3D Printing is a game-changer in the movie and digital EFX industry. Large build volume and reliability at an affordable price for stunning special effects design has become a no-brainer investment. Film Studios and 3D Printing 3D Printing is a game-changer in the movie and digital EFX industry. Large build volume and reliability at an affordable price for stunning special effects design has become a no-brainer investment. Terry Persun Film and TV Jun 17, 2025 Veteran Makeup FX Artists Steve Yang and Eddie Wang from Alliance Studio—an entertainment design and build studio—discuss how 3D printing with Raise3D has shaped the new era of special effects and sculpture creation. Steve Yang: I moved to L.A. to get into the makeup effects industry. This was a time when the movie The Thing had come out already, American Werewolf in London , The Howling . These were huge innovations in makeup effects. I was lucky enough to get in with Stan Winston Studios when I first got here and work for him for a few months. Then I went to Rick Baker’s as a sculptor for Harry and the Henderson’s. And I think, it wasn’t until shortly after that I met Eddie. He was 17. Here’s this amazing kid, really talented, and he wanted to meet me. We instantly hit it off and have been friends ever since. Eddie Wang: Steve had this completely unique way of doing things. At the time everything was humanoid, what we called a “safe design.” It was all monster paint jobs using purples and flesh tones. Everything was done in a very boring fashion. And then Steve showed up to the monster maker contest with this hermit crab inspired, sea creature amphibian paint job with this samurai kilt underneath everybody was like, “Oh my God, it’s beautiful, it’s designed well, it’s something we’ve never seen before.” Steve Yang: In those days, everything we did in the industry was started with clay. We’d do maquettes, but our final products were always done in clay. And when I slowly moved out of the makeup effects arena, I started getting more into creating statues for video games. The first one I did was for Blizzard back in 2004, and it wasn’t until 2010 when they came to me, and they had this giant robot guy named Jim Raynor, a guy in the robot suit and they show me the 3D model and say, “We want you to make this.” At that point, it was totally different from what I’ve done before. Before everything was done traditionally, and now I’ve got this giant robot. And so that’s the first time that I really got into digital. Digital printing is a huge part of what we do now. A while back digital printing was something relatively new, now it’s everywhere. Every studio has a 3D printer. It just makes so much more sense. They are so much easier to work with. Plus it’s a one-to-one operation. You design stuff on the computer digitally and you get exactly what you designed. The first printer we ever bought was a Makerbot, but it was too small, and we needed something bigger, we need solutions. So, we started researching into larger printers, and we looked at every company. I think we were on a tour of Blizzard Studios when Brian Faison said you should look into Raise3D. Sure enough we contacted John over at Raise3D and he had a printer here ASAP. He rolled it out of the truck, plugged it in, and showed us how to use it. That was pretty much the history. What we got with Raise3D was a bigger build space and higher resolution. We were able to actually make some of the parts we needed for the big life-size statues. We print them, take them to the back, clean them up, and do a regular finishing on them. You can’t tell the difference between that and the parts that we actually farm out to the big printing companies. You do one job, and it pays for the printer. Oh yeah, the price was a huge thing because the ones we were looking at were two and three times more than a Raise3D printer. We were expecting to purchase one system, but we were able to afford two of them. Since then, we have recommended Raise3D to so many people. As artists, and being creative every day, we think of unique ways of utilizing this technology and the machinery. We can do things that we have never done before. See conversation video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYd7eS4o2ws&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.raise3d.com%2Fcase%2Fthe-advanced-tech-behind-movies-heres-why-every-film-studio-now-owns-a-3d-printer%2F See Alliance Studios video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=14&v=ZDGIuNLDvXM&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Falliancestudios.gg%2F&embeds_referring_origin=https%3A%2F%2Falliancestudios.gg&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjIsMjg2NjY For information: Raise3D: Https://www.Raise3d.com Raise3D Demo Videos: https://www.raise3d.com/demo-video/ Alliance Studios: https://alliancestudios.gg/ Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

An optical/infrared telescope recently got a mirror control upgrade that is more accurate and cuts costs. Pneumatic Telescope Controls Adjust for Atmospheric Variation Automatically An optical/infrared telescope recently got a mirror control upgrade that is more accurate and cuts costs. Edited by Terry Persun Cool Stuff Mar 24, 2026 The Canada-France-Hawaii hosts a world-class, 3.6-meter optical/infrared telescope. The observatory is located at the 4,200 meter summit of Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano located on the island of Hawaii. The mission of the CFH Telescope (CFHT) is to provide its user community with a versatile and state-of-the-art astronomical observing facility. The CFHT’s primary mirror is positioned on a set of pneumatic puck assemblies, and three hardpoints for stability. This design maintains the mirror figure throughout varying gravity vectors by modulating the pneumatic pressure that follows a cosine curve from zenith to horizon. Twenty-four pneumatic puck assemblies are placed around the mirror cell in two concentric circles, with fifteen pads forming the outside ring and nine on the inner ring. Load cells are mounted on each of the hardpoints to monitor the pneumatic support performance. Photos courtesy of Proportion Air. A geometry constraint, bending of mirror cell, even with compliant pads, will cause uneven pressure support on the mirror causing unintended bending and stress concentrations. Incorporating a pressure constraint allows the mirror support to be independent of mirror cell bending. The original cosine regulator incorporated a passive, mechanically based, open loop system, using mass and gravity to regulate the pressures driving the inner and outer rings of the support system’s pneumatic mirror pucks. Although this had been a reliable method for years, the mechanical regulator required constant air bleed to maintain the proper pressures. This resulted in a very high air compressor duty cycle, which meant excessive electrical costs and air compressor usage. Photos courtesy of Proportion Air. A full evaluation of the system indicated that incoming pressure to each regulator needed to be supplied by at least 0.0353 CFPS at 72 psi. That is 3049 cu-ft at 72 psi/day/regulator. Pressure to each controller had to be regulated to 35 psi +/- 2.85 psi. Controllers (regulators) were required to be aligned in two planes to within 2 arc-min. An alignment error of 3 minutes would cause a system error of 0.05% (0.005 psi) at a zenith angle of 90 degrees. Each of the nine inner pads provided 1086 lbf at zenith, and each of the fifteen outer pads provide 1034 lbf at zenith—totaling of 25,284 lbs (12.64 tons). Total load for the nine inner pads, fifteen outer pads, and three defining points needed to be 28,433 lbs. Design Objectives In addition to meeting the necessary specifications for fault tolerances and fail-safes to reduce repair time in the case of damage, the objectives for the new regulator upgrade included minimizing component count, using altitude-rated components when possible and minimizing the use of electrolytic capacitors. The new design also had to prevent control from faulty Raspberry Pi. Plus, the plan included using automotive-qualified parts and low-temperature dependent parts wherever possible. The new design would provide a high level of reliability. A secondary, but equally important aspect of the design was meant to achieve a high level of maintainability. This included having tested spare parts on-hand, minimizing the number of custom parts required, and using legacy CFHT components wherever possible. The design was also to use MIL-SPEC bulkhead connectors to the outside world. Finally, it was important to have online parameter tuning for the system. Proportion-Air provided the CFHT with a new highly accurate, closed-loop system that incorporated a microprocessor to control the company’s QBX electronic variable pressure regulators, while strategically placed pressure sensors provided the required feedback. Most importantly, the system does not require constant air bleed. Photos courtesy of Proportion Air. The new system was installed and tested extensively prior to being released for operations. It was calibrated and tuned to match the performance of the previously existing cosine regulator. Since the mirror support system was critical to providing image quality and damage to the mirror pucks could incur many man-hours of work, the new system was designed with multiple redundant features that allowed for either false-safe or fault-tolerant, depending on the failure mode. While all of the components were chosen to ensure high reliability and safety, the circuit board was specifically designed with hardware limitations that intentionally prevented damage to the system. Programming philosophies were adopted from the space industry to ensure robust, standalone operation. Proven command lockout schemes and control philosophies ensured safe command and setting of the new system gains. By design, the system prevents the pneumatic pads from over-pressurizing. Cost Savings and Improved Accuracy The original system cost was around $65,000, which today translates to roughly $400,000, including non-recurring engineering (NRE) costs. The pneumatic replacement system—including the necessary regulators—cost only $5,000, primarily thanks to its simplicity and not having to start from scratch. An estimated $17,000 in annual energy savings is expected to be realized, and other optimizations to the dry air system could increase the savings even further. Ultimately, the customer reports that the new system, using Proportion-Air regulators, is much more accurate and does not require constant bleed. This reduces the air compressor’s duty cycle, electrical cost, and usage. For more information: Proportion Air CFHT QBX Pressure Regulator Read more about telescopes >>> Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

An interview with Entertainment Engineering co-founder Terry Persun about the magazine's relaunch WATCH: Why Now is the Best Time for Entertainment Engineering's Relaunch An interview with Entertainment Engineering co-founder Terry Persun about the magazine's relaunch Videos Aug 7, 2025 Cool Stuff Terry Persun and Joe Gillard discuss Entertainment Engineering Magazine's digital relaunch and why engineers should care. Entertainment Engineering focuses on the engineering behind entertainment, including films TV, sports, stage, and more. Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

The Gröna Lund Amusement Park recently inaugurated some new rides, including a refurbished “Blå Tåget” ride. Stockholm, Sweden Amusement Park Features Synchronized AV System The Gröna Lund Amusement Park recently inaugurated some new rides, including a refurbished “Blå Tåget” ride. Kreativ Teknik Theme Parks Jun 4, 2025 The “Blå Tåget” ride went through a total makeover. This ride is a ghost train loaded with new chills, thrills, and effects especially designed for visitors’ enjoyment. The train passes through several chambers, each filled with skeletons, scarecrows, rats, wolves, fire, lightning, ghosts, and more. The setting inside the ride was designed by artist Magnus Sörman and the entrance to the ride was designed by artist Joakim Hansén. For the technical portions of the adventure-ride, Kreativ Teknik was contacted by Gröna Lund. Kreativ Teknik, a Swedish-based company that mainly works with lighting, control systems, and effects, selected Medialon to be part of the project. Kreativ Teknik delivered a total solution including lighting, smoke, video projectors, control system, as well as the programming of the entire ride’s special effects. One Medialon Showmaster Pro embedded show controller controls and synchronizes the entire AV system. Medialon controls everything from light and sound to lightning, smoke-effects, movements of the animatronics, and video, which are continuously timed and trigged by the exact positions of the train’s chariots. “It was surprisingly quick and easy to set the timings of the animatronics together with the effects. I really liked the system and I want to continue to work with it in my future projects” says Marcus Persson, Project Manager and CEO at Kreativ Teknik. “We think that the project has been carried out really well and it’s been done with great interest and commitment,” Peter Osbeck, Ride Manager at Gröna Lund said. For more information: Gröna Lund Amusement Park Home Kreativ Teknik Home Medialon Home Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

The fast-moving world of Formula 1 motor racing technology is constantly changing as a result of the desire to gain an advantage in such a highly competitive arena, as well as the need to comply with ever-changing rules and regulations. Formula 1 Wings Use Mini Solenoid Valves The fast-moving world of Formula 1 motor racing technology is constantly changing as a result of the desire to gain an advantage in such a highly competitive arena, as well as the need to comply with ever-changing rules and regulations. Edited by EE Staff Sports Sep 11, 2025 After being banned for 40 years on safety grounds, in 2011 driver-activated rear wings were returned to Formula 1. This decision was made at a meeting of the sports governing body, the FIA World Motor Sport Council, with the objective of allowing more overtaking in F1. One of the beneficiaries of this decision was The Lee Company, which has sold hundreds of miniature solenoid valves to all of the F1 teams for a wide range of applications, including fuel flaps, emergency clutch disengagement, reverse gear selection, power steering, auxiliary lube oil tank top-up applications, and front wing control. In fact, The Lee Company specifically developed its Performance Racing Solenoid Valve at the request of its F1 customers, and this was subsequently homologated by the FIA for use in F1. In the video below, Marc Priestley builds a scale(ish) model to explain exactly how DRS works in F1. Marc 'Elvis' Priestley worked for McLaren Racing as a Formula One mechanic and member of the pitstop crew from 2000-2009. He worked with a distinguished list of drivers including Mika Hakkinen, David Coulthard, Kimi Raikkonen, Jean Alesi, Juan Pablo Montoya, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. For the real F1, the active front wings have a trailing edge which can be adjusted by the driver to increase downforce during braking. Active front wings were a feature on Formula 1 cars for the 2010 season but were banned for the 2011 season, to be replaced by the active rear wing. Drivers are now able to control the rear wing once they have been behind another driver for a set amount of time, thereby reducing drag on the straightaway and allowing greater opportunity for overtaking. The high-flow 3-way single-coil solenoid valve. All photos courtesy of The Lee Company. The wings are raised and lowered by a large hydraulic actuator, which must move very quickly and therefore demands a fast-acting, high-flow valve to control it. The Lee Company developed a 12 VDC version of its 3-way high flow solenoid valve specifically for this purpose, and several Formula 1 teams have specified the valve for this function. This modified valve can operate at temperatures of up to 329°F (165°C). Also, the retaining nut has been removed to save space and reduce weight, and the lead wires now exit from the rear of the valve, instead of at the hydraulic end. The Lee Company’s miniature 3-way high flow solenoid valves are a natural evolution of our proven piloting solenoid valves, which set new standards in reducing space, weight, and power consumption. Valve elements are based on the low leakage, highly reliable designs used in Lee check and shuttle valves. Functions and features include two-position, 3-way, 3000 psi, 4.0 GPM minimum flow at 3000 psid (300 Lohms), single-coil, and an integral safety screen with a 0.004 inch hole size. Power consumption is 7.8 W at 18-32 VDC, and the valves can operate within a temperature range of -129°F to 275°F (-54°C to 135°C). These miniature solenoid valves are part of The Lee Company’s extensive range of plugs, restrictors, check valves, relief valves, shuttle valves, filter screens, and flow controls, which are all being used in current Formula 1 cars and engines. Formula 1 and F1 are trademarks of Formula One Licensing BV, a Formula One Group Company. For more information: The Lee Company The Lee Company Performance Racing Solenoid Valve Marc Priestley F1 Elvis Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

Software enabled a popular swimwear company to reduce prototyping cycles, increase quality, automate workflows, and streamline collaboration. Reimagining Sports Swimwear Software enabled a popular swimwear company to reduce prototyping cycles, increase quality, automate workflows, and streamline collaboration. Terry Persun Sports Jun 16, 2025 Horst Dassler, the founder of Arena and son of Adidas founder, was on the pool deck at the 1972 Munich Olympics to witness Mark Spitz win his historic seven gold medals while setting seven new world records. Dassler immediately started forming plans for a swimwear company dedicated to aquatic sports and performance swimwear. Just one year after the Games, Arena launched Skinfit® as its first competition swimwear line. The new ultra-light fabric only weighed 18 grams and was designed to cling to a swimmer’s body like a second skin.Today , Arena is headquartered in Tolentino, in central Italy, and is still fully dedicated to producing premium swimwear, equipment, and accessories for swimmers. Also from Entertainment Engineering Fast forward to the present. Arena Chief Information Officer, Andrea Mazzanti, understood that the company needed to reduce the time spent preparing prototypes of new swimwear and related products. At the same time, he wanted to reduce the company’s carbon emissions. By moving to a 3D printing model, the company was able to shorten the life cycle for producing new product prototypes. Plus, by adding 3D EXPERIENCE® Works, Arena was able to ensure all its designers had up-to-date feedback to create, test, and optimize models in real time. According to Mazzanti, “Before 3D EXPERIENCE, the company’s workflow was messier—less predictable and more manual, and they often transferred data via Excel spreadsheets. With 3DEXPERIENCE, we have a single environment where designers can work together and quickly exchange information, which also greatly helps them collaborate with our partners.” Mazzanti said, “ 3D EXPERIENCE is helping us create an ecosystem, connecting all the necessary people with our designers.” Arena mainly uses 3D EXPERIENCE with Solidworks® and 3D Sculptor, along with Simulation. With 3DEXPERIENCE Works, the company has reduced its prototyping cycle by 70 percent while decreasing time to market and enhancing quality by reducing the number of product defects. Photo: Screenshot of a swim goggle lens in design software. Simulation helps Arena reduce their CO2 emissions. Leveraging Simulation to Preserve Resources Another welcome benefit of decreasing the prototype cycle is the increase in sustainability from reduced carbon emissions. Mazzanti continues, “By simulating everything in our design office, we don’t have to create multiple product samples or use third-party product samples, which reduces our CO2 emissions.” He predicts that digital technologies will continue to help Arena improve products for swimmers, particularly in capturing images and measuring and tracking data regarding the performance of fabrics on swimmers in the water. Technology can also help designers develop and test smart fibers. 3D EXPERIENCE® Works collaboration tools ensure that Arena designers have up-to-date feedback to create, test, and optimize models in real time. Besides reducing their prototyping cycle, Arena experienced a decrease in time to market, and enhanced quality by reducing the number of product defects. For more information: SolidWorks Arena Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

Using Kodak film and Panavision lenses, director Gareth Edwards sought to capture the magic of Spielberg's original vision. Here's How Jurassic World Rebirth Captured the Nostalgia of Film Using Kodak film and Panavision lenses, director Gareth Edwards sought to capture the magic of Spielberg's original vision. Joe Gillard Film and TV Jul 8, 2025 Can you believe there are now seven Jurassic films? I still remember seeing the first two in theaters, and they were big moments in my childhood. They were all I could think about. And I’m far from the only one who experienced that joy in theaters. The films are some of the most influential ever made. “All those films you love, that you grew up with, that have that certain look that really hard to describe? It’s because it was shot on Kodak.” – Gareth Edwards, director, Jurassic World Rebirth. Jurassic World Rebirth premiered on June 17th and stars Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, Mahershala Ali. Capturing the Spielberg look with Kodak and Panavision technology The Jurassic films are known for pioneering visual effects , but all but one of the films was shot on traditional 35mm film. Jurassic World Rebirth continues the tradition. The past few decades saw a transition into digital to film movies, but there has been a nostalgic resurgence of interest in using traditional methods. Also from EE: The Technology Behind the Rotating Chairs on The Voice You can thank director Gareth Edwards for the decision to use Koday 35mm film and Panavision lenses. “All the films I grew up loving were ... shot on Kodak,” says Edwards in a video uploaded to YouTube. He says he “fought really hard” to shoot Jurassic World Rebirth on Kodak film a Panavision lenses. “All those films you love, that you grew up with, that have that certain look that really hard to describe? It’s because it was shot on Kodak,” said the nostalgic Edwards. But it goes beyond nostalgia. For Edwards, a film can look “better” than reality, even with the right camera technology, because of how colors can appear. “Having the film stock and the film veneer and grain and these really beautiful wide, animorphic, distorted lenses to work with has been really beautiful,” says David Vickery, Visual Effects Supervisor, in the video. “It’s something to help us bed the visual effects and creatures into, how much bowing and distortion and stretching of the image happens towards the edge, all sorts of chromatic aberration that happens to the highlights and make sure that when we add digital elements into the frame that we can sample that and put it all back on.” Panavision lenses preserve the magic In addition to Kodak film, the team also tried to recreate the magic behind Spielberg’s first film by using the iconic Panavision anamorphic lenses to shoot the film. Animorphic lenses work by using cylindrical lenses to compress the image during recording, rather than cropping or matting. Then, an additional lens expands the image back to widescreen proportions. This way, more image resolution is preserved. It's interesting to see film studios lean into the public demand for experiences that feel familiar, even if the technology is older. I suspect we'll see even more of this attitude towards film and TV as too much AI has the potential to overwhelm and exhaust audiences, particularly Millennials and Gen Xers who will likely pine for a simpler time. For more information: Jurassic World Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

Introducing X1: The World's First Multirobot System EE Staff Mini Story Oct 27, 2025 Caltech’s Center for Autonomous Systems and Technologies (CAST) and the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates joined forces to design and build a multimodal system. The aim was to create a robot that could fly, drive, and walk so that you don’t have to focus on one area of operation—and purchase three devices. This demo shows how three distinct robot types come together to form a multimodal system that will offer a single solution to multiple challenges. We still think it operates similar to a Transformer, which is pretty cool. Read the whole article from CalTech here . *Photo courtesy of Academic Media Technologies/Caltech. Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

At Chamrousse, smart ride assistance distance control provides guests with an unforgettable experience for maximum summer and winter fun. Inside the Four-Season Toboggan at a French Winter Sports Resort At Chamrousse, smart ride assistance distance control provides guests with an unforgettable experience for maximum summer and winter fun. Edited by EE Staff Sports Oct 5, 2026 Attractions The French winter sports resort of Chamrousse, which has been popular since the 1968 Winter Olympics, opened a new highlight for its guests: a modern four-season toboggan run from Sunkid. The monorail toboggan run of the “Mountain Coaster 2.0” generation is a prime example of future-oriented leisure activities in the Alps—usable year-round and with smart ride assistance distance control for maximum safety and fun. Images courtesy of Sunkid. With a descent length of almost 640 meters, a height difference of 94 meters and an average gradient of 15%, the coaster offers action-packed curves, tunnels, and dynamic “waves.” Maximum speed is up to 40 km/h. A total of 30 vehicles ensures a high throughput capacity—ideal for busy days in both summer and winter seasons. A Sunkid mountain conveyor (length: around 260 meters) is used for transportation to the starting area—convenient for operators and passengers alike. While an automatic exit conveyor ensures a smooth process at the end of the route, the roofed traffic circle storage area protects the vehicles from all weather conditions. This means that every passenger has a dry and snow-free seat when boarding and can enjoy the generous and ergonomic space right from the start, even when wearing ski boots or winter boots. Images courtesy of Sunkid. With the new digital service and maintenance app “MOCO pro,” the operating staff is able to keep track of every toboggan at all times. Error messages are delivered directly to their smartphone or tablet, where they can also check the status of maintenance, software, and battery charge. From the smartphone, operators can control the lighting and belt buckle and can even print out maintenance logs. Images courtesy of Sunkid. The installation was planned and implemented by Sunkid and Caratelli, the French sales partner for the Mountain Coaster. The project blends harmoniously into the surroundings and was realized with special consideration for ecological aspects. During the approval process, the project received broad approval at both municipal and regional levels—a sign of the future viability of such investments in the Alpine region with its tourism infrastructure. With the Mountain Coaster 2.0, Chamrousse has positioned itself as a four-season destination. For information: Sunkid Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

Rather than printing multiple 3D printed parts and bonding them to one another, a team of engineers decided to use large scale additive manufacturing tools to help them stick within tight lead times. EV Concept Car Inspired by Ferrari and Porsche Rather than printing multiple 3D printed parts and bonding them to one another, a team of engineers decided to use large scale additive manufacturing tools to help them stick within tight lead times. Edited by EE Staff Cool Stuff Aug 18, 2026 Automotive A former Lamborghini and Audi designer for Super Cars, Rafael Corazza Ronchetti is now a Professor of Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Ronchetti and a team of engineers from SCAD pulled their talents together to create The Aether , a functional EV design that is heavily influenced by the Ferrari 312 F1 and Porsche 917. To produce the car, they chose to use additive manufacturing. Hatch Exhibits is a custom design studio that partnered with the SCAD team to rapidly print the main car panels in large format, using a Massivit 5000, an industrial-grade printer that automotive design teams can use to produce any desired geometry based on CAD designs or 3D scans. The EV Design In Greek mythology, Aether was considered the primordial god of the upper atmosphere and light. Along those lines, a colleague of Ronchetti’s, Owen Foster, SCAD Design Associate Chairperson, suggested that the design would appeal to “Gen Z and Gen Alpha drivers [who] are looking for something that will amplify their own unique journey through life.” Images courtesy of Massivit. The mission of the teams was to build a fully functional EV while incorporating sustainable production methods. This came with some challenges. One of which was how to prototype and then produce full-scale parts. The typical car manufacturer has to build multiple components and then bond them together to make a larger part. The ability to print single large panels is something that would overcome this age-old method. But, at the same time, building large components provides greater overall design accuracy. Images courtesy of Massivit. As mentioned, The Aether is designed to attract a younger demographic through a sleek and elegant convertible EV. This fully electric, battery-operated vehicle comes with a game-like AI dashboard meant to enhance the driver experience by matching music to specific driving patterns. The car also has transparent internal paneling for tech-savvy enthusiasts. The Aether was showcased at the 2024 Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. Images courtesy of Massivit. Large-Scale 3D Printing The Massivit 5000 incorporates a gel-based 3D printing technology that uses UV light to cure the components on-the-fly during the printing operation. Build volume for the printer is 1450mm x 110mm x 1800mm. The machine uses a range of printing materials and layer thicknesses for a wide variety of applications. Full-scale, complex parts can be digitally fabricated within hours, rather the days or weeks needed for more conventional methods. The system also uniquely offers two print heads and the ability to print with a different material on each head for workflow efficiency. Images courtesy of Massivit. Using the Massivit 5000 allowed the team to produce panels ultra-fast and at full-scale. After checking the printed components against their design, the team could quickly print the parts again within a few hours. The speed of the technology allows teams to produce large car panels, as well as train covers, truck grills, giant immersive sets, and more with relative ease. Ultimately, Large Scale Additive Manufacturing (LSAM) is serving faster design and development lead times as well as sleek new design possibilities. Additive manufacturing uses the minimum required material, as opposed to traditional machine tools, which can generate large amounts of waste. Another benefit of using 3D printers is to enable OEM’s and service bureaus to bring their production inhouse. For information: Massivit Massivit 5000 Savannah College of Art and Design Read more about 3D Printing >>> Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

When a Vancouver-based boutique animation studio outgrew its consumer-grade storage when it took on bigger projects for film, TV, and commercials, it looked to a more scalable solution. Big Animation Dreams Mean Big Storage Needs When a Vancouver-based boutique animation studio outgrew its consumer-grade storage when it took on bigger projects for film, TV, and commercials, it looked to a more scalable solution. Edited by EE Staff Film and TV Nov 17, 2025 Od Studios (Vancouver, BC) started as a boutique visual effects studio with an aim to produce full length animated feature films using the latest technology and production practices. In the video production industry, great work can lead to more work—which means more generated data, and subsequently, the need for more storage. To reach their goal, they knew that they could no longer get by with their older consumer-grade storage solution. Od Studios generates a significant amount of data during production. Their product is the data they produce. Their efficiency was impacted by the low throughput of their previous consumer grade hardware solution. As they grow, the projects they work on become higher profile and their need to produce high quality work increases. Od Studios required a stable solution to finish projects on time and on budget. They needed a storage solution that would allow them to scale and provide them with the flexibility to resolve their specific problems. As a relatively new company, they had been using a product that only offered mediocre throughput that constrained their ability to produce work quickly. The system was slow, and they constantly questioned how many days remained until they pushed the system to failure. As a newer studio with a limited budget, total cost of ownership (TCO) was very high on their list of requirements. They needed to balance affordability with throughput and stability yet wanted flexibility to allow for scaling and future growth. They began researching hardware vendors for a replacement solution, considering Seagate along with competitors that are traditionally used to provide storage solutions in the animation/visual effects production industry. Od Studios wanted the ability to install whichever vendor’s drives they chose, as well as to use the Lustre file system software they selected. They believed that they could achieve performance that was as good as, if not better than, many of the proprietary systems in the market. All photos courtesy of Seagate and Od Studios. In the early part of their selection process, Od Studios appreciated that Seagate’s storage options were different than competitors that locked customers into a single, one size fits all solution where the hardware appliance, installed drives, and software are provided by one single vendor. That’s why the studio chose Seagate’s Exos™ X 5U84 RAID array that provided them with future flexibility and minimal vendor lock-in—a solution that gives them the flexibility to pivot should they ever need to. The 5U84 provides room to grow through a versatile architecture that opimzes TCO for petabyte-scale storage with industry-leading density. Plus, Od Studios can get its data to applications when and where it’s needed with high-speed, high-performance storage. The secure hard drives provide reduced power consumption and adaptive cooling technology to help Od Studios realize cost and energy savings. All photos courtesy of Seagate and Od Studios. The 5U84 is placed behind a Dell server which serves as the Lustre file system’s object storage service (OSS). A second Dell server is used for the Lustre metadata service (MDS). Due to the Seagate array’s design, Od Studios can scale out their system in different ways as needed—although with its extremely large capacity it may be a while before that happens. Another benefit for Od Studios is how the ADAPT RAID on the array allows for rapid rebuild times in case of drive loss. In addition, the ability to use preferred drives in the array, along with using a scalable software-defined storage solution like Lustre, provides Od Studios with the flexibility, scalability, and performance they need out of their storage system. Today, in addition to films, Od Studios also works on TV series and commercials. Its clients include Netflix, Amazon Prime, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Warner Bros., Marvel, and NBC. According to Od Studios Founder and Visual Effects Supervisor, Marc Horsfield, “The ability to scale out is a big win. With Seagate’s Exos X 5U84, we have options to scale, and that flexibility is paramount in an ever-changing industry.” For more information: Seagate Od Studios Exos X 5U84 RAID System Read more articles about filmmaking >>> Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

J.R. Clancy expands their rigging control console series to address the entire range of performance venues. Rigging Control Consoles J.R. Clancy expands their rigging control console series to address the entire range of performance venues. EE Staff Stage Events Jun 3, 2025 The family of SceneControl® 5000 controllers now has a console for performance spaces of every size, from the most complex performing arts center, sporting complex, and Broadway show to the high school, church, and college stage. The addition is the SceneControl® 5200 console, which provides programming capability for an unlimited number of cues, including the ability to control other stage machinery like turntables, wagons, chain motors, and even performer flying hoists. Small enough for venues with confined backstage space, the SceneControl 5200 console controls up to 24 axes. Venues using the SceneControl 5200 console will enjoy greater flexibility, expanding their ability to incorporate different kinds of equipment for exciting effects. If the venue’s needs change, the unit can be scaled up as required, because the SceneControl family has one across-the-board, flexible, fully compatible control system architecture. Upgrading or adding additional consoles becomes plug-and-play. The family of consoles includes three controllers for larger venues, offering the flexibility to grow with the changing needs of any venue: The SceneControl® 5600 offers dual 24-inch 1920 x 1080 screens, redundant parallel processing, and a 15.6-inch helm capacitive touch screen on the desktop. Greater video real estate means the operator can see more of what is going on within the system at any given time, with 3D wireframe views that display the performer space and all of its axes. Redundant parallel processor ensures that a hardware failure does not stop the show, and 3D programming makes it possible to fly performers or scenery on X, Y, and Z axes. SceneControl® 5500 provides many of the same features, plus a 10.1-inch master helm touch screen and 24-inch monitor screen to allow the operator to use the 3D wireframe view to see all the equipment in motion. This controller also features 3D programming capability for exciting performer flying effects. Redundant processing is included in the event of a hardware failure. Finally, the SceneControl® 5300 is a compact, mid-level operator console that can serve as the main operator interface as well as a localized backstage console. The 15.6-inch touch screen provides an intuitive, easy to use interface. As new productions and touring shows reach greater levels of complexity, performing arts centers will be able to integrate the same production values seen in New York or Las Vegas into their in-house rigging control system through the use of the SceneControl® 5000 series. For more information: J.R. Clancy Home Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next