The Domino Effect
Dominos are small rectangular wood or plastic blocks with a molded surface that has either blank space or an arrangement of dots resembling those on dice. A domino set usually contains 28 pieces. In addition to being used for games of chance and skill, dominoes are also used as decorative elements in homes or offices, with sets stacked on shelves or coffee tables for aesthetic effect. Some people collect them, while others use them to create intricate domino art.
For domino artist Hevesh, creating one of her mind-blowing installations involves a version of the engineering-design process. She starts by considering the theme or purpose of the installation and brainstorming images or words that might be incorporated into it. From there, she creates a schematic drawing and calculates how many dominoes will be needed to achieve the desired effect.
She has to be careful not to overestimate the power of a domino, because she knows that if the first domino in her setup isn’t the right size, it can knock over other dominoes and potentially ruin her whole display. That’s why she works with a professional domino maker to test out different combinations of shapes and sizes. Once she’s satisfied that the dominoes will fall in the correct order and with the proper impact, she begins constructing her masterpiece.
Hevesh’s largest setups take several nail-biting minutes to fall, but once she puts them in place, they’re just a matter of waiting for the laws of physics to do their work. She’s worked on projects ranging in size from 76,017 dominoes to an intricate circular arrangement for Katy Perry’s album launch at the Fillmore. Whether she’s creating her own masterpiece or providing a domino effect for a celebrity, Hevesh has a knack for bringing people together to enjoy the moment and each other’s company.
While she’s been doing this for years, she still learns new things every time she works on a project. She’s always looking for new ways to push the limits of what can be done with dominoes and is constantly seeking out inspiration.
When it comes to writing fiction, it’s important to consider the domino effect when planning out scenes. A story needs scene dominoes that advance the plot and move the hero closer to or farther away from their goal, but it’s just as important to have scene dominoes that aren’t too long (heavy on details and minutiae) or too short (making the scene feel shallow at key points in the plot). The right balance between these scene dominoes is what makes a story compelling.