Every August, the entire first-year class gathers on the East Campus Quad for the annual group photo. This activity is one of only two experiences that the entire class participates in together as a group — the other is commencement.

A grid of Duke first-year class photos from 2011 to 2011.

First-year class photos through the years.

We wanted to build on this event by transforming it into an experience. One of the ways that we accomplished this is by using a drone to record video footage of the class of 2023. The second is with the addition of confetti!

Using the Drone:

Bill practices operating the drone over the East Campus Quad.

Bill practices operating the drone over the East Campus Quad.

My colleague Bill Snead, who aced his commercial drone license exam, piloted the mission. Prior to the big day, he logged over 16 hours of practice time on East Campus. He used a DJI Mavic quadcopter, which we checked out from the Innovation Co-Lab for the event and practice sessions.

Prior to each drone flight, Bill runs through a pre-flight checklist.

Prior to each drone flight, Bill runs through a pre-flight checklist.

Each practice session was approved by Duke and we also notified Duke Life Flight and Duke Police before each session. Before each flight, he went through a detailed pre-flight checklist, which included the purchase of insurance.

Adding Confetti:

Our number one goal was to use the class photo event to give the incoming students a fun and welcoming experience at Duke. We wanted the photo to have the feel and excitement of a pep rally. We toyed around with several ideas, but we ultimately arrived on confetti because its colorful motion looks great on video! We worked with Ultra Mix Events, who provided the confetti blowers and tech crew.

First-year students spell out "2023" during the annual Class Photo on the East Campus Quad.

First-year students spell out “2023” during the annual Class Photo on the East Campus Quad.

By The Numbers:

The key to getting the students to spell out their graduation year is to outline the numbers onto the quad.

The diagram for creating the Class of 2023 photo. It has become a Duke tradition for every incoming first-year class to take a group photo.

The diagram for creating the Class of 2023 photo. It has become a Duke tradition for every incoming first-year class to take a group photo.

Megan Mendenhall, left, and Bill Snead, right, use a measuring tape to mark the outline of the class photo. This year, the temperatures were in the high 90s, so our team took frequent breaks and drank plenty of water.

Megan Mendenhall, left, and Bill Snead, right, use a measuring tape to mark the outline of the class photo.
This year, the temperatures were in the high 90s, so our team took frequent breaks and drank plenty of water.

We’ve been doing this project so long that we have measurements for 0 – 9. So, creating the diagram for each class simply involves combining the appropriate numbers into a diagram. The tough part is actually painting the outline of the numbers onto the quad, especially in the heat and humidity of late August.

Jared Lazarus, left, Caroline Pate, center, and Sam Huntley, right, stand in the outline of the number 3, as other team members (not pictured) view the numbers from above. This year, the temperatures were in the high 90s, so our team took frequent breaks and drank plenty of water.

Jared Lazarus, left, Caroline Pate, center, and Sam Huntley, right, stand in the outline of the number 3, as other team members (not pictured) view the numbers from above.

We start by roping off a giant rectangle on the quad. Next, we section the rectangle into four equal rectangles. Each of these smaller rectangles is turned into individual numbers by adding the appropriate angles and lines.

The Big Moment:

We wanted the drone to be in a position to capture the students as the confetti rained down. To accomplish this shot, we needed to communicate with Bill, the drone pilot, and members of the confetti crew, who were spread out in four different locations on the quad.

Left to right, Blyth Morrell, Coach Cutcliffe, Rebecca Fiorentino, Megan Mendenhall, and Matt Carden, signal to the ground crew to start the confetti blowers.

Left to right, Blyth Morrell, Coach Cutcliffe, Rebecca Fiorentino, Megan Mendenhall, and Matt Carden, signal to the ground crew to start the confetti blowers.

In order to keep everyone on the same page, we used the PA system to play music to cue the confetti team and Bill Snead, the drone pilot. As you can see in the video, the music not only worked as a great system for communicating with the different crews, but it also added to the upbeat feel of the experience.