Time to read: 3 min
As Hollywood blockbusters tend to be laden with computer-generated imagery (CGI), it’s easy to assume the film industry no longer relies on hardware to wow audiences. Dig a little deeper, however, and you’ll find that hardware design and engineering are at the core of animatronics, a vital component to the process of modern movie-making magic.
Engineers, builders, and other artisans make futuristic technology, terrifying monsters, and fantastic creatures seem tangible and real to movie-going eyes. Plus, thanks to recent advances in fabrication technology, designers can create lifelike characters, realistic exotic locales, and credible props faster and more cost-effectively than ever before.
Here are three ways Hollywood uses hardware, cutting-edge engineering, and manufacturing techniques to make movies feel magical.
Animatronics Bring the Fantastic to Real Life
The multifaceted discipline of animatronics has been a staple of film production since the release of 1964’sMary Poppins.
In the film, starJulie Andrews sings “A Spoonful of Sugar”with a clearly artificial but incredibly charming robin. The Walt Disney Corporation’s engineering subsidiary, WED Enterprises, created the groundbreaking technology called Audio-Animatronics for use in Disneyland’s Enchanted Tiki Room attraction.
As detailed byPopular Mechanics公司结合气动管和压缩air rockets to give life to the exhibit’s creatures. The group also utilized a proprietary magnetic tape system to synchronize their bird’s movements with music and other audio.
In a Canadian Broadcasting Companyinterview with Walt Disney, the entertainment magnate revealed his staff adapted the effect forMary Poppins. Technicians decided to runsmall electrical cablesalong Julie Andrews’ body so they could operate the robin on set. Though very cumbersome, the effect enchanted audiences at the time.
By the 1970s, animatronics had advanced significantly but still needed refining. In the middle of the decade, director Steven Spielberg enlisted art director John Alves and special-effects artist Robert A. Matlin to create the titular beast for his filmJaws.The team usedtubular steel for the creature’s skeleton, pneumatic components to give it motion, and skinned it with hard polyurethane.
Though the multiple prop sharks’ mechanical breakdowns and unconvincing appearance caused Spielberg major headaches, the monster terrified a generation of filmgoers.Jawsbecame a critical commercial and smash hit that helped usher in the blockbuster of filmmaking, and Spielberg would again use animatronics in one of his most enthralling films,JurassicPark.
Modern Engineering Advancements in Animatronics
In the three decades since the release ofJaws, animatronic technology has reached a remarkable level of sophistication.For Spielberg’sJurassic Parkseries, for instance, Sam Winston Studios (SWS) fabricated a 43.5 footremote controlled Spinosaurusequipped with 43 hydraulic cylinders designed to simulate motion on land and underwater.
Using CNC sculpting, the firm crafted highly durable foam parts to fill out their dinosaurs’ muscles and skin, giving the animatronic weight and texture that can’t be matched by even the most advanced computer-generated images. Eight puppeteers usedradiofrequency-enabled joysticks给予了全方位的运动和棘龙flashes of visible emotion. Plus, the dinosaur was created with 1,000 horsepower, giving it a shocking amount of speed and mobility.
Companies likeAnimax Designsuse complex machining and modern software to develop, design, engineer, and fabricate animatronics for film and theme parks, including everything from a life-like orangutan to avirtually-puppeteered human head.
3D Printing in Set Design and Props
Another modern hardware innovation Hollywood has adapted for its purposes is 3D printing.British production company Propshop3D printedmilitary-grade night vision goggles for the filmZero Dark Thirty, a spaceship forGuardians of the Galaxy, and even a full-sized tank forFast & Furious 6. They also 3D printed entire sets for films such asEx MachinaandAvengers: Age of Ultron. Because Propshop can fabricate equipment and sets made to order, it offers filmmakers product design capabilities that can greatly expedite their pre-production process.
Though computer-generated graphics can be breathtaking, audiences still need practical elements to buy into a film’s reality. Accordingly, Hollywood studios will continue to develop animatronics and 3D printing to entertain filmgoers the world over.
