3D printing is now being used in cinema too!

The creator of the new Netflix movie Pinocchio has used 3D printing to create mechanical silicone-skinned characters' heads. This gave the animators more control over the puppets and allowed them to "act" more naturally. The film's director wanted the puppets to look like real actors, not puppets. The production of dolls was difficult due to the small size of the heads and complex mechanics, but the use of 3D printing helped to overcome these problems.

Haines' team used 3D printing to create a model of Pinocchio in the film. They ran tests to make sure they were happy with the mouth shapes of the characters. The models were scanned and turned into digital models. The doll has been animated with full interchangeable heads. 3D printing has already been used in cinematography, for example for the movie Missing Link. In total, over 100 detailed colored 000D faces were created for the stop motion feature.