Case Study: Starburns Industries achieves thousands of lifelike, full-color stop-motion faces with 3D Systems ProJet CJP 660

Starburns Industries Uses 3D Printing to Bring Greater Realism to Anomalisa Character

Starburns Industries, a Burbank production studio, faced the challenge of giving stop-motion puppets for the film Anomalisa unprecedented emotional realism while producing an enormous number of distinct facial expressions quickly. Directors wanted lifelike texture and visible seams rather than digitally erased finishes, so the team needed a fast, high-quality color solution that could deliver thousands of nuanced faces on a tight production schedule.

Starburns used the 3D Systems ProJet CJP 660 to print full‑color, high-resolution upper and lower faceplates—dozens per build run—running almost continuously to produce “thousands upon thousands” of expressions. The printer’s color fidelity, speed and build volume allowed minimal post‑processing, smooth on-set swapping of faces, and contributed to the film’s critical success (Venice Grand Jury Prize, major nominations), showcasing 3D color printing’s productivity and aesthetic value for stop-motion.

Starburns Industries

Bryan LaFata

Operations Supervisor