top-notch.
And although the forefront scenery takes more time to produce as it needs to be painted, grained, and varnished, it still saves time and money for scene painters.
Space for Creativity
Ever since 3D printers became available, getting creative hasn’t been limited to producing studios as even ordinary people can use it in amateur cinema.
For example, Jurassic Park: Origin Movie is a fan-made film inspired by the famous blockbuster. In that movie, all the prehistoric animals are 3D printed models. The technology gives amateur films a degree of complication and professionalism.
3D Printing in the Film Industry
Demogorgon from Stranger Things
Aaron Sims Creative –the production company- used 3D printing to develop the design of the Demogorgon –the creature from the show. The best way for them to bring the digital model to a physical form was additive manufacturing.
3D printing makes working on the R&D process of the designs of characters. Additive manufacturing is a great way to bring a model to a physical form, add many details to it, and modify it without wasting a lot of time.
Artifacts from Jurassic World
3D scanning and 3D printing were used to create replicas of prehistoric artefacts for the movie Jurassic World. Original bones and fossils were scanned to create 3D-printable models.
Not only is additive manufacturing cost-effective, but it’s also time-efficient. On top of that, it gives creators freedom to adjust the design of their dinosaurs and make them look as realistic as they can get.
3D Printed Clothes from Black Panther
Combining the traditional African culture with new-age technology, Julia Koerner and Ruth Carter were able to use 3D printing to create custom-made costumes and reach amazing designs.
The accuracy of the clothes won the designer an Oscar for the Best Costume Design as her designs were able to capture the essence of the characters and bring their personalities out.
3D Printed Suit from Iron Man
Jason Lopes wanted to work his way around the mold-making process that consumes a lot of time and money –so he resorted to creating 3D-printed objects that the hero could wear on set.
And that’s why he created the perfectly-fitting suit that the actor could wear –replacing CGI with real objects on the screen.
3D Printed Stormtroopers from Star Wars
Many props and costumes on the set of Star Wars: The Force Awakens have been made using 3D printing technology.
For example, the famous stormtroopers helmet and some part of C3PO have been manufactured using the additive manufacturing technology.
The main advantage was getting the props as quickly as possible and with the highest degree of accuracy.
3D Printed Universe from Chase Me
The filmmaker Gilles-Alexandre Deschaud spent two years using 3D printing technology to bring his custom-made and strange universe of the animation movie “Chase Me” to life.
Already working in the FX industry, he had the knowledge and experience needed to design the 3D objects and create the whole universe all by himself.
James Bond’s Car from Skyfall
The authors of Skyfall used 3D printing to create the explosion scene of Bond’s car. They assembled a model at a 1:3 scale using 18 printed parts.
Today, the premium-class car Aston Martin DB5 costs more than 400 thousand dollars.
