Apr. 14, 2015 | By Simon
Using the power of additive manufacturing to aid in the animation process isn’t necessarily new, however the high cost of producing hundreds - if not thousands - of highly-detailed 3D printed objects is surely an expense that’s likely to be much more than the average amateur filmmaker could singlehandedly afford.
For larger studios such as Laika - who created Coraline, ParaNorman and the recent Boxtrolls feature-length films - using 3D printing to create accurate figures to use in their stop motion animation process was clearly something that was more in their budget thanks in no small part to their wide distribution network that would help them recover those added costs in ticket sales.
Now, despite the high cost of creating thousands of 3D printed figurines, a French filmmaker has independently created a short film that uses over 2,500 3D printed parts that were printed using a Form 1+ 3D printer and used over 80 liters of liquid resin.
Gilles-Alexandre Deschaud
The filmmaker, Paris-based Gilles-Alexandre Deschaud, has been working in the VFX industry as a CG digital artist and animator since 2008. Using a variety of mediums that have included everything from traditional drawing and painting to hybrid and CG, a large part of Gilles-Alexandre’s creative evolution in video creation has been shaped by his desire to experiment with new mediums.
“When I first saw the Form 1 3D printer on Kickstarter, I knew that was what I needed to make a 3D printed film. I wanted to bring 3D printing technology to the art of stop-motion animation to create a new kind of film,” says Gilles-Alexandre.
Now, after two years of printing over 2,500 parts, the result is his first 3D printed film “Chase Me”, which will be premiering at theprestigious Annecy International Animation Festival this June, and has also been selected for the Short Film Corner at the Cannes Film Festival.
The story begins with a young girl walking through a mythical forest. Later, the girl’s shadow evolves into a monster that chases her through the forest. What happens next...well I guess we’ll have to wait and see the film after its official release.
“Chase Me is a story about embracing your fears, and turning them into something beautiful,” said Gilles-Alexandre. Perhaps the theme could be mirrored alongside his own process of creating a beautiful film out of 2,500 3D printed parts - a daunting process that would likely make at least some grow weak in the knees.
To ensure that the final product would come out as intended, Gilles-Alexandre designed every frame of the film in CG before being processed into the physical 3D printed objects. The mise-en-scene was then recreated through stop-motion animation (15 frames per second) to produce the film’s final result.
Each physical object that makes up a frame - including both characters and set pieces - were printed in 100 micron resolution with minimal finishing processes aside from removing the support material.
“I wouldn’t been able to have such tiny, complex and detailed prints without the Form 1 printer,” added Gilles-Alexandre.
For larger pieces - including a large tree in the forest - the objects were broken down into up to 22 individual parts that were each capable of being printed on the Form 1+.
“Users like Gilles-Alexandre, who are doing incredible things with the Formlabs 3D printer, inspire us to keep doing what we do. Chase Me is beautiful and powerfully moving, both in aesthetics and its attention to detail,” said Max Lobovksy, co-founder of Formlabs.
To find out more about Gilles-Alexandre and how you can see the film for yourself, head over to the official Chase Me website.
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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Wow, that is great! I did see the 3D printed tree at one point on the forum, didn't know this story was behind it. A true piece of art!
Ben wrote at 4/14/2015 12:31:51 PM:
Love It! Beautiful and sensitive.. a real art. Thank you Gilles-Alexandre Deschaud
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