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"Inside the Box: Teaching Engineering Design through Theatrical Special Effects"
P. Paxton Marshall, Benjamin W. Kidd Charles L. Brown Department of Electrical
and Computer Engineering
University of Virginia
Goals of ENGR 162
Enthusiasm for engineering Leadership and team skills, Design skills: creativity and
discipline, Resourcefulness, Critical thinking: problem
definition and solution, Social consciousness of the
impact of engineering Hands-on skills
Inside The Box Participating Classes
ENGR 162-12 – Introduction to Engineering Instructor: Paxton MarshallTA: Benjamin Kidd
DRAM 351 – Directing and Stage Management Instructor: Betsy Tucker
DRAM 372 – Playwriting II Instructor: Doug Grissom
The Project:
Playwriting students will choose three (3) effects
Directors will choose two (2) effectsEngineer teams will design and build five
(5) special effects5 minute setup and strike time10 minute performanceEffects must be controlled from a
minimum distance of 20 feet
The Five Effects
1. Balloon popping
This effect is purposely left open-ended. The balloon popping may be an effect unto itself, or a means of accomplishing another purpose.
2. Falling objects
Objects must fall for a duration of not-less-than five (5) seconds. Falling items are subject to approval for safety purposes.
Examples of objects that might fall:a. Feathersb. Paperc. Leavesd. Ping-Pong ballse. Rice
The Five Effects (Continued)
3. Light moving across an actors face
This effect is also purposely vague. A light, however, must be seen to be moving across an actors face, either side to side, up or down, or some combination thereof.
4. A flying effect
An object or objects must fly though all or part of the acting space. Movement must be predominately horizontal, in contrast to effect number 2, which is predominately vertical. Flying objects are subject to approval for safety purposes.
5. A weather effect
Create one of the following weather conditions. Weather conditions not listed shall be acceptable upon approval. Rain, Snowfall, Fog, Thunder Storm
Structuring the Teams
Nine teams Four to five engineering students (40
students total), playwright, director and stage manager.
Engineering teams formed using a self-evaluation of leadership, technical, and theater experiences, which the students completed during the first week of classes. An attempt was made to create teams with strengths in all three areas.
The “Grid”
Structural support of effects
Safe and convenient electrical hookups
Confines theatrical action to manageable area
Portability and fast setup
Provides “TheatricalRigging” for engineers:
Grid Components
ElectricalConnections(120 VAC &12 VDC)
1” ConduitClamps(Back-to-back)
1” EMTConduit
Standard PASpeaker Stand
The “Acting Space”
5’ Margin around front and sides of Grid
Effects shall originate from within this space
Control shall be from 20’ from front of grid
The Acting Space in Action
Photographs from Inside the Box“Weather or Not” (left) and “Weare Both Hypnotized” (below)
Creating Red Tape
Technical Topics
Basic ElectricityCircuit ProtectionElectromagnetism (Solenoids, Motors,
Relays, Transformers)Mechanics (Torque, Gears, Belt Drives,
Pulleys)PneumaticsLighting and Optics
Structured Design Methodology
problem definition establishing objectives and
user-requirements identifying constraints establishing design functions
and specifications generating design alternatives preliminary design and test final design, documentation design presentation
Course Text:Engineering Design:
A Project Based Introductionby Dym and Little
Class discussion
Adjusting to college, the engineering profession
and disciplines, team dynamics and
communication, case studies in engineering
ethics, time-value of money, safety and environmental
considerations in design, customer relations.
Some Required Assignments
Proof of Concept Demonstrations“Interviews” of both assigned
playwright and (later on) director and subsequent documentation of the interview
Design Options ReportFinal ReportFinal Presentation
Group 4 Final Report Cover (Right)
Proof of Concept Demonstrations
Preventing last-minute projects Allowed Professor and TA to keep track of
individual group’s progress Provided opportunities of idea sharing (or
steeling) and peer review
Financial
$1k each from E-school, A&S, Provost$100 allotted for design and build
materials per group$50 of personal funds were allowed in
addition to the provided $100Teams were required to keep detailed
records of their expenditures
Project Costs
Project Costs
Grid Structure Costs $ 625.16
Student Materials for building Effects $ 1,242.12
General (Miscellaneous) Costs $ 132.55
Soldering Stations and Tools $ 139.79
Tower Contest (1 Day Team Building Activity) $ 29.18
Teaching Supplies (Demonstrations, Etc) $ 24.48
Video Tapes $ 97.47
Total: $ 2,290.75
Popping a Balloon
Group 4 Title: “Mario and Lugi
on Sabatical” Context: Balloon pops
as a sound effect when the game ends
Basic Operation: Solenoid pulls pin releasing screw which falls and pops balloon
Falling Objects
Group 8 Title: “We are Both Hypnotized” Context: Leaves fall vertically, one at a time. Basic Operation: Motor winds up a string threaded
alternately through eyehooks and leaves
The Flying Effect
Group 1 Title: “Sugar Rain” Context: Cupid’s Arrow
flies across the stage and hits a love smitten actor squarely in the chest.
Basic Operation: Arrow slides down a guide wire after being released by a motor with a movable stop.
Panning a Light Across an Actors Face
Group 2 Title: “Maybe Prague” Context: In a
melodramatic moment, a fortune teller cast in an eerie, swirling light.
Basic Operation: A MR-16 lamp projects through a cardboard pattern wheel rotated by a small motor.
The Weather Effect
Group 3 Title: “All of Me” Context: Snow is seen falling outside of a door on the
set Basic Operation: A cardboard mailing tube punctured
throughout the tube is loaded with “snow” (ground up Styrofoam) and rotated using a small AC motor.
Control Systems
Group 5 Needed to Control:
(2) AC Motors (2) 12VDC Motors (2) 12V Solenoids (1) “Hot-Wire”
resistance wire for puncturing a balloon
(1) 60W Lamp (Dimmed for intensity control)
Setup Planning
Example Setup Procedure List from Group 5
More Setup Planning
Setup Diagram from Group 9
Evaluation
56% of students reported working 7 or more hours/week outside of class (vs. 7% in all first year courses)
78% strongly agree or agreed “I learned a great deal in this course.”
The Inside the Box Website
Students’ final reports Students’ final
presentations Power-point
presentations from the technical lectures
A brief description of the project
www.seas.virginia.edu/academic/insidethebox
Future Plans for the Website
Addition of resources to assist in creating a similar project at any engineering school.
Student resources and documents such as “How To’s”, Schematics, useful websites, practical building tips, etc.
Websites of Interest
Project Webpagewww.seas.virginia.edu/academic/insidethebox
University of Virginia Webpagewww.virginia.edu
UVA School of Engineering and Applied Sciencewww.seas.virginia.edu
UVA Department of Dramawww.virginia.edu/drama
All Electronics (A source of many of the components used for the students’ effects)www.allelectronics.com
Acknowledgments
Doug Grissom, Department of DramaBetsy Tucker, Department of DramaR. Lee Kennedy, Department of DramaDeborah Park, SEAS Graduate StudentThe Actors, Directors, Stage Managers,
Playwrights, and Engineering Students who participated in Inside the Box