Rolling Large with PropShop

Dressing a movie set can be complicated. After all, where does one get the large, intricately detailed, signature hammer - Mjolnir - wielded by the superhero Thor? Or the magnificent king's staff and richly styled horse armor for Maleficent? For years now, Propshop in London has been building one-of-a-kind objects designed to suspend belief and transport audiences into the various film worlds created by the directors and art departments, whether for a visual gag or visual intrigue.

The company - which also designs, models, and produces objects for the real world, such as a World Cup sculpture for Nike signature stores and a replica of the Hastings Knight statue for a commercial - was called upon to manufacture the Interpol car for the recent Disney Muppets movie, Muppets Most Wanted. But, this was no ordinary-looking vehicle. It had to reflect the zaniness one would expect to find in a Muppets film. Moreover, the vehicle had to be functional, as it was driven by Interpol Agent Jean Pierre Napoleon, played by Actor Ty Burrell. The waist-high car is seen zipping through various scenes as the agent attempts to track down the notorious Constantine, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Kermit the Frog.

Propshop also created an oversized badge as Napoleon and CIA Agent Sam the Eagle play a game of one-upmanship when comparing credentials in the film.

Located at Pinewood Studios, Propshop specializes in the design and manufacture of hero props, set pieces, costumes, models, and miniatures using a combination of LightWave 3D and 3D printing. Here, the team at Propshop, including Jet Cooper, 3D supervisor in the Digital department, discusses how it created these unique props for the film and the role LightWave 3D played in that process.

When did you start creating props?

Propshop has been making props for more than 15 years. I started using LightWave some 20 years ago - since the days of the Amiga, back when LightWave came on 10 floppy disks, in Version 3.5. When I joined the company a few years ago, LightWave became part of the process. One of our first pieces using LightWave was Cerebro for X-Men: First Class. Since then, we have used LightWave to generate our 3D [imagery] for over 30 movies and productions.

Why did you select LightWave?

LightWave is fast, intuitive, and a no-mess' modeling package. Here at Propshop, we have built a strong and successful pipeline with LightWave as a foundation.

How is LightWave used in your prop creation?

I use LightWave to build all my 3D models before they go to print. LightWave is also used in the designing/concepting process, with its renderer being utilized for animations to explain a prop's form, function, and final look. The Modeler is fast and capable of achieving models that are organic, hard-surfaced, and extremely complex. Propshop has been able to create anything with the LightWave Modeler.

Let's talk about the car. Was the design based on an actual vehicle?

The design of the car was originally based on an old Russian car. However, this changed to a completely different hybrid over the course of the project. There were different versions that evolved as we corresponded with the movie's art department. As reference, the Muppet art department provided a few photos of Russian cars and some sketches suggesting the form they had in mind.

Which tools did you use to create the vehicle?

The car designs were modeled with LightWave 11 and polished with Pixologic's ZBrush when and where required.

What kind of challenges did you face?

The challenge is always to satisfy the vision of the director and art department while producing a model that can be manufactured in a working and practical form.

Were there many design iterations?

There were six car types including the final choice.

How was LightWave used in the car creation process?

The car was modeled using subdivision surfaces and concept artwork. The 3D car was then frozen to make a high-resolution poly mesh that could be exported to produce a water-tight,' printable STL file that is used by our 3D printers.

This is a large prop. Can you provide some details about the file and the prep work required to 3D print it?

The car was separated into pieces that were then further digitally cut to fit our large printing beds - for example, the main body of the car, bonnet, trunk, doors, headlight assembly, and so forth. The file sizes ranged between a few megabytes up to a few hundred megabytes. These file sizes are larger due to the fact that the planes in the geometry have to be small enough to look smooth when printed in 3D. The more organic or detailed the subject, the larger the file has to be in order to produce good results on Propshop's high-resolution printers.

Why do you use 3D printing as part of the manufacturing process?

3D printing allowed us to generate a design that could be adjusted and modified on the fly, whereas the traditional methods take longer and are harder to change as problems and needs arise. It also makes sense that once we have nailed the artwork, we use that signed-off model to produce the actual hero prop. That way, there is no deviation from what the art department and director have seen and approved.

Prior to 3D printing, how would this have been done?

Originally, we would have used traditional model-making methods of the past and sculpted clay body parts, then produced molds for fiberglass.

How has 3D printing evolved to enable you to create props like you do?

3D printing has become faster, and the volume is larger so that larger-size parts can be printed as a whole. Our large 3D prints can now range up to 1.6 meters (5.25 feet) per piece and print overnight! Our printers now recycle non-used material, thus reducing costs and waste.

What kind of 3D printer do you use?

We primarily used Voxeljet printers, which lay down a

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