On Saturday, November 5, Technology Coordinator Mr. Mike Burris along with Alex Dillard ’19, Aaron O’Donnell ’18, Tony Jin ’20 and Harry Yu ‘20 attended an interactive arts workshop titled “Lights, Camera, Chain-re-Action!” at the UVA School of Architecture. The workshop was led by Earl Mark faculty member of the UVA School of Architecture and Zoe Cohen of Light House Studio in Charlottesville.

In the five-hour workshop, the students were asked to create a 3D computer animation of objects and creatures that could perform a task in a continuous chain reaction. This activity was inspired by American cartoonist and engineer Rube Goldberg.   The workshop participants were mentored by a University of Virginia animation student and co-inventor. Each participant was given a virtual kit of parts that included small objects and tools to generate forces: ramps, springs, hinges, pin joints, gravity, mass, friction and wind. The results will be combined to create a short animated feature.