# STEM In Technical Theater



## NewChris (Jun 3, 2014)

Next week at my high school there is a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) club night. Many STEM related clubs are presenting in 15 minute presentation. Our Tech Crew is one of them. I talked to our advisor (he is very hands off) about it and he said to focus NOT on how we use technology, but how we learn with it. He gave the example of troubleshooting. He alos told us to show off at the end with some cool lighting effect. 

Any of you have any good ideas for how people in technical theater learn using technology?


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## Footer (Jun 3, 2014)

Screw the technology part. A theatre is nothing more then a physics lab. Focus on the engineering and the mathematics involved in what we do. What do you have to play with in your space? Do you have a rigging system? Do you have color mixing lights? Do you have multiple speakers? Do you build complicated scenery?


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## MNicolai (Jun 3, 2014)

Technology is fun and interesting, but more than anything our jobs are to find ways to get the technology to help us achieve our goals, even when the technology we have access to is limited or long in the tooth, or even entirely absent and we have to get by with what we have. The key word to throw around is exactly what Footer said -- _Engineering_. Another good one is _Design_, but engineering sounds less like you're making your solutions up based on intangible feelings from your gut.


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## cmckeeman (Jun 4, 2014)

Maybe also rethink about what we do as engineering.
Lighting=Electrical engineering and Optics
Sound= Acoustical engineering
Rigging and Construction= Mechanical and structural engineering
(this is by no means a definite list)

Now that we think of Technical Theater as this we see how by learning to design anything and implement it we are learning the implementations of the engineering. 
one example is that once we understand how sound works we can learn how to eliminate feedback or make an even spread of sound. i would try to frame it that while we aren't engineers we are directly using engineering much more than less hands on jobs.


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## NewChris (Jun 4, 2014)

Wow. This all looks great. Unfortunately we do not have any working rigging (that's another issue). I will definently use some of this!


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## BillConnerFASTC (Jun 4, 2014)

Its basic problem solving.


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## sk8rsdad (Jun 4, 2014)

Ever open a paint can? That's a first class lever in action. STEM is everywhere.


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## NewChris (Jun 4, 2014)

Footer said:


> Screw the technology part. A theatre is nothing more then a physics lab. Focus on the engineering and the mathematics involved in what we do. What do you have to play with in your space? Do you have a rigging system? Do you have color mixing lights? Do you have multiple speakers? Do you build complicated scenery?



We don't have rigging. We have red, green, blue colored lights that can mix. We don't do much scenery. We have a "stereo" set up but the speakers are next to each other and the left does't work too well.


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## josh88 (Jun 4, 2014)

You don't have rigging? What are your lights hung on? Dead hung? Theres still plenty of examples of math in theatre you could use.


Via tapatalk


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## NewChris (Jun 4, 2014)

josh88 said:


> You don't have rigging? What are your lights hung on? Dead hung? Theres still plenty of examples of math in theatre you could use.
> 
> 
> Via tapatalk



Yah, everything is dead hung. We had rigging but it has fallen into disrepair. Luckly the entire school starting with the auditorium is being renovated stating in July. Any examples of math?


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## josh88 (Jun 4, 2014)

Anything where you're figuring out angles for cuts when building a set. Electrical formulas for determining how many fixtures you can put on a circuit, there's a couple of quick examples


Via tapatalk


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## Footer (Jun 4, 2014)

NewChris said:


> Any examples of math?



http://www.controlbooth.com/threads/math-in-undergrad-college-theatre-programs.35580/


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## techieman33 (Jun 5, 2014)

Figuring out what beam angle you need to cover a certain area from a certain distance. Figuring out the foot candles that light will produce at that distance to know if you'll have enough light or need to add more.


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