How 3D Printing is Being Used in the Film and Television Industries
If you work in set or costume design in the film or television industries and you haven’t yet started using 3D printing in your role, it could honestly change your life!
3D printing solves lots of problems and creates many possibilities in the world of TV and filmmaking that will make your life easier, mean you need to hire less staff, and cause your production costs to be cheaper.
In recent years, the film and television industry have started using revolutionary 3D printing technology on many different levels. One of the most prominent applications of 3D printing, however, is for the manufacturing of costumes and props. There are many benefits of utilizing 3D printing technology over making props and costumes by hand:
- 3D printing is incredibly flexible – we can 3d print in many different materials that can be made to look like any kind of surface, and can range from one off throw away pieces to durable set pieces that can be used again and again
- 3D printing is affordable – Set pieces that would typically cost you thousands if they were hand made from scratch can cost just a few hundred dollars to 3D print
- You can dress up your finished pieces however you’d like – Paint, sew into costumes, cover in dirt, your sets and prop pieces will be resilient and take any kind of finish that can be applied to plastic
- Size and weight issues no longer an issue – 3D-printed props and sets can also be used without worrying about design and weight restrictions. For example, one of the 3D-printed hammers used in Thor has a realistic appearance, but it is made of rubber, which makes it easier to wield.
Want more famous examples?
Both the Deadpool mask and the Dorne dagger from Game of Thrones were 3D printed. Westworld‘s costumes and androids were also created using this technology.
In addition to the manufacturing or props, 3D printing is progressively playing a more significant part in the creation of special effects. This technology is used to create sets and environments that are much more compatible with the production of visual effects than computerized images.
This technology also plays an integral part in animation and stop motion. During a film’s production, 3D printed models can be used in early concept designs and pre-production, as well as in the making of replacement faces, and the marketing of the film. Movies that relied heavily on 3D printing include The Boxtrolls, The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! and Missing Link.