3D printed owl

The 3D printed owl used in the film before it was painted.

We don’t always think about how props are made or acquired by filmmakers, we just see the magic as we watch the film. For Fox Helms, a Film Productions major in the Dodge College of Film & Media Arts, he saw an opportunity to create his props using 3D printers available in the Fowler School of Engineering’s Tech Shop.

For his final thesis film, Fox designed and 3D printed a statue of a golden owl to use as the centerpiece of his film, Carver Statue Snatched!. Fox thought of using the 3D printers because he works as a student assistant in the Tech Shop to help other students utilize the tools and dream up their projects.

3D printing has become popular among Chapman students in the Fowler School of Engineering. They have created several objects while learning about the engineering lifecycle, often uncovered in the Ideation Zone, created in the Makerspace and tested in the Tech Shop. Many student projects have become centerpieces for workshops available across campus to students, faculty and staff.

You can watch Fox Helm’s thesis film, Carver Statue Snatched!, on YouTube.

on set with owl statue

A behind-the-scenes look at the Carver statue on set.

3D printed owl on set

The owl on set after it was painted.