Upon first consideration, it might not seem the stuff of grand cinematic adventure. But could engineering secretly be an exciting, creative, heroic realm where the optimists of today are creating the life-saving, world-altering marvels that will make for a safer, more connected, more equal and even more awe-inspiring tomorrow?

With an eclectic, stereotype-bursting engineer cast, the huge story told by Dream Big answers that question with a resoundingly “yes” using a series of surprising human stories to expose the hidden world behind the most exciting inventions and structures across the world. It is not only a journey through engineering’s greatest wonders, but equally a tale of human grit, aspiration, compassion and the triumph of human ingenuity over life’s greatest challenges.

From the start, the team hooked up with key forces within the engineering world – including the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the oldest national engineering society in the United States, and Bechtel Corporation, the largest civil engineering firm in the United States, which was founded in 1898 to help construct the nation’s railroads and then later ventured into roads, bridges, and highways throughout the western United States.

According to ASCE Executive Director Tom Smith, "This film is another major step towards telling the story of engineering on a larger and larger scale. The challenges engineers are taking on are the big ones: clean water, smart buildings, climate change, creating sustainable cities for tomorrow. And that means there is a pressing need for lots of young people to bring their fresh ideas. We hope many will be inspired when they see how engineering can take you to different places across the globe, from China to Nepal to Seattle. You also see how different kinds of people – from Avery Bang working in Haiti to a first-generation American such as Angelica Hernandez making her dreams come true in Phoenix to Steve Burrows flying across China – can each make their own individual mark on their communities and the world at large.” 

Narrated by Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges, directed by Greg MacGillivray, and produced by Shaun MacGillivray, this film is a kick-off to a campaign that aims to give everyone, children and adults, hands-on engineering experiences and the inspiration to dream big.

Sponsored by the College of Engineering

Downloads:
Dream BIG Poster
View Film Trailers