3D printing in movies is an interesting application of technology. Movie buffs may have seen Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which has taken the world by storm despite its release not so long ago. If you've seen it, you've probably been drawn to these garments: exquisite, detailed, and best of all, partially 3D printed! Austrian designer Julia Koerner has won numerous awards for her work combining architecture, 3D technology, and fashion design. So it's no surprise that Koerner was tapped to be part of the Marvel franchise's Black Panther movie.
The project involved a collaboration between Julia Koerner and costume designer Ruth Carter, who together designed the film's props. The pair designed a 3D-printed crown and necklace, and viewers get to see the story of Angela Bassett, who plays Queen Ramonda, in the film. To many fans of Marvel and additive manufacturing, it may not come as a surprise that parts of the 2018 "Black Panther" film sequel were made using the technology again. In the original film, Queen Ramonda's large tiara and her delicate epaulet coat were also 3D printed.
3D printing makes movie costumes more detailed
As previously mentioned, the movie, which comes out in November 2022, will contain 3D-printed parts. Oscar-winning Julia Koerner and Ruth Carter, who brought Afrofuturism to the big screen, relied on advanced design techniques that allowed them to create highly complex and detailed designs. The parts are additively manufactured using the selective laser sintering process. On past projects, Julia Koerner has used a Stratasys J750 3D printer to produce parts. However, it is unclear which 3D printer was used for the second Black Panther film.
The crown and necklace for the new movie were also 3D printed
Marvel decided to use 3D printing simply because the structure of the crown and necklace is extremely complex and impossible to achieve with traditional manufacturing methods. Once again, Koerner and Carter demonstrate that using digital design and 3D printing to create costumes can have many benefits for the film industry.