AMT Lab @ CMU: Many industries have begun utilizing 3D printing to make work easier and more efficient. This technology is even making its way into the arts. Broadway theatres, university theatre departments, and theatres everywhere are implementing 3D printing technologies to construct props, and even to build entire sets. 3D printing brings new elements of realism and creativity into theatre.
6 comments:
o It’s really cool to see how mainstream 3d printing has become in recent years, as I remember thinking it was only something that could be afforded by huge companies that could fork out a lot of money at once. I have also only seen smaller scale products be 3d printed and never imagined a 3d printer could create something like an entire set for a stage production as it did in Fra Diavolo. I have been to the 3D printer labs on campus at CMU and it’s an amazing sight to see so many 3d printers available for the students to use. It makes me think about how many projects I could have used 3d printing in and how I could use it in further modeling projects and aspects of my design work. As the article mentioned the different universities that are using 3d printing in their productions, I hope CMU adopts this practice as an option to making props, renderings, etc. and even goes as far to teach a class on this. This would definitely help put CMU alumni ahead in their work with a background and understanding of 3D printing.
Well, this was certainly interesting to read right after ScenoFab finished our tool/material projects: we had a few presentations on different types of 3D printing tech, and our general consensus was that the theater industry isn’t really prepared or in need of this technology. But, this article seems to think otherwise, and has examples of theaters (particularly universities) implementing 3D printing for prop, costume, and even set construction. The Fra Diavolo set in Rome was entirely 3D printed over the span of 3 months– that was really insane to me! I wonder what the decision making process was to do that for that specific show. My biggest question, which wasn’t answered in this particular article, is what 3D printers are they using? And, what is the cost comparison to building the sets/props without the 3D printer tech? I’ll be interested to see how this tech continues to evolve, and how it makes its way into our shops/work here at CMU.
3D printing has been a hot topic of several years now and with advances and development, the technology is a lot more mature now than it was a few years ago. I think implementing 3D printing into the theatre industry is no doubt going to be a trend in the near future (though whether it will last long is another question). The biggest advantage, as the article mentions, lies in its speed and number of crew needed. In comparison to building sets the traditional way, 3D printers significantly speed up the process, and this can mean that the overall cost of production can be brought down. It also doesn’t require that many crews to work on it – actually, once the process starts, it doesn’t require a supervisor – and this also reduces the cost of human labour. However, I wonder whether the material is a drawback because I know the price isn’t always low and since it’s mostly plastic, it is almost impossible to be recycled. A set made out of wood can be reused to a certain extend, but a set built with 3D printing material definitely cannot.
The versatility of 3D printing is something that has always really fascinated me. When I was younger, I always thought 3D printing was borderline magical; it would be able to solve so many problems. From prosthetic limbs to building infrastructure to everyday clothing, 3D printing has paved the way for accessible solutions to many prominent real life problems in today’s time, and seeing it being integrated into the modern theater scene is very exciting. Looking at the entirely 3D printed set featured in the article was super mind boggling; it is so crazy to think about the logistics of such a creation. What does this mean for the future of set construction? Are 3D printed sets safer? More accurate to a designer’s idea? Opens up more possibilities that traditionally built sets are unable to achieve? What about sustainability? Props and costumes being 3D printed also only proves the impressive range that this can fill.
3D printing is such a crazy technology when you really look at it. The practical applications for it are increasing day by day, and it seems like in a few years 3D printing will be a standard part of many industry's toolkits. Automation and innovation topics always bring a question to my mind though: Will there ever come a day where this makes certain jobs in theatre obsolete or lesser in value? I don't think carpenters would ever become worthless, but their job would certainly change if sets move to being mass 3D printed, same with TD's, though their job would stay the same, just with a new skillset being needed. I don't know enough about the interior processes of 3D printing in tandem with set construction to really say though, so I won't bother. It doesn't seem to be an industry concern.
Regardless, I guess this makes it a good a time as ever to learn 3D printing, huh?
I think the concept of 3D printing in theater is a difficult one to handle. I had never thought about it for props but it does make a lot of sense as they state for period pieces that are hard to recreate. For something like a set it is hard to imagine, especially with the texture. I know all the 3D printing I’ve seen has a very specific texture and I’m not sure if that can be avoided with newer models but I suspect that would seriously impact the set. I also question how such large objects could be moved. I imagine everything would have to be pieced together but I wonder about the durability and how the surface would receive treatments. I also can’t imagine that the broad theatrical community would be in favor of it for large applications, as well because it requires knowledge as to how to use it.
Post a Comment