As is known to all, props are one of the most essential parts of a movie. It helps inspire the actors, unfold the plot, and display the worldview of the movie. Nowadays, with the maturity of the film industry, movie producers begin to turn their goals from how to make a movie to how to guide their audiences into a more vivid and realistic movie world. Different kinds of new techniques are introduced to improve the visual effects of the movie. Among these techniques, 3D printing begins to play a more and more influential role in film making.
What can 3D printing help to do for a movie?
In the film industry, 3D printing is used to make movie sets, props and costumes. Different 3D techniques including 3D scanning, 3D modeling and 3D printing usually work together to complete a prop.
What are 3D printing technology’s advantages in the film industry?
In the process of making a movie prop, 3D printing technology has many superiorities, including but not limited to:
- Accuracy: The prop models built on the computer can be very accurate and detailed. The 3D-printed props also look more realistic compared to traditional foam props.
- Cost: The weight and volume of 3D printing props are often more controllable, which helps producers save not only manufacturing but also transportation costs in a significant way. The possible failures in the manufacturing process of props are also reduced.
- Flexibility: The digital design files can be sent and modified on the computer conveniently. Models can be copied and produced easily and quickly. And 3D printing work can be started anywhere there’s a 3D printer, as long as the model file is received.
There’s a great example from Thingergy Inc., a company that make professional movie props and costumes using 3D printing. People there have worked on many shows including Star Wars, Stanger Things and West Worlds. According to Frank Ippolito, the founder of Thingergy Inc., the greatest challenge after they receive the prop booking is the time. When the shooting schedule of the film crew is tight, sometimes Frank and his collegues have to design, model, print and paint a prop within several days. Thanks to the help of Markforged printers, works can be left to the machine, which saves their time a lot. And after the printing is done, they just need to screw and join different parts together easily.
Examples of the application: 3D printing & Sci-fi movies
Due to its unique advantages, 3D printing has been widely used in the film industry, especially in sci-fi movies whose props are usually imaginary and unable to find in the real world. As a matter of fact, this technique has been applied to making some props and costumes in some famous shows such as Star Wars, Jurassic Park and Black Panther.
For example, in the marvel movie Black Panther, the crown and the cape of Queen Ramonda is printed by laser sintering technology to show the concept of a combination of African traditional costumes and Wakanda’s advanced techonology.
In conclusion, with the rapid development of 3D printing techniques, the fineness and qualities of 3D-printed props will be taken to the next level when the cost will get reduced, which will help moviemakers with low or high budgets to improve their movie props and scenes. Audiences would also have better experiences when watching the film. Full of possibilities, 3D printing is believed to lead a revolutionary promotion in the film industry in the near future.
Cite:
“The Impact of 3D Printing on Cinema and Film Industry: Media Resources.” Media Resources | Outdoor Advertising, April 19, 2021. https://www.mediaresources.com/2021/04/01/the-impact-of-3d-printing-on-cinema-and-film-industry/.
“3D Printed Props for the Film Industry.” Voxeljet, February 21, 2023. https://www.voxeljet.com/case-studies/art-and-design/3d-printing-the-future-of-prop-manufacturing/.
K., Niru. “3D Printed Costumes Used in Black Panther.” 3Dnatives, March 20, 2018. https://www.3dnatives.com/en/3d-printed-costumes-black-panther-200320184/#!