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Apr 29, 2016 | By Benedict

Shapeways has revealed its prop-building role in the Game of Thrones season six opener, which aired Sunday night on HBO. The 3D printing service used its Frosted Ultra Detail printing material to produce Ellaria Sand’s “Dorne Dagger”, which was then hand-painted by Game of Thrones Weapons Master Tommy Dunne.

Game of Thrones, HBO’s hugely popular fantasy drama, made its highly anticipated return to the small screen last weekend with a predictably unpredictable episode containing all the requisite amounts of nudity, violence, and—much to our delight—3D printing. Not that we knew about the 3D printing while we were watching, mind: the highly realistic 3D printed prop in question, Ellaria Sand’s dagger, was a top-secret project for Netherlands and New York-based Shapeways, which 3D printed the miniature weapon in its Frosted Ultra Detail plastic before sending it to the show’s prop designers for a spectacular paint job.

The desert region of Dorne might be a relatively new addition to Game of Thrones, but its throng of sexually adventurous, politically divided, and fiercely passionate citizens have quickly become fan favorites. As with most elements of the show, the “Dornish" sets and characters each have a highly recognizable aesthetic—the result of years of behind-the-scenes labor. To maintain that incredible level of detail into the sixth season, the GoT prop team commissioned Shapeways to 3D print Ellaria Sand’s Dorne Dagger, a deadly weapon concealed in an ornate bracelet. The finished result is so realistic that we don’t think anyone would have guessed at its 3D printed origins!

The 3D printed Dorne Dagger was created by a trio of talented designers: 3D designer Sean Forsyth, Weapons Master Tommy Dunne, and bronze art specialist David O’Brien. Once the design was finalized, the team sent it to Shapeways, whose GoT-loving staff 3D printed the item using a Multijet Modeling (MJM) 3D printing process. Shapeways then sent the colorless 3D printed prop back to Dunne, who picked up his brushes to give the dagger an incredibly detailed bronze-effect finish.

“I have always wanted to incorporate 3D Printing into armory, and this was our first chance [to actually do so],” Dunne explained. “The outcome of the Dorne Dagger far exceeded my wildest dreams from our original drawing concept, so it was a great first experience in using this technology in our field. It was a delicate scene to shoot, but the producers of the show loved the dagger so we’re really happy with the results.”

Excitingly for us, the (non-bloody) marriage between Game of Thrones and 3D printing doesn’t end there. Remember Laurent Bernadac’s incredible 3D printed violin, the 3Dvarius? The musician-cum-maker has made a name for himself with a number of click-friendly cover versions, and has now returned to the stage to perform a jazzed-up version of the classic Game of Thrones theme song. Check it out in the video below.

We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for other 3D printed props in the Game of Thrones universe. After all, printer is coming.

 

 

Posted in 3D Printing Application

 

 

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