Welcome to the Masters of Engineering podcast, hosted by Jon Hirschtick. Every month Jon will sit down with engineering leaders to discuss their products and the stories behind developing them.
Not every car or building explosion in a Hollywood production is done with CGI. There’s still a place for physical explosive gadgets and human stunt people. That’s when mechanical engineer Ben Eadie’s cell phone rings. Based in Canada, Ben is often called upon to design eclectic props such as a robotic “Wilson” volleyball for a Tom Hanks appearance at a baseball game, or a giant rig simulating a spaceship under attack in “Star Trek Beyond.”
In this episode, Ben tells Jon Hirschtick how computer-aided design (CAD) skills got him into the movie business, why he thinks military training is the ideal preparation for designing special effects, and reflects on the emotional toll of playing with fire. “The thing is that I’m taking people who are very good friends of mine, and I may have just made a death machine for them,” Ben says. “You’ve got people out there trusting you with their lives and that is very humbling.”
Every episode going forward will be on Youtube, and you can also listen in on the major podcast platforms here: https://linktr.ee/MastersofEngineering