With 3D printers, getting a gun could be as easy as downloading it. A person could find a schematic for a firearm online, plug it into a 3D printer with the right materials, and that’s it — a gun is created on the spot. No background check required, no serial number to trace the gun if it’s used in a crime. The fact that anyone with access to a 3D printer could potentially create a gun is alarming — especially as gun violence is already so high in the U.S. with mass shootings happening at least once a month.

The fact that anyone with access to a 3D printer could potentially create a gun is alarming – especially as gun violence is already so high in the U.S. In 2019 alone there were more than eleven school shootings. Stop Handgun Violence works to reduce and prevent deaths caused by firearms in the U.S. They are very engaged in banning 3D printed guns. So, we created the “3D Tragedies” video, combining real 3D printed characters with CGI. We did this to show how each 3D printed weapon could bring us one step closer to another potential tragedy.

The best way to approach the problem is to put the word out there. With no money behind the campaign and just counting on the help of our partners, we did our best to engage people through social media channels: YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. Targeting young people and social influencers enabled us to maximize our voice so the message could reach a wider audience.

The message of the campaign is what drove our approach. A possible mass shooting caused by 3D printed guns needed to be portrayed as a 3D printed world. The narrative called for specific camera movements and a unique mood that could only be achieved with CGI. Focusing most of our resources on R&D, we could obtain an accurate rendering of how the material looks and reacts to light, its textures and imperfections. A deep research on mass shootings was required before starting modeling because the characters needed to be as real as possible in their acting to deliver the campaign’s message. Lighting and the absence of background elements keep the focus on the characters’ emotions and keep the audience unaware of where they are and what’s going on. Once we reveal it, we show all the elements in their context to deliver the final statement.

The amount of unique visitors to Stop Handgun Violence website increased 550%. And up until now over a thousand visitors have contacted their representatives in congress to drive forward national legislative action. It sounds much but we need all the help we can get if the main goal is to ban 3-D printed guns. The piece will live on http://ban3dprintedguns.com/ and Stop Handgun Violence’s YouTube.The site allows viewers to easily email their representatives to drive action and advocate for legislation to ban 3D printed guns.