Tirah Brings

Hello!

My name is Tirah Brings and I was homeschooled from K-12. When I turned 16, I enrolled at Kauai Community College in their Running Start program. As a result, when I finally enrolled at KCC as a college student, I had already earned enough Running Start credits for a Certificate in Digital Graphic Design. I continued on to do the rest of my Liberal Arts at KCC, selecting many classes in Digital Media because the KCC Art department was just beginning to branch into that area. I think I took almost every class that was offered, including some weekend workshops with guest speakers from the industry. I has always loved art, especially Adobe Illustrator for its versatility. I designed multiple posters using Illustrator from a poster for a student show at KCC as well as a poster for a local theatre group, Hawaii Children’s Theatre. My greatest passion, though, manifested after I played a video game called “Garry’s Mod.” It opened my eyes to 3D modeling, modding, rigging, and so much more. It introduced me to amazing content creators around the world that I am glad to call my friends. I aspire to create models that inspire others just as those creators inspired me. Iʻll be graduating this semester with a Bachelor of Applied Science degree with a concentration in Creative media. If I were an artistʻs tool, Iʻd be a pencil! It sounds basic but it’s really how I started. All you really need is a pencil and some paper to create something. Pencils help you draft out new ideas and work through the good and bad easily. I like to experiment a lot with art in my head and try to iterate those thoughts into my work, so I believe that a pencil, the artist’s drafting tool, would be me.

Research Topic: 3D Printing for Prop Making in the Film Industry

Research Question: Why do movies use 3D printing technology to make film props?

Capstone Project: 3D prop/Web series

Title: To Prop or Not

Abstract

3D printing a prop for movies is a valid option. A review of the literature shows that, indeed, 3D printing is already in use, especially in fantasy films. I#D printing considerably lowers costs and can even be done on a tabletop printer. The print is also hollow and light, which makes it easy to transport. It is furthermore customizable to any size desired. But there are also reports of disadvantages, notably lengthy post-processing time to “perfect” the prop. The question is whether this digital process is really worth it? This Capstone Project set out to test this notion by making a video game weapon, the “Sword of the Creator.” The process of proceeding from a 2D to a 3D digital model to the final outcome of a printed 3D pop was documented at each step. A series of videos, entitled Let’s Print: From Pixels to Physical, demonstrates the process in real time. A first video introduces the research question: Is 3D printing a viable way to make a prop? The second and later videos explain each step along the way, with commentary about the pros and cons as they became apparent. It is concluded that 3D printing for prop making is a very skill intensive process, with many exciting aspects. But, one is dependent on the technology and must be able to trouble-shoot and find creative solutions when things go amiss, and they did. But, in the end, 3D printing appeared to offer more than it cost in human sweat and creative energy. In this Capstone experience, the end sum was definitely positive.