The Fabricator: taking shape
- John Harden
- 34 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Or, be careful what you wish for
Our propbuilder extraordinaire, Dell McFadin, is currently printing and assembling the FABRICATOR, the hero prop from our film ORIGINAL COPY. I visited him recently to observe the progress for myself. Though it shouldn't have been, seeing the total footprint of the thing for the very first time, right there on his kitchen table, was something of a shock. The thing is honkin'.
"The Fabricator is going to be 26 inches tall, John."
Regardless of how many times Dell had confirmed basic dimensions with me, I was still used to looking at 3D renders on the computer (and later, scaled-down maquettes).
It's fine. It's better than fine: it's exactly what I asked for. In our story the Fabricator is a consumer device that gives the owner complete mastery of physical matter: in short, it can create anything you want. The only hard limitation on that ability are the interior dimensions of the fabrication chamber. For it to be useful, our model had to have capacity.
"You should be able to fit a basketball inside it," I once declared. Dell reminded me of my words as I stared, saucer-eyed, at the half-constructed prop. And so it shall be.
ORIGINAL COPY is an original science fiction film, written by, and eventually directed by, John Harden. We're currently in pre-production. A stand-alone short film, ORIGINAL COPY will also serve as the first incarnation of a planned larger project entitled THE END OF NEED. We're currently casting roles, scouting locations and (as you can see plainly) building props. We're launching a crowdfunding campaign in early 2026, with location and studio shoots to follow in the spring. If you've read this far, you might want to consider signing up for updates. Thank you, you beautiful nerd you!
