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The Wall of (3D printed) Faces at LAIKA’s exhibit at the Portland Art Museum entitled, “Animating Life: The Art, Science & Wonder of LAIKA.”

Being able to have a 3D The New printer like the Stratasys Face(s) of PolyJet printer that’s repeatable and accurate LAIKA with this full range of color and materials has afforded Voxel Print Technology Enables Fully Customized Facial Animation us the idea of being able to achieve this shot-by-shot The award-winning, stop-motion animation customized animation.” creators at LAIKA make no secret that the thousands of faces used in each film are 3D Brian McLean printed. Animators of such films as “Coraline” LAIKA and “ParaNorman,” “The Boxtrolls” and “Kubo and the Two Strings,” have counted on the additive technology to provide naturalistic facial animation for the stop-motion puppets that give the films their distinct look and feel. “The idea was to harness the power of the computer and these emerging 3D printing technologies to try to push facial performance, or push a character’s performance into a whole new realm,” said Brian McLean, director of rapid prototype at LAIKA. Case Study Case

Monkey from “Kubo and the Two Strings,” LAIKA’s fourth feature film. 2

DocumentCase Study Title Here 2 those freckles.” we knewapainter hadtohandpainteach oneof that “Coraline”hadoneach sideofherfacebecause of “Coraline”andnegotiating thenumberoffreckles “I stillremember being inmeetingswiththedirector namely, havingtohandpainteach individualface. of 3Dprintingandalsoitspresent limitations– of “Coraline,”LAIKAacknowledgedboththepower driven bycreative,” saidMcLean.Afterthesuccess “The decisiontopushthetechnologyisverymuch Creative DrivingTechnology something more customized.” where eachsubsequentdirector wantedtohave which we’re printingthesefacesreached apoint quality ofthe3Dprintingandefficiency with character’s emotionaljourney,” saidMcLean.“The you wanttobeableseeandgoalongwiththat each filmand“inorder totella really complexstory prides itselfonincreasingly complexstorieswith of charactersandthefeelmovie.”LAIKAalso lots ofexperimentationbefore wearriveatthe look on thefeelforanewfilm,”saidMcLean.“There’s been done.“Ittakesusaverylongtimetodecide around everycorner, neversettlingforwhat’s already film production. LAIKAseeksinnovation Inturn, prototyping forcharacteranimationinstop-motion Sciences in2016,forpioneeringtheuseofrapid from theAcademyofMotionPictures Artsand McLean received aScientificandEngineering Award results,” saidMcLean. with someamazingperformancesand technologies andtechniquestogethertocomeup and replacement animationandforcing thesetwo fusing itwiththisreally old techniqueofstop-motion doing, where we’re taking3Dprintingandwe’re “It’s really kindofaninsaneprocess thatwe’re rapid advancementsin3Dprintingandsoftware. with LAIKA’s increasingly ambitiousartistic visionand has beenacreative mainstay atLAIKA,everevolving For more thanadecade,the additivetechnology LAIKA The NewFace(s)of just thebeginning oftheirroad map. printing world. We hadahunchthisConnex3 was suddenly allowed ustobreak intothiscolor plastic Connex3™. “Thatwasareally powerfulalliancethat printing company’s first color 3Dprinter, theObjet the teampartnered onBetatestingofthe3D bit ofconvincingbecauseit wasstillearlystages,” called Stratasys,”McLeansaid,“andwhileittooka technology theStudiowascurrently using.“SoI consideration were notpossiblewiththe3Dprinting realization thatthethree characterdesignsunder and theTwo Strings,”creators were facedwiththe During earlyplanningfortheirfourthfilm,“Kubo stop-motion puppet. printed 3D fully first the Two the Strings,” and “Kubo from Beast Moon

Case Study 3 and/or its subsidiaries or affiliates and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. All other trademarks belong to their respective owners. Product Product owners. respective their to belong trademarks other All specifications subject tochangejurisdictions. without notice. CS_PJ_EN_LAIKA_0720a certain in registered Ltd. be may and Stratasys of affiliates or trademarks registered or subsidiaries its and/or trademarks are PolyJet and signet, Stratasys Stratasys, reserved. rights All Ltd. Stratasys © 2020 ISO 9001:2015Certified stratasys.com +1 952937-0070(Fax) +1 952937-3000(Intl) +1 8008016491(USToll Free) Eden Prairie,MN55344 7665 Commerce Way, Stratasys Headquarters “Basically wehaveaworkflownowthatallowsus what we’re usingon‘FilmFive,’”saidMcLean. 3D printingwithextraordinary precision. “Thisis to composenewtextures andgradients,enabling grows exponentiallyandiscombinedwiththeability color combinations;withVoxel Print,thatcapability groundbreaking 3Dprinterhas360,000different to Voxel PrintontheStratasysJSeries.The of Cuttlefishsoftware, allowingLAIKAearlyaccess unique partnershipwithFraunhofer, thecreators LAIKA’s longhistorywithStratasystheycreated a the firstfull-color, multi-material3Dprinter. Dueto be aBetacustomerontheStratasysJSeries, with StratasyscamewhenLAIKAwasinvitedto The nextstepinLAIKA’s 3Dprintingpartnership Monkey, BeetleandMoonBeast.” and unparalleledcolorplastic3Dprintedfacesfor doing sowewere abletocreate sophisticated hidden Voxel Printcapabilities,”saidMcLean.“By and Stratasyswewere abletounlocktheConnex3 with JonHiller, anindependentsoftware developer, customizing thesoftware for ourneeds.Working from acompanyandco-developing software. And unique. Forthefirsttime,wewere takinghardware Strings,” “isthatweembarkedonsomethingtruly was mostexcitedaboutwith“KuboandtheTwo And wewere right.”Oneof thethingsLAIKA LAIKA The NewFace(s)of

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had 56,000,“Kubo”64,000,and“we’re well faces, “ParaNorman”had40,000,“TheBoxtrolls” technology theyuse.“Coraline”hadroughly 20,000 to continuepushthelimitsof3Dprinting stop-motion animatedperformanceshasledthem The result ofLAIKA’s desire tocreate unprecedented and deliverittoset.” movie andwe’re abletoprint thatout,process it line ofdialogue,specificallyforthatone-shotinthe to haveananimatorsitdown,animateaunique next movieandinmoviestocome,”saidMcLean. excited tocontinueforgethisrelationship onour to pusheachotherinreally positivewaysandI’m There’s thisleveloftrustthatallowsustocontinue years orso“hasbeenreinforced infilmafterfilm. LAIKA’s relationship with Stratasysoverthepastten achieve thisshot-by-shotcustomizedanimation.” materials hasafforded ustheideaofbeingableto and accuratewiththisfullrangeofcolor printer liketheStratasys3Dthat’s repeatable According toMcLean,“Beingablehavea3D stop-motion animation.” to tellstoriesthathaveneverbeenablebetoldin McLean. “Itallgoesintothatideaofusbeingable we dowhatisfortheperformance,”said for ournextmovie,”saidMcLean.“Theonlyreason on thewaytoproducing between85-90,000faces