Jamás: 3D Printing is Central in Moenia Rock Video as Band Comes to Life via Technology

It’s always refreshing, and exciting, to see the uses of 3D printing switched up a little. While we spend a great deal of time focused on the latest innovations, with many sure to change lives forever—if not the world—sometimes indeed it is fun too just to sit back and watch the technology featured in art, as well as in the hands of fictional characters demonstrating just how far into the mainstream 3D printing has come.

I’ve chuckled to myself on numerous occasions now after experiencing a day of writing about 3D technology and then falling into a Netflix coma onto the couch, only to flip on Grey’s Anatomy and see Meredith actually falling asleep clutching the 3D model she made. One Saturday a while back, my family and I rented Big Hero 6, a cute kid’s movie, and we all jumped up in our seats when we remembered there was some 3D printing in action there too. (The movie also sparked off a couple of real projects like a 3D printed Baymax lamp and a Big Hero costume).

A technology has definitely hit the big time, however, when it is nearly a character itself, featured moving to the sultry tones of a music video. Directed in a progressive video by Gregory Allen, Mexican electronica band Moenia certainly showed a new side of themselves as they experienced a rebirth through technology, inspired to sing their 2015 song ‘Jamás,’ during the act of fabrication. Allen, famous for directing videos for some of the most famous Spanish-singing bands involved in the rock-pop scene, worked with design team Dimensión N to create all the 3D effects. Even if this isn’t your favorite style of music, the visuals are mesmerizing for sure.

Moenia, although formed in 1985, is designed and delivered to you here completely anew, straight from the hot bed as a female character lords over them and oversees their creation. What’s even more fascinating is how real the process is in the video. This isn’t sliced and diced so that you don’t see the messy parts of 3D printing, even allowing us to see the ‘designer’ trimming the plastic hairs from their chins as they sing.

“One of the challenges we had was to synchronize 3D printing with the projection as it was indispensable as part of the concept of the video and to control our 3D printing times to avoid being too late,” stated the design team from Dimension.

They used an iPad Air with Skanect 3D scanning software by Occipital. The designers were able to capture the members of Moenia in both low and high resolution, and then assembled the models using Meshmixer. 3D printing was completed on the UP Plus 2, using PLA in white (at a resolution of 0.3 mm, printed at 205° with ten percent infill and no supports).

Not only is this a great way to lodge the song into everyone’s minds, both through the words and visuals, but many who have not been exposed to 3D printing previously will certainly take notice now as they see Moenia evolving from strands of PLA filament. As a viewer, I was struck by the art, humor, and clever finesse. You’ll probably want to check out the video below more than once for the whole experience as you groove to ‘Jamás,’ which translates to ‘Never.’ Discuss further in the 3D Printing in Music Video forum over at 3DPB.com.