At the RAPID + TCT conference in Texas, Brian McLean, director of rapid prototype at Laika Entertainment, explains what led to his being awarded a Scientific and Engineering Oscar Plaque in 2016 for pioneering the use of 3D printers in stop-motion animated characters. He goes into the ways AM can be a competitive advantage, including precision, color accuracy, volume and repeatability. And he compares what he does with puppets to what manufacturers are doing in the medical field.