SIGGRAPH 2010 Adds Focus on Production Community

(Chicago, IL) – SIGGRAPH is known worldwide for showcasing some of the newest ideas in computer graphics (CG) and interactive techniques. This year, a new program called SIGGRAPH Dailies! expands this focus to include the craft, artistry, and behind-the-scenes/never-told stories from the production community.

[Image credit: Cool Shading Study © 2010 Ariel Chisholm, Texas A&M University]
"Often in production, the focus is not on the latest technique. Talented CG artists typically use standard tools and techniques to get their work done—yet they create images of extraordinary power and beauty," said Bill Polson, Production Communities Director from Pixar Animation Studios. "And oftentimes the story behind the work is the most interesting part of it. SIGGRAPH Dailies! celebrates this craft and these stories."

To work out the logistics of the new program, the Dailies! team started a trial run of the program earlier in the year at Pixar Animation Studios. As a result, Pixar and Disney artists submitted a great deal of material. But Dailies! also features student work from Texas A&M University, scientific visualizations from Analytical Graphics, Inc., and numerous unexpected gems from around the world.

SIGGRAPH Dailies! will be presented Tuesday, 27 July and Wednesday, 28 July from 6 – 7:30 pm on both days. The format is similar to Technical Papers Fast Forward, with authors presenting their work and stories in a rapid-fire format. Unlike Fast Forward, SIGGRAPH Dailies! is the actual presentation and not a teaser for other talks later in the week.

Following are just a few highlights of SIGGRAPH Dailies!:

Cool Shading Study
Ariel Chisholm, Texas A&M University
Hear how a small shading and lighting project uncovered hidden facts about RenderMan's depth-of-field and bokeh controls.

"Toy Story 3": Death By MonkeysJ.D. Northrup, Pixar Animation Studios
A detailed explanation of how Pixar animators made an exploding swarm of red plastic monkeys in “Toy Story 3”.

"Nuit Blanche"Marc-André Gray, Stellar Scene
Gain insights into the making of a hyper-real fantasy world for the short film "Nuit Blanche".

"Tangled": The Pixels Behind the People Behind the PixelsRamon Montoya-Vozmediano, Walt Disney Animation Studios
Two real-time days of rendering are compressed down to a single second by animating the resource usage of the render queue on "Tangled".

US Airways Flight 1549: Hudson River Crash Animation With Flight Data
Kel Elkins and Glenn Warrington, Analytical Graphics, Inc.
Learn how the US Airways Flight 1549 crash simulation (created using actual flight data) provides further insight into this heroic event.

For more information, click here.