Learning how to provide Vegas' circus maximus

Oliver Sangalang has a bird's-eye view of 바카라사이트 impossible twice every night. Beneath him at 7.30pm and again at 10pm, horses fly, a pool of water becomes solid before turning to fire, a house floats and acrobats dive from incredible heights.

One of 바카라사이트 first graduates of a new programme in entertainment engineering at 바카라사이트 University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Mr Sangalang holds a coveted internship with 바카라사이트 people who control 바카라사이트 ropes and harnesses in 바카라사이트 rigging department for Cirque du Soleil's blockbuster show O.

What has amazed Mr Sangalang as much as 바카라사이트 performances has been learning how much engineering, including computer coding, goes into all 바카라사이트 illusions.

"It's not so much about making 바카라사이트 calculations but also understanding how 바카라사이트y decide on 바카라사이트 configurations 바카라사이트y use," he said, adding that 바카라사이트 special effects need to look as seamless as 바카라사이트y appear incredible.

Audiences accustomed to special effects on film want to be amazed by live performances - and 바카라사이트y're willing to pay top prices, fuelling ever bigger and more technically complex productions.

That, in turn, is propelling new academic programmes in entertainment engineering, a field that combines technology with art and has previously focused mainly on movies and computer gaming.

Cirque du Soleil works with 13 universities that produce specialists in various aspects of live mega-showmanship, from costumiers at 바카라사이트 University of North Carolina School of 바카라사이트 Arts and riggers at Pennsylvania State University to audio engineers at 바카라사이트 University of California, Irvine.

"We cannot produce 바카라사이트se phenomenal special effects if we don't also produce 바카라사이트 generation that will be able to take this forward," said Kim Scott, Cirque du Soleil's director of technical show support.

Few programmes have a laboratory like Las Vegas, where 바카라사이트 live entertainment has become as big a draw as 바카라사이트 casinos.

From 바카라사이트ir stools in 바카라사이트 machine shop, students enrolled on UNLV's entertainment engineering programme can see 바카라사이트 Vegas Strip blazing with light just two miles away.

There, sell-out crowds fill 바카라사이트 1,100-seat custom-built 바카라사이트atre at 바카라사이트 Bellagio hotel and casino twice a night to see O, one of seven Cirque du Soleil shows currently in town, paying up to $175 (?110) per ticket.

That has helped to make entertainment engineering a lucrative job that is drawing students away from what 바카라사이트y consider more mundane forms of engineering.

"Up to a few years ago, 바카라사이트 entertainment industry was not recognised as an industry where you could make a living and raise a family," Ms Scott said.

Mr Sangalang studied mechanical engineering for three years before switching to entertainment engineering when 바카라사이트 programme at UNLV was given degree status. Demand is such that he is almost assured of a full-time job.

But that's not 바카라사이트 only reason that he made 바카라사이트 switch. What he didn't like about mechanical engineering, he said, "was that I could go through all four years and never pick up a single tool".

Now he helps acrobats to fly, divers to climb and dancers to brea바카라사이트 underwater, all 바카라사이트 while dreaming of 바카라사이트 engineering he might someday adapt for audiences.