It was the night of Thursday, Nov. 10, 1983. Anntionette Hull was in bed after working a long day, and her husband, Charles, known as “Chuck,” kept working on his “idea” that he had suggested to her in January of that year.
Little did they both know that he would invent stereolithography that night — later building the grounds for the invention and implementation of the 3D printer. Not only did their lives as newlyweds change forever, but the 3D advancements of the technological and medical worlds would soon begin.
Now, 42 years later, Hull, CEO of Hull Legacy Media, is set to create her first-ever documentary titled, “The Last Inventor: Chuck Hull, 3D Printing and Hope,” highlighting the efforts of Charles’ invention that has been developed since then in the heart of the Santa Clarita Valley.
With a goal to have the documentary debut in the Tribeca Film Festival in June, the official world premiere of the documentary is slated to take place on the 43rd anniversary of the invention – Nov. 10, 2026. An accompanying book with the same title is also in the works, with the same premiere date as the documentary.
“We got married in October of 1982, and in January of 1983, Charles told me that he had an idea. I knew that it was going to be revolutionary. He would try to initiate a print from the machine, and it would print like spaghetti. 3D printing is a layer upon a layer — that’s how a part is built. He absolutely couldn’t crack the code,” Hull said. “We worked together at this little company in San Gabriel, and our president told Charles that he could work on his idea every evening and weekend. So there went my honeymoon.”
The Hulls had a code word, “spaghetti,” which signified the uneventful progress of the invention — until Anntionette received a call from Charles that November night.
“I was tired. The phone rang. I look over at my clock and it’s 8:49 p.m. Charles said, ‘Get dressed, please come down to the lab right now.’ I did what he told me. I’m thinking, ‘Oh my God, please don’t let it be half spaghetti, half part, please. This has got to be something very special,’” Hull said. “I opened the door to the engineering department. He had his hand in a fist and he said: ‘I did it. I cracked the code. The world as we know it will never be the same.’”
Charles opened up his hand to present a small cup to Anntionette, which they still have to this day.
“That night, my knees got weak and I actually fell to the floor, and I was crying and laughing. We knew that that was the key. Once he was able to do that, we knew it was on,” Hull said.
Wanting to tell the story of others, including her husband’s, she first needed to find her own voice as a filmmaker.
“In my soul, I seek to tell stories of people who do not have a voice, and that has resonated with me for a long time. On April the 10th, 4:10 a.m. in 2024, I had my epiphany. I didn’t have the chance to tell Charles my idea that day, but the next day I [told him] and he said, ‘Do it,’” Hull said.
From there, production started.
“We started filming in Atlanta with 50 people. I spoke to the crew before we started, and told them that they’re handling something that’s sacred. This is a time the world needs hope. They need joy,” Hull said. “I said, ‘You’re not working on just a regular film. You’re handling these sacred stories.’”
With content accumulated from throughout the world, including B-roll from Rome during the Hulls’ visit when meeting Pope Francis, Anntionette also focused on meeting with various medical professionals.
“When we got home, I reached out to every doctor I knew. I invested. I got with the most incredible woman, Katie Weimer. She’s a 3D printing medical application specialist. We went up to the University of California, San Francisco, and interviewed the doctors up there. We interviewed the doctors at the Children’s Hospital. We went to Sydney. We’re now about ready to film Formula One in England,” Hull said.
Through Gentle Giant, a 3D scanning and photogrammetry service in Burbank, Hull found ways to influence the future generations by presenting them with their own 3D models.
“We have three beautiful kids who moved in next door, and they were playing and laughing. I got the idea of showcasing 3D printing through the eyes of a child. We went down to the studio, and I filmed each child as they were being scanned. The plan was when we would roll the credits, each child would receive their unique and detailed models from their mothers,” Hull said.
As Hull moves forward, she hopes to not only inspire the next generation, but also to showcase the various obstacles she and Charles navigated — inspiring not only those fascinated by the endless possibilities of the 3D printer, but eager entrepreneurs, as well.
Hull sat in the Canyon Country Jo Anne Darcy Library on Tuesday reflecting on her future endeavors; she also reminisced about the people who have not only given her a chance to tell her story, but to also create it.
Among those was Jo Anne Darcy (1931-2017), one of the founding council members of the city of Santa Clarita, who encouraged the Hulls to set up their company, 3D Systems Corp., in Valencia since 1989.
“She’s my hero. Santa Clarita has provided for us a life beyond amazing, for which we are forever thankful. Especially because of people like Jo Anne Darcy,” Hull said. “My whole destiny is going forward. I look at my husband, and every day, he works so diligently to save lives with colleagues such as Dr. Martine Rothblatt. I want to use my voice. If there’s one person in the world that receives hope or encouragement from our film, then I would have fulfilled my destiny.”
