Printing Articulated Figures: Constructing flexible and extendible artificial figures using mixed filament 3D printing for use in stop frame animation

Laura-Beth plans to develop and explore flexible and extendable puppet building processes using pliable and rigid filament 3D printing to create figures for stop-motion animation. During her research project she will investigate the potential for different filament materials and how they could be used within body and limb construction for the animation and physical special effects industry. The use of mixed filament printing is in essence the ability to take two or more types of printable material such as rigid and flexible rubberised materials and encase one inside the other. Stop frame animation is the technique of animation in which a physical figure is moved in small increments to give the appearance of life and movement. Some of the questions she plans to address during the research are as follows:

How can utilising different printable materials create new aesthetic styles when using 3D printing? In order to answer the question, action research would follow iterative cycles to trial and test different filaments to seek out their variable qualities such as appearance, strength, flexibility, surface finish/texture and use against one another, to help establish knowledge for use within the development of elements of a puppet's construction.

Using the research developed in previous research/chapters, how can applying different materials and techniques aid to tackle various approaches to style-based puppet design? This would be a question that could lead to a larger practice-based project that would culminate in a film that uses a style and technique that would ultimately only be achievable through the research and methods developed during this project.

Is it possible to develop a range of aesthetic styles that exploit the capabilities, and character of 3D printing in ways that are appropriate to the new medium? (Perhaps similar to the way Aardman have built a strong visual style around the aesthetic opportunities of clay, and Bob Godfrey using the expediency of marker pens).

What are the cultural and industrial implications of developing a 3D printing pipeline for the stop frame process? A section or chapter of my thesis will examine the action of adding 3D printing as a digital process to this predominantly hands on medium, the effects on people working within the industry, as well as the new look/aesthetic aspects of the research.

Laika Digital, based in the USA most well known for their use of 3D printing for facial animation and have long been the pioneers for the use of this technology in the industry. Aardman; One of the UK's largest animation studios known for stop-frame animation films, shorts and commercials, who have most recently utilised rapid prototyping on their feature film 'Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientist' Mackinnon and Saunders, Manchester-based stop motion puppet specialists who were recently involved with the Sainsbury's Christmas commercial 'The Greatest Gift' (2016). The proposed research will be significantly different to these case studies as Laura-Beth will be looking at the full body rather than just facial replacement animation, nevertheless their work would help in identifying pitfalls and potential areas for improvement in her own research.

She will use a mix of empirical action research and case studies to look at practitioners who utilise traditional and digital model making techniques both to replicate and streamline with the use of rapid prototyping. A large amount of the study will be based around practical work, with an emphasis placed on developing an idea, designing, modelling, printing, testing, refining and reviewing the potential for future development or action.