by Abby Gannon
Those who registered for Drone Show Design with Professor Mason Hayes without specific expectations are now wrapping up the semester with more than they could have ever imagined.
“The class really took me by surprise,” Department of Arts and Entertainment Technologies (AET) senior Leah Barrigan said. “It’s crazy to think one class can change your perspective on what you want to do.”
Hayes first connected with the department while working with Verge Aero. In 2024, the drone company partnered with the department to coordinate a drone show component for the spring showcase. After this partnership, he spent two years creating user manuals and design tutorials. At this time, he became an expert in the system and developed a curriculum he was eager to share with students. He brought the idea to Department Chair Michael Baker, and the course was approved.
“Our DNA as a department, in addition to balancing rigorous design and technology foundations, is bringing ideas to life by creating unique opportunities for students and making history,” Baker said. “It’s central to who we are.”
Students have been working all semester to prepare for this year’s showcase, Amplify. The event has been a combined effort from faculty and staff across the department, including Professor MK Haley.
Haley asked her students on the first day of class, “What did you want to do when you were little? Let’s talk about how AET has amplified that.”
The students’ responses about what the department means to them formed the foundation for the showcase’s combination projection-and-drone show, Haley said.
In Drone Show Design, Hayes focuses on the visual storytelling and conceptual side of the operation. The class is structured into three main sections: students start by learning the device software, move into portfolio assignments, and finish with the semester-end showcase.
“Students are feeling motivated, which is the only reason we’re here,” Hayes said, “to give the hard skills and the emotional confidence to participate in a creative community in the world.”
Throughout the semester, students collaborate with multiple teams, including projection mapping and audio, to bring the final product to life.
“Working with others is critical, there’s no way around it,” Hayes said. “When we do things collaboratively, we get more grand results.”
One assignment involves setting up 20 drones provided by Hayes, giving students the chance to interact with the devices up close. He walks them through the details of the system before they fly a show they designed. For most, it’s their first time handling a drone in person.
“I saw people walking who stopped to pull out their phones. The instant gratification was so thrilling,” AET senior Jo Molina said. “I love being of service to an audience, and this class is really great for that.”
Hayes and the AET department hope students leave the course confident in their skills and motivated to pursue their future creative work in any medium.
“We have an obligation to do the best we can for our students in the program to prepare them for the future,” Baker said. “And the future is going to be defined by change.”
You can see highlights of student work from across the department on Thursday, April 9, during Amplify.