![]() The molds are then left to cool and those individual pieces will be assembled by a machine or person. Often, plastics are heated and poured into molds. Manufacturing can be done in a few different ways. It is not always possible for a machine to do this, so human input is needed in some cases. The individual parts of the figures are produced separately. Unlike figurines that are typically one part, action figures are often comprised of many different parts. The price is far higher, but so is the quality. In the case of smaller companies, this can all be done by people. This is done by a combination of automated production lines and human assembly lines. Next comes the actual manufacturing process. These days, more and more prototypes are being 3D printed. This is not the case so much now, but historically this is how it was done. Prototypes are also often modeled with clay by artists. This means there is a lot of back and forth between the design and prototyping stages. ![]() This version will often be edited a few times before the finished product is ready. In this stage, the first draft of the action figure is created and tested. Prototypingįollowing the design is the prototyping. This means that the number of points of articulation as well as the range of motion each point of articulation will be able to achieve is determined at this stage. The modeling software involved in this process allows the artists to make a 3D representation of not only how the figure will look, but how it will work as well. This is typically done by artists who do sketches and then 3D models of the figures. The design of the action figure comes next. Finding the right time to launch can be very influential to the action figure’s overall success. For example, if you are launching a new Spiderman action figure would it be better to launch it before or after the next Spiderman movie? Almost always slightly before. You likely can’t even purchase the rights unless you have a solid plan in place, and once you do have the rights you need to begin not only planning the action figure but its accessories (if there are any) and the marketing behind it. Planning takes part equally before and after the acquisition of manufacturing rights. ![]() Only once this deal has been signed can you move on to the next stage. So, what instead happens is manufacturers like Hasbro will lease the manufacturing rights to a certain character, or franchise, for a set amount of years. If you decided to start manufacturing Spiderman action figures without the blessing of Marvel/Disney they are going to do everything in their power to not only shut you down but bankrupt your business. If you don’t own the intellectual property of a franchise you are going to end up being sued by whoever holds the rights-in many cases this is a huge, multi-million dollar company. Permissionįirst of all, you can’t simply start manufacturing whichever characters you like. ![]() From the conception of the idea to the manufacturing of a specific action figure to the pre-sale marketing, this section of the article will give you a closer look at what goes on behind the scenes in the action figure industry. There is so much groundwork that must be laid before the production process can begin. Making action figures is not as simple as just clicking start on the production line. What are the steps of making an action figure? This article will provide an overview of much of what is involved in the process of action figure production-how these figures go from being just an idea to populating the shelves of Target, Wal-Mart, and so on. They are not born overnight, it takes months, sometimes years, of lobbying and preparation for action figures to be produced for popular franchises. Very few people have considered just how much work goes into creating action figures.
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