14 DAY TRIAL // Props are a major part of the film industry, just like they have been a key component in all theatrical plays since time immemorial. And it usually happens that the films with the highest gross box office income are the ones with the best props.
Sure, sometimes you get low-budget wonders that use blue screen CGI and mostly normal clothing to gather a following, like the TV series Sanctuary did once upon a time. Though that may have had more to do with Amanda Tapping being the female lead.
Still, good props are usually the staple of good movies, since a studio isn't likely to allocate a big budget to a film it expects will turn out weak. And surprises like The Matrix don't happen every day.
Guardians of the Galaxy is a strange case, as Marvel Studios definitely invested a lot in it while being somewhat worried about the reception, due to the inclusion of a Raccoon as main character, among other things.
The film ended up bringing in $752 million / €597 million at the box office, which broke several earning records for the past five years. It turns out that 3D printing technology played a big role in the result.
The movie props were 3D printed by FBFX Ltd.
FBX Ltd. is a costume specialist that has made outfits and other props for movies for a long time. For Guardians of the Galaxy, it chose to use a Stratasys Objet500 Connex 3D printer to make the most complex items.
Among them are Peter Quill's space helmet, though only some parts of it were 3D printed, and the main structure was created based on a mold which was also 3D printed.
More amazing is the costume of Korath the Pursuer, which was 3D printed in its entirety. Korath is the Cybrog that gives the protagonists a lot of grief over the course of the film.
The Stratasys PolyJet technology proved critical, as it permitted the creation of objects from several different materials and colors.
And through it all, the use of additive manufacturing cut 50% of lead times, which let the props be made faster, with the scrapped prototypes quicker to produce and discard until the perfect piece was made.
What would have happened without 3D printing
Props that took days to make would have needed weeks instead, which would have taken away time from more important tasks. It's no wonder that 3D printing accounts for 90% of FBFX's projects now, instead of 10% like four years ago.