Auditions anyone? Don't forget your pocket protector, slide rule, and horn rimmed glasses to "look" the part. If this flies, the messaging will be interesting to see.
Pamela K. Quillin, P.E.
Quillin Engineering, LLC
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Engineers on the Silver Screen and the Little Screen......... 2
- Thread starter lacajun
- Start date
The central characteristic for the engineer character will be the ability to drink all comers, including aliens, under the table. Also the character should be a master or mistress of all engineering rather than one discipline. Chief Engineer is the best title to use.
HAZOP at
HAZOP at
Part of the problem is that if engineers are to be portrayed doing what they are supposed to do in heroic fashion, it makes for a boring story line because nothing dramatic or tragic ever happens.
We are, indeed, the world's most boring heroes.
Regards,
SNORGY.
We are, indeed, the world's most boring heroes.
Regards,
SNORGY.
Positive discrimination?
But this could be tough.
Hollywood will be a tough sell and it isn't just getting engineers represented, it is getting them and their disciplines (I'm sure that will be the first barrier, explaining to Hollywood that there are different types of engineer) represented in a non-clichéd manner.
I guess we ought to look back and list good and bad presentations of engineers in films.
I'll kick off with What's er face in Bullitt and the painful scene of looking up headloss data.
If I can think of a good presentation, I'll add it later.
JMW
But this could be tough.
Hollywood will be a tough sell and it isn't just getting engineers represented, it is getting them and their disciplines (I'm sure that will be the first barrier, explaining to Hollywood that there are different types of engineer) represented in a non-clichéd manner.
I guess we ought to look back and list good and bad presentations of engineers in films.
I'll kick off with What's er face in Bullitt and the painful scene of looking up headloss data.
If I can think of a good presentation, I'll add it later.
JMW
lacajun,
You need to write a script featuring an engineer as the main character. The script should feature explosions, car chases, helicopters crashing, large breasted women in tight, skimpy outfits (may or may not be the engineer), and some sort of evil plot by the company's MBAs.
Have I missed anything?
JHG
You need to write a script featuring an engineer as the main character. The script should feature explosions, car chases, helicopters crashing, large breasted women in tight, skimpy outfits (may or may not be the engineer), and some sort of evil plot by the company's MBAs.
Have I missed anything?
Why not remake 'DamBusters' or something, that had a fair bit of Barnes Wallis in it as I recall.
You could do the same with other comparable endeavors.
History Channel etc. do these kinds of things sometimes but may go more mainstream.
You could do the same with other comparable endeavors.
History Channel etc. do these kinds of things sometimes but may go more mainstream.
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drawoh said:
I like that best of all! And, sadly, I am not a writer and especially a screen play writer.
SNORGY, I've listened to a lot of colleagues' wives over the years. They didn't mind the "boring hero" they married because they were stable and handy. That stable part is the most prevalent comment I've heard from women as a desirable characteristic in men. Considering my dad's instability, I would have to agree. These are solid, educated women that think engineers make excellent mates for life.
The thing I've heard most often about engineers is that we're a dorky, socially inept lot. But, I have witnessed the social faux pas of non-engineers, too.
I think some of the faux pas of others need to be documented. I have found most engineers to be rather socially savvy.Pamela K. Quillin, P.E.
Quillin Engineering, LLC
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1
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You also need an alien invasion and then the engineer (sorry, computer engineer) gains access to their main frame and selects automatic updates from Microsoft.........
JMW
JMW
lacajun:
Thank you so much for the encouragement.
Insofar as social ineptitude, to me, a little mix of nobility, character, humility, modesty and integrity goes a long way. I believe that engineers, for the most part, with due consideration of other demographics, consistently show the optimum of that mix. So much so that I can almost (but not quite) tolerate an engineer with an MBA thrown into that mix, other things being equal. If all of that is boring, then I guess I am boring.
To me, the acid test is how animals - not people - perceive you. I spent a peaceful half hour this Sunday morning lying down with our two horses outside the horse shelter; one even put his head back down in my lap for a few (not especially comfortable) minutes. Just glad they didn't roll over...
I'd like to see a lawyer or MBA do *that*. OK, secretly, I might hope one of them actually did roll over...
Not that I am in any way bitter...
Regards,
SNORGY.
Thank you so much for the encouragement.
Insofar as social ineptitude, to me, a little mix of nobility, character, humility, modesty and integrity goes a long way. I believe that engineers, for the most part, with due consideration of other demographics, consistently show the optimum of that mix. So much so that I can almost (but not quite) tolerate an engineer with an MBA thrown into that mix, other things being equal. If all of that is boring, then I guess I am boring.
To me, the acid test is how animals - not people - perceive you. I spent a peaceful half hour this Sunday morning lying down with our two horses outside the horse shelter; one even put his head back down in my lap for a few (not especially comfortable) minutes. Just glad they didn't roll over...
I'd like to see a lawyer or MBA do *that*. OK, secretly, I might hope one of them actually did roll over...
Not that I am in any way bitter...
Regards,
SNORGY.
I don't know, US engineers definitely have more of a 'perception' about them than seemed to be the case in the UK. Of course, in the UK they probably thought an Engineer was the guy that fixed the TV/Washing machine/car - or if you're really lucky re-built the car engine or drove a train.
However, I digress.
My US wife has been told many times that 'I'm not like a normal Engineer' by friends and colleagues - and these are folks that have met their fair share of Engineers since we live in a town dominated by a military research base and many of these ladies had been married to engineers on base or at least had friends whose spouses were engineers on base etc.
Did 'Better off Ted' sort of feature engineer types? Though I have to say the main tech folks were nerdy lab rats from the one or two episodes I saw.
However, I digress.
My US wife has been told many times that 'I'm not like a normal Engineer' by friends and colleagues - and these are folks that have met their fair share of Engineers since we live in a town dominated by a military research base and many of these ladies had been married to engineers on base or at least had friends whose spouses were engineers on base etc.
Did 'Better off Ted' sort of feature engineer types? Though I have to say the main tech folks were nerdy lab rats from the one or two episodes I saw.
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I think Michael Schofield (sp?) in the series, "Prison Break" was about as well-cast an "Engineer-Hero" as it gets. The series was certainly captivating enough.
I just think it's really hard to cast engineers as heroes in anything in movies or on TV. It's hard to put a dramatic or entertaining (other than comical) spin on what we do. If that's not bad enough, it is complicated further by the fact that the audience would have to be intelligent enough to truly understand whatever heroism might be present.
When we (my wife and I) go out for dinner with our circle of friends, it is not often that the conversation is centred around "engineering" topics - unless everyone else is making fun of me or the nerdy aspects of it. Unless you're with other engineers, there's not a whole bunch of interest to talk about. We talk about stuff in our "life away from engineering", where there is common ground, and I suspect that most people derive their taste in "entertainment" in a similar way.
To me, engineering isn't what I *do* (because that is boring, so I am told), but it's what I derive money from to pay for what I *do*. My life would be much less complicated if I actually got paid for sleeping with livestock, as alluded to in my previous post. Sadly, that gives rise to a revelation concerning how I could have generated extra income when I was of dating age in high school and university.
Regards,
SNORGY.
I just think it's really hard to cast engineers as heroes in anything in movies or on TV. It's hard to put a dramatic or entertaining (other than comical) spin on what we do. If that's not bad enough, it is complicated further by the fact that the audience would have to be intelligent enough to truly understand whatever heroism might be present.
When we (my wife and I) go out for dinner with our circle of friends, it is not often that the conversation is centred around "engineering" topics - unless everyone else is making fun of me or the nerdy aspects of it. Unless you're with other engineers, there's not a whole bunch of interest to talk about. We talk about stuff in our "life away from engineering", where there is common ground, and I suspect that most people derive their taste in "entertainment" in a similar way.
To me, engineering isn't what I *do* (because that is boring, so I am told), but it's what I derive money from to pay for what I *do*. My life would be much less complicated if I actually got paid for sleeping with livestock, as alluded to in my previous post. Sadly, that gives rise to a revelation concerning how I could have generated extra income when I was of dating age in high school and university.
Regards,
SNORGY.
Well now I'm thinking about Somptings post about ethics training the other day. thread765-306276
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And who says engineers are socially inept?
To return to the topic (hopefully taking the focus off SNORGY for a bit, how about the airplane designer in "Flight of The Phoenix", the orignal, I never saw the re-make. There's a hero engineer / designer for you. OK, I know he designed models, but...
Regards,
Mike
To return to the topic (hopefully taking the focus off SNORGY for a bit
, how about the airplane designer in "Flight of The Phoenix", the orignal, I never saw the re-make. There's a hero engineer / designer for you. OK, I know he designed models, but...Regards,
Mike
That film (both versions) made you want to shoot the b****d. So how's that for a comment on an engineer's social skills.
Even James Stewart wanted to shoot him at one point.
(But please, why did they remake it?
Why does Hollywood make life difficult by remaking good movies. I can think of none, off hand, that were better than the original. Now if they took some god awful film and remade it then they'd be hard pressed to make a worse remake. Actually, the remake of FothePh wasn't bad. It didn't add anything though.)
JMW
Even James Stewart wanted to shoot him at one point.
(But please, why did they remake it?
Why does Hollywood make life difficult by remaking good movies. I can think of none, off hand, that were better than the original. Now if they took some god awful film and remade it then they'd be hard pressed to make a worse remake. Actually, the remake of FothePh wasn't bad. It didn't add anything though.)
JMW
- Thread starter
- #18
drawoh, since you brought up big breasted women, I had the privilege of watching Dolly Parton getting milked last night.
I've heard a lot of people say engineers are socially inept. In all of my years, I can remember one engineer that I would say is the stereotype that Hollywood produced. Most of the engineers I've worked with are interesting people and usually have something going on they find either pleasurable, challenging, or interesting beyond engineering.
Heck, I dated a guy, not an engineer, that thought engineers were socially inept. He told me that I was numerous times. Sadly, he didn't recognize the taste of his own feet even when dealing with someone else's grief. I kicked him under the table to prevent the grief faux pas but he didn't recognize that signal either. He was another case of Freudian Projection.
I've been told I am not the normal engineer because I talk and don't mind talking about any topic. That always surprises me because most of the engineers I've worked with are like me. Some have a much, much better sense of humor. Mine is too dry.
SNORGY, I don't find those traits boring at all. Often they are attributed to the more interesting people and those with strength of character, which we have too few of today. I guess I've passed the acid test with my neighbors' dogs and cats. I haven't had pets since childhood but their's will lick me all over, rub me all over, and beg for attention.
I don't watch TV so I am clueless about a lot of stuff on it.
Pamela K. Quillin, P.E.
Quillin Engineering, LLC
I've heard a lot of people say engineers are socially inept. In all of my years, I can remember one engineer that I would say is the stereotype that Hollywood produced. Most of the engineers I've worked with are interesting people and usually have something going on they find either pleasurable, challenging, or interesting beyond engineering.
Heck, I dated a guy, not an engineer, that thought engineers were socially inept. He told me that I was numerous times. Sadly, he didn't recognize the taste of his own feet even when dealing with someone else's grief. I kicked him under the table to prevent the grief faux pas but he didn't recognize that signal either. He was another case of Freudian Projection.
I've been told I am not the normal engineer because I talk and don't mind talking about any topic. That always surprises me because most of the engineers I've worked with are like me. Some have a much, much better sense of humor. Mine is too dry.
SNORGY, I don't find those traits boring at all. Often they are attributed to the more interesting people and those with strength of character, which we have too few of today. I guess I've passed the acid test with my neighbors' dogs and cats. I haven't had pets since childhood but their's will lick me all over, rub me all over, and beg for attention.
I don't watch TV so I am clueless about a lot of stuff on it.
Pamela K. Quillin, P.E.
Quillin Engineering, LLC
"I've heard a lot of people say engineers are socially inept."
Well that describes an outsiders viewpoint, to the group I work with. Or most of us.
Let's see, one that loves plants, one that is a local food expert, two that play in a rock band, three that play golf, one that farms on the side, all boring people.
Well that describes an outsiders viewpoint, to the group I work with. Or most of us.
Let's see, one that loves plants, one that is a local food expert, two that play in a rock band, three that play golf, one that farms on the side, all boring people.
SomptingGuy
Automotive
I've been part of various engineering teams. The first was a fantastic social bunch, a real mix (male and female). We'd work and play together.
Since then it's been up and down. Some gregarious teams, some introverted teams. Sadly it's the latter now. I could come and go with nobody noticing most days.
- Steve
Since then it's been up and down. Some gregarious teams, some introverted teams. Sadly it's the latter now. I could come and go with nobody noticing most days.
- Steve
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