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"Print the Legend" Netflix film — Parallax Forums

"Print the Legend" Netflix film

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
edited 2014-10-22 22:18 in General Discussion
I've just finished watching "Print the Legend" on Netflix. If you have Netflix, I highly recommend it. If you don't have Netflix, get it; I highly recommend that, too.

Anyway, the film is about the 3D printing industry. It paints an intimate -- and not very flattering -- picture of MakerBot, from their inception, through their abandonment of open-sourcing and their acquisition by StrataSys. It contrasts MakerBot's rise and the style of their charismatic founder, Bre Pettis, with the struggles of FormLabs and the IP suit against them by 3D Systems. The underlying theme reflects upon the benefits -- and human costs -- of rapid growth. Also interwoven with that narrative is the story of Cody Wilson, his 3D-printed gun, and the political ramifications of personal manufacturing.

I found the film to be both compelling and entertaining. If you're at all interested in 3D printing, it's worth taking the time to view it.

-Phil

Comments

  • BeanBean Posts: 8,129
    edited 2014-10-21 04:12
    Phil,
    I just watched this a couple days ago. I agree, it's a great documentary.

    The main reason I bought a PrintRbot instead of a Makerbot was because Bre was a sellout.

    Bean
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2014-10-21 08:58
    Added to Netflix list (next to the other 250 movies in it). :nerd:
  • tonyp12tonyp12 Posts: 1,951
    edited 2014-10-21 10:04
    The end kind of hints that Bre got replaced or even fired, but he actually just moved up to the main company StrataSys. (and also grew a mountain-man beard in the process)
    http://www.boldmachines.com/blog/
  • User NameUser Name Posts: 1,451
    edited 2014-10-21 10:34
    Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) wrote: »
    ...If you don't have Netflix, get it; I highly recommend that, too...

    I admire you Phil. All I got out of Netflix was a crush on Pam Grier. I cancelled the subscription because I was wasting time. Leave it to you to find engaging and informative material from the same source. :)
  • NWCCTVNWCCTV Posts: 3,629
    edited 2014-10-21 18:06
    I too like Netflix and will watch this once the World Series is over. Not to hijack the thread, but I also have Amazon Prime. I do not like it because they try to charge for some movies that are free on Netflix. Redbox streaming would have been great except it froze every minute or so.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2014-10-21 18:15
    Chris Savage wrote:
    Added to Netflix list (next to the other 250 movies in it).
    User Name wrote:
    All I got out of Netflix was a crush on Pam Grier.
    Yes, a lot of Netflix is pretty shallow entertainment. But they do shine on documentaries. I've found myself, late at night, wanting to watch one of the items in my watch list. But most of those are two hours long or more, and I'd probably fall asleep before any one of them finished. So I end up watching yet another half-hour episode of "30 Rock" instead.

    -Phil
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2014-10-22 07:58
    Phil,

    Netflix is the only "TV Service" I have. And I agree on the documentaries. There are also some real gems in Comedians. Anyway, thanks again for the mention and I will watch it soon. :thumb:
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,366
    edited 2014-10-22 08:11
    Watched it. It was very good, but ultimately, quite sad.

    One thing the documentary didn't address (or if it did, I missed it) as that I wondered if the dozens upon dozens of smaller companies combined outsold Makerbot, and actually formed the larger segment. Seems to me there's just a ton of these out there, some of which may only sell a few units per day, but all together can add up.

    It's still my belief that ultimately a Japanese or other Asian paper printer manufacturer will come in, and after all the shakeout has occurred among the small players, scoop up the market share. The two big leaders in 3D printing now have no clue how to market to consumers, or even prosumers. (You don't sell machines, you sell the stuff for ideas and plans to make certain end-products of interest to your target market.)

    I was also a little disappointed that the documentary was quite passive regarding outshoot markets that are likely to be bigger (in number of users). They concentrated only on plastic, but it's likely 3D food processing and decoration will be a $30+ billion dollar market within the decade. I saw one a while ago for chocolate. For several years now they've made 2D cake decorator machines for the consumer market, sold at Joanne's and other outlets.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2014-10-22 08:19
    Wake me up when I can 3D print in aluminium. Bronze and cast iron would be a bonus. :)

    I managed to pretty much avoid watching TV for decades. I mean, who has time for that?

    Now I have a problem. Looks like I'm going to spend every free minute of the rest of my life catching up with everything I missed...on YouTube.
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2014-10-22 09:17
    Heater. wrote: »
    I managed to pretty much avoid watching TV for decades. I mean, who has time for that?

    Not I, hence the large list on Netflix. The good thing about Netflix is you can watch stuff whenever you want to. The down side? Some things in my list were removed before I ever got to them. There's that whole time thing again. :innocent:
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,366
    edited 2014-10-22 10:25
    Heater. wrote: »
    Wake me up when I can 3D print in aluminium. Bronze and cast iron would be a bonus. :)

    Time to wake up. Like they've had this capability for several years, though on the high-end, for obvious reasons. Aluminum, titanium, and other metals on the commercial models.

    http://3dprinting.com/materials/metal/3d-printing-metal/ (this is from a couple years ago, but it was the first one that came up on Google)

    There have been several small and more affordable metal printers on the crowdsourcing sites. A famous one just recently was Aurora, which after successful 3X financing was cancelled on Kickstarter due to contractual disagreements between the developers and Kickstarter. They now sell direct.

    https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/460400892/affordable-3d-metal-printer-aurora-labs

    It prints stainless, nickle-based metals, brass, and mild steel, among others.
  • Martin_HMartin_H Posts: 4,051
    edited 2014-10-22 17:54
    Heater. wrote: »
    Wake me up when I can 3D print in aluminium. Bronze and cast iron would be a bonus. :)

    I've seen a few YouTube videos where someone prints a plastic part, and then casts a copy out of aluminum using greensand.
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,366
    edited 2014-10-22 18:30
    Similarly, artisans, dentists, and others are using wax-based 3D printers for lostwax casting. New technology with the old turns out pretty good. For fine jewelry and many other applications you wouldn't print the metal directly. Cast metal is molecularly much stronger than fused metal.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2014-10-22 22:18
    I'm at a 3D printing conference in Santa Clara right now. Keynote speaker and Autodesk CTO showed new Ember personal SLA machine today. Lots of energy here, and no shortage of new budget printers. "Disruptive" rumors abound: HP is about to introduce something worth waiting for that has other 3D printer manufacturers nervous. Direct to consumer 3D printed products to be available before Christmas at TRU, Walmart and Amazon from numerous fulfillment locations. Home metal printing getting close. Israeli company says they can print silver already, working on others.

    http://inside3dprinting.com/santa-clara/2014/

    http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=8323871011
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