Paper Iron Man and K-2SO
Initially, Owen was approached by Silicon Valley Comic Con to create a life-size paper sculpture of Iron Man, for their 2016 event at the 30,000 capacity San Jose Convention Centre. Regular collaborator Thomas Forsyth was then brought in to take charge of production duties, and together the pair of them devised an inner foamboard framework, on which the paper shell was built. The components were built at the studio over a four week period and then shipped out to San Jose, where the entire model was pieced together live over the course of the three day event.
After the hugely positive response to the Iron Man build, the organisers of the Silicon Valley Comic Con asked Owen and Thomas back for the 2017 event to develop another paper sculpture of the humanoid robot K-2SO from Star Wars: Rogue One.
Thomas used a selection of CAD programs to design and create a usable life-size model, measuring in at 2160mm tall, which was then broken down into its paper net parts. Due to the robots slim joints, a new type of framework also needed to be devised that could not only hold the paper shell of the model firmly in place, but that could also be disassembled for shipping to the event in San José, California.
To add some life to the model, Tom also set about prototyping a bespoke mechanism and 3D printed parts, which could be attached and screwed to the paper head form of K-2SO, all carefully designed so that the sculpture can also be dissembled and serviced. He fitted custom-built electronic lights into the head for eyes and a pan/tilt servo motor mechanism into the neck so that the whole head could move, which the pair of them then wrote a uniquely coded computer program for, to give it uncanny and unpredictable animation.
© Owen Gildersleeve 2023