SIGGRAPH 2014 to Demo Latest Real-Time Advancements

Destruction Sequences in "Call of Duty: Ghosts" (see below for description)

The SIGGRAPH 2014 Real-Time Live! program will present a 90-minute show of the most cutting-edge real-time work from the past year. Real-Time Live! is part of the Computer Animation Festival and is the premier showcase for the latest trends and techniques for pushing the boundaries of interactive visuals.

"For one night only, SIGGRAPH attendees will enjoy a unique and fast-paced display of the most innovative real-time techniques for interactive systems and computer graphics,” said Nicolas Gonzalez, SIGGRAPH 2014 Real-Time Live! Chair from Deloitte Consulting. "Our international jury truly outdid itself as this year's show is mind-boggling with fascinating advancements that we cannot wait to show off."

The 2014 Real-Time Live! program will take place on Tuesday, 12 August at 5:30 p.m. PST in the West Building of the Vancouver Convention Centre. Each live presentation lasts less than 10 minutes and is presented by the original artists and engineers. As an added bonus, the 2014 Real-Time Live! program includes presentations from the Augmented/Virtual Reality Contest finalists, a brand-new conference event.

For more information on Real-Time Live! and the Augmented/Virtual Reality Contest, visit s2014.siggraph.org. Tickets to Real-Time Live! are available at the Full and Select Conference registration levels and start at $230 USD.

SIGGRAPH 2014 Real-Time Live! Highlights:

Destruction Sequences in "Call of Duty: Ghosts"
Presenters: David Johnson, Alessandro Nardini, Infinity Ward

In an effort to raise the bar for destruction sequences in a real-time game engine, non-localized particles, "instant pop," low density, generic fracturing, and more were identified and addressed through several artistic techniques and technical advancements for "Call of Duty: Ghosts".

NVIDIA FlameWorks: Real-Time Fire Simulation
Presenters: Simon Green, Nuttapong Chentanez, Aron Zoellner, Johnny Costello, Kevin Newkirk, Dane Johnston, NVIDIA Corporation

FlameWorks is the first system to bring cinema-quality volumetric fire, smoke, and explosion effects to real-time graphics. The demo simulates and renders more than 32 million voxels per frame, at around 30 frames per second.

Real-Time Animation of Cartoon Character Faces
Presenters: Emiliano Gambaretto, Charles Piña, Mixamo, Inc.

This live demo allows a viewer to stand in front of a webcam and animate a 3D character in real time. The video stream is processed by Mixamo Face Plus proprietary technology, the facial expression of the user is extracted, and the emotional facial information is transferred to the 3D character.

SIGGRAPH 2014 RELEASES EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES PREVIEW

SIGGRAPH 2014 has released its list of 2014 Emerging Technologies highlights to be featured at this year’s conference at the Vancouver Convention Centre. Out of almost 90 submissions to the program, 24 were accepted, with more than 20 pieces from submitters outside of the United States.

Each year, SIGGRAPH-selected emerging technologies allow conference attendees to play with the latest interactive and graphics developments. The program also presents demonstrations of research in several fields — like displays, input devices, collaborative environments, and robotics — through Talks and a close partnership with the SIGGRAPH Studio.

"“This year’s content is very diverse,"” explained Thierry Frey, SIGGRAPH 2014 Emerging Technologies Chair. “"For example, we brought forward a call for ‘invisible technologies,’ i.e. installations and projects that leave technology in the background to focus on the user/usage, and have a selection of pieces that fall close to that science."”

Access to the 2014 Emerging Technologies program is available with Full Conference, Select Conference, and Exhibits Plus pass values. Prices start as low as $50.00 USD. 

SIGGRAPH 2014 Emerging Technologies Highlights:

Birdly

Authors: Max Rheiner, Fabian Troxler, Thomas Tobler, Thomas Erdin, Zürcher Hochschule der Künste

Birdly is an installation that explores the experience of a bird in flight. It tries to capture the mediated flying experience with several methods. Unlike a common flight simulator, users do not control a machine. Instead, they embody a bird, the Red Kite. To evoke this embodiment, the system mainly relies on sensory-motor coupling. Participants control the simulator with their hands and arms, which directly correlate to the wings and the primary feathers of the bird. Those inputs are reflected in the flight model of the bird and displayed physically by the simulator through nick, roll, and heave movements.

Spheree: A 3D Perspective-Corrected Interactive Spherical Scalable Display Authors: Fernando Teubi Ferreira, Marcio Cabral, Olavo da Rosa Belloc, Roseli de Deus Lopes, Marcelo Zuffo, Universidade de São Paulo; Gregor Miller, Sidney Fels, The University of British Columbia; Celso Kurashima, Universidade Federal do ABC; Junia Anacleto, Universidade de São Carlos; Ian Stavness, University of Saskatchewan

Spheree is a personal spherical display that arranges multiple blended and calibrated mini-projectors to transform a translucent globe into a high-resolution perspective-corrected 3D interactive display. It tracks both the user and Spheree to render user-targeted views onto the surface of the sphere. This provides motion parallax, occlusion, shading, and perspective depth cues to the user. One of the emerging technologies that makes Spheree unique is that it uses multiple mini-projectors, calibrated and blended automatically to create a uniform pixel space on the surface of the sphere. The calibration algorithm allows for as many projectors as needed for virtually any size of sphere, providing a linear scalability cost for higher-resolution spherical displays.

Above Your Hand: Direct and Natural Interaction with an Aerial Robot Authors: Kensho Miyoshi, Ryo Konomura, Koichi Hori, The University of Tokyo

Above Your Hand is a new application of a quadcopter that follows hand directions with two onboard cameras. The system is unique, because it does not require external devices such as controllers or motion tracking. All the processing is executed within the onboard computer. You and the quadcopter can freely walk around without worrying about external-camera views or wifi networks.

Monsters in the Orchestra: A Surround Computing VR Experience Authors: Rémi Arnaud, Emanuel Marquez, Bill Herz, AMD, Inc.

Monsters in the Orchestra is an interactive and immersive demonstration of surround computing as experienced in a VR environment. Participants are immersed in a stereoscopic world of monsters playing real-world instruments with positional audio and 3D x 360-degree gesture control. The original system, demonstrated at CES 2014, allowed participants to be fully immersed in a 30-foot-diameter dome driven by six HD projectors, creating a 360-degree view from floor to apex. Real-time positional audio was introduced via hidden 32.4 speakers in three rings at different heights. Audio equalization and reverb were processed using AMD True Audio. The monsters were conducted or controlled by a human conductor using 3D x 360-degree gestures. At SIGGRAPH 2014, participants will be immersed in the same experience using virtual reality headsets, such as the new Morpheus VR head-gear from Sony, with 3D spatialized audio delivered to each participant using stereo headphones.

Pixie Dust: Graphics Generated by Levitate and Animated Objects in Computational Acoustic-Potential Field Authors: Yoichi Ochiai, Jun Rekimoto, The University of Tokyo; Takayuki Hoshi, Nagoya Institute of Technology

This novel graphics system is based on expansion of 3D-acoustic-manipulation technology. In the conventional study of acoustic levitation, small objects are trapped in the acoustic beams of standing waves. Here, this method is expanded by changing the distribution of the acoustic-potential field (APF), which generates the graphics using levitated small objects. The system makes available many expressions, such as expression by materials and nondigital appearance.

SIGGRAPH 2014 Announces Evening Double Feature During Conference Week:

“How to Train Your Dragon 2” + newly added screening of the Electronic Theater

Based on a spike in demand for seeing the Electronic Theater during the conference week, SIGGRAPH has just added a 3^rd night in hopes of allowing everyone an opportunity to see it.

“We decided to add a 3^rd showing of the Electronic Theater based on the incredible demand for the first two nights – which are near sell outs,” said Jerome Solomon, SIGGRAPH 2014 Computer Animation Festival Director from Cogswell College. “Making it a double feature with this epic DreamWorks film will make it a night to remember for many years to come. We highly encourage people to plan ahead if they want to attend the double feature.”

According to Solomon, the room will be cleared after the first film and only those with valid Wednesday Electronic Theater tickets will be allowed back inside for the final public viewing of the Electronic Theater.

The special screening of "How to Train Your Dragon 2” will be presented by the movie’s head of layout, Gil Zimmerman (DreamWorks Animation, which offers special souvenirs to the first attendees in line). 

Here are the important details (be sure to read carefully):

Wednesday, 13 August
8 - 10 pm
"How to Train Your Dragon 2" Screening
West Building, Ballroom A-B
(Open to Full Conference and Select Conference attendees.)

10:30 pm - 12:30 am
Electronic Theater
West Building, Ballroom A-B
(A Wednesday Electronic Theater ticket is required for admittance. If you do not have a ticket and would like to attend this showing, you can purchase a ticket for $30 in registration or at the door based on availability.)

If you already selected the Monday or Tuesday Electronic Theater showing, but prefer the Wednesday showing, you have options:

Option 1:  Online
Go to the Online Registration System and login with your email and confirmation ID to change the day you would like to attend the Electronic Theater

Option 2: At SIGGRAPH 2014
Visit the Ticket Exchange counter in the Registration Area.  Ticket exchanges will be available starting Monday, 11 August at 8:30 am through Tuesday, 12 August at 5 pm.  Exchanges will not be available after this time.

Tickets will be available for purchase or exchange on a first-come, first-served basis only. Limited space remains.

Go Behind the Scenes with SIGGRAPH 2014 Dailies

SIGGRAPH 2014 will showcase more than 40 contributor Dailies with presenters ranging from students to industry giants on Wednesday, 13 August at the Vancouver Convention Centre. SIGGRAPH Dailies celebrate excellence in computer animation and are presented as part of a two-hour program of images and short animations that take attendees behind-the-scenes of major production sequences.

“Dailies is a very special program because it celebrates the artists who create computer graphics,” noted Mark Elendt, SIGGRAPH 2014 Dailies Chair from Side Effects Software Inc. “The variety of work presented also keeps the event fresh and interesting — there really is something for everyone, including feature film shot break-downs, game art and design, scientific visualization, and even jewelry design."

According to Elendt, attendees will be astounded by the sheer excellence displayed in modeling, shading, animation, lighting, effects, and more as part of the can’t-miss SIGGRAPH 2014 Dailies. With less than two minutes for each presentation, artists are challenged to get their stories across in a fast-paced, exciting environment.

The SIGGRAPH 2014 Dailies program is sponsored by DreamWorks Animation and available only to Full and Select Conference pass holders. Tickets can be purchased at s2014.siggraph.org and start at $230 USD. For the full lineup of Dailies, visit s2014.siggraph.org/attendees/dailies.

Highlights from SIGGRAPH 2014 Dailies:

•Burning Down the House: Evolution of a Multi-Element Fire Effect on ‘How to Train Your Dragon 2’ (Or: How We Got What We’re After)
Presenter: Benjamin Sutherland, DreamWorks Animation

• Ryse: Son of Rome – Transitions; CGI Reliefs
Presenters: Selim Sykut, Andrew Sykut, Platige Image

• Preparing Carl for Combat in ‘Toy Story of Terror’
Presenter: Mei Kee Poh, Pixar Animation Studios

• Two Interns, Ten Weeks, Ten Shots
Presenters: Nathaniel Lapinski, Nate Usiak, Side Effects Software Inc.

• Rafting the Amazon: ‘Rio 2’ Rapids Sequence
Presenter: Diego Garzon, Blue Sky Studios, Inc.

• Dam Robots: A Collaborative Production Between Texas A&M University and ReelFX Studios
Presenter: Cameron Coker, Texas A&M University

SIGGRAPH 2014 Focus: Games

Bungie's upcoming video game "Destiny"

The Games Focus spotlights the creators, visionaries, and pioneers of the game industry with presentations from the world's leading studios, including 2K Games, Inc., Activision, Blizzard, Inc., Bungie, Inc., Crytek, EA DICE, Microsoft Game Studios, Ubisoft Entertainment S.A., and many others.

Topics include: advances in real-time character rendering in video games, character and general asset pipelines, real-time character animation, new solutions for game navigation, novel human-computer interfaces,amazing advances in hardware and software collaboration, and more.

"Never before have games been more prevalent in society. They are on phones, tablets, computers and  gaming consoles - in essence all around us," said Natalya Tatarchuk, SIGGRAPH 2014 Games Chair from Bungie, Inc. "This importance is reflective in the amount of depth and quality of gaming content at SIGGRAPH - there is something for everyone across a variety of disciplines - from advanced practitioners to complete novices."

Listed below is SIGGRAPH 2014 content that maybe of interest to the following people: 3D Modelers, Animators, Engine Programmers, Games Programmers, Graphics Programmers, Graphics Engineers, Tools Programmers, Game Researchers, Product Managers, Technical Artists, Technical Designers, and Technical Managers.

Courses
Digital Ira and Beyond: Creating Photoreal Real-Time Digital Characters
SUNDAY, 10 AUGUST 9:00 AM - 12:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Ballroom A

Courses
Navigation Meshes and Real-Time Dynamic Planning for Interactive Virtual Worlds
SUNDAY, 10 AUGUST 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Rooms 118-120

Courses
New Generation of Microscopic Crowd-Simulation Algorithms
SUNDAY, 10 AUGUST 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Exhibit Hall A

Courses
Attention-Aware Rendering, Mobile Graphics, and Games
SUNDAY, 10 AUGUST 2:00 PM - 5:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Rooms 211-214

Courses
Kinect Technology in Games
SUNDAY, 10 AUGUST 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Ballroom A

Courses
Advances in Real-Time Rendering in Games, Part I
MONDAY, 11 AUGUST 9:00 AM - 12:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Exhibit Hall A

Talks
Capture in Depth
MONDAY, 11 AUGUST 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Rooms 109-110

Talks
Simulation
MONDAY, 11 AUGUST 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Rooms 118-120

Technical Papers
Sound & Light
MONDAY, 11 AUGUST 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Ballroom A

Courses
Advances in Real-Time Rendering in Games, Part II
MONDAY, 11 AUGUST 2:00 PM - 5:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Exhibit Hall A

Technical Papers
Faces
MONDAY, 11 AUGUST 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Ballroom B-C

Technical Papers
Controlling Character
TUESDAY, 12 AUGUST 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Ballroom B-C

Computer Animation Festival - Production Sessions
Creating Content to Drive Destiny’s Investment Game: One Solution to Rule Them All
TUESDAY, 12 AUGUST 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Ballroom C/D

Talks
Creature Feature
TUESDAY, 12 AUGUST 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Rooms 211-214

Technical Papers
Non-Photorealistic Rendering
TUESDAY, 12 AUGUST 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Exhibit Hall A

Production Sessions
Creating Content to Drive Destiny's Investment Game - One Solution to Rule Them All
TUESDAY, 12 AUGUST 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Ballroom C/D

Exhibit Studio - Courses
Creating Next-Gen 3D Interactive Apps With Motion Control and Unity3D
TUESDAY, 12 AUGUST 9:15 AM - 10:45 AM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Exhibit Hall A

Birds of a Feather
Games as Therapy
TUESDAY, 12 AUGUST 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Room 2

Talks
About Face
TUESDAY, 12 AUGUST 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Rooms 211-214

Courses
Character Heads Creation Pipeline and Rendering in Destiny
TUESDAY, 12 AUGUST 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Ballroom C/D

Technical Papers
Displays
TUESDAY, 12 AUGUST 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Exhibit Hall A

Technical Papers
Fabrication-Oriented Design
TUESDAY, 12 AUGUST 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Ballroom B-C

Talks
Sampling
TUESDAY, 12 AUGUST 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Rooms 109-110

Birds of a Feather
Virtual Globes Using WebGL and Cesium
TUESDAY, 12 AUGUST 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Room 9

Courses
Destiny Character-Animation System and Lessons Learned
TUESDAY, 12 AUGUST 2:00 PM - 5:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Rooms 211-214

Studio - Courses
Developing a 3D Model Viewer for iOS Using COLLADA and OpenGL ES
TUESDAY, 12 AUGUST 2:00 PM - 5:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Exhibit Hall A

Technical Papers
Games & Design
TUESDAY, 12 AUGUST 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Ballroom B-C

Talks
Think Big
TUESDAY, 12 AUGUST 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Rooms 118-120

Technical Papers
Animating Characters
TUESDAY, 12 AUGUST 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Ballroom A

Technical Papers
Computational Sensing & Display
TUESDAY, 12 AUGUST 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Exhibit Hall A

Real-Time Live!
Real-Time Live!
TUESDAY, 12 AUGUST 5:30 PM - 7:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Ballroom C/D

Courses
Building an Empire: Asset Production in Ryse
WEDNESDAY, 13 AUGUST 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Ballroom A

Technical Papers
Fabrication
WEDNESDAY, 13 AUGUST 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Exhibit Hall A

Talks
Let There Be Light
WEDNESDAY, 13 AUGUST 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Rooms 109-110

Technical Papers
Light Transport
WEDNESDAY, 13 AUGUST 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Exhibit Hall A

Technical Papers
Mesh-Based Simulation
WEDNESDAY, 13 AUGUST 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Ballroom A

Production Sessions
The Production and Visual Effects of "Killzone Shadow Fall"
WEDNESDAY, 13 AUGUST 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Ballroom C/D

Courses
Physically Based Shading in Theory and Practice
WEDNESDAY, 13 AUGUST 2:00 PM - 5:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Rooms 211-214

Technical Papers
Reflectance: Modeling, Capturing, Renderings
WEDNESDAY, 13 AUGUST 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Exhibit Hall A

Talks
Dynamics
WEDNESDAY, 13 AUGUST 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Rooms 109-110

Technical Papers
Hair & Collisions
WEDNESDAY, 13 AUGUST 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Ballroom A

Dailies
Dailies
WEDNESDAY, 13 AUGUST 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Ballroom B-C

Birds of a Feather
Khronos Annual BOF BLITZ™ AFTER PARTY Hosted by OGA
WEDNESDAY, 13 AUGUST 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM | Marriott Vancouver Pinnacle Downtown, Pinnacle Ballroom

Technical Papers
Fluids
THURSDAY, 14 AUGUST 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Exhibit Hall A

Birds of a Feather
Global VR Meetup
THURSDAY, 14 AUGUST 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Pan Pacific Vancouver, Oceanview 5-7

Technical Papers
Hardware Systems
THURSDAY, 14 AUGUST 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Ballroom B-C

Technical Papers
Changing Your Perception
THURSDAY, 14 AUGUST 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Ballroom A

Talks
Crowded, Furry and in a Hurry
THURSDAY, 14 AUGUST 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Rooms 211-214

Technical Papers
Fast Rendering
THURSDAY, 14 AUGUST 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Exhibit Hall A

Technical Papers
Stretching & Flowing
THURSDAY, 14 AUGUST 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Ballroom B-C

Courses
Introduction to 3D Gestural Interfaces
THURSDAY, 14 AUGUST 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Rooms 211-214

Talks
Perception
THURSDAY, 14 AUGUST 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Rooms 118-120

In addition to all of this content, attendees will also want to check out the Emerging Technologies area, the Indie Game Showcase (The Mix) in the Exhibit Hall, the Studio, Appy Hour, the AR/VR Contest, and the Film & Games Concept Art Lounge.  

SIGGRAPH 2014 Releases Art Gallery Preview Video

The SIGGRAPH 2014 Art Gallery presents outstanding and innovative artworks submitted by digital-minded artists. While the aim is to provide insight into relationships between art, science, and technology, the Art Gallery also encourages criticality, through the use of advanced technologies. This year’s focus revolves around the readings, responses, and perceptions of “the act of translation” as a productive tool.

Learn more at s2014.siggraph.org. Join the conversation using #SIGGRAPH 2014.

SIGGRAPH 2014 Art Gallery: Acting in Translation

The SIGGRAPH 2014 Art Gallery will gather and present 14 outstanding, critical, and innovative unique works and projects, incorporating its theme, “Acting in Translation.” While the essential aim of the Art Gallery is to provide a deeper insight into the relationships within art, science, technology, research, and societal developments, “Acting in Translation” concentrates on strong content and criticality in these works and projects, conveyed through the use of advanced technologies.

Curated by Basak Senova, “Acting in Translation” aims to revolve around the readings, responses, and perceptions of ‘the act of translation’ as a productive tool based on criticality. The participating artists are Paul L. Stout, Rachele Riley, Yunsil Heo, Hyunwoo Bang, Joseph Farbrook, Yoichi Ochiai, Yunsil Heo, Hyunwoo Bang, Inmi Lee, Kyle McDonald, Zohar Kfir, Sam Blanchard, Kirk Cameron, Robert Redfern, Sergio Bernales, Bo Li, Michelle Will, Hung-Ching Chang, Kelsey Farenholtz, Brandon Deaguero, Timmy Meyer, John Mooring, Ali Butt, Speculatorum Oculi, Erik Brunvand, Alon Chitayat, Jeff Ong, Emilio Vavarella, Fito Segrera, Burak Arikan, and Ed Konowal/GraphicsNet.

The Art Gallery will also feature one panel and four Talks with the artists along with an afternoon networking reception.

“The 2014 Art Gallery represents no single or homogenous approach, but a diverse display of artistic strategies," said Basak Senova, SIGGRAPH 2014 Art Gallery Chair. “Translation, as a term and as a tool, generates numerous potential fields for art production, which is why we selected it as this year’s theme and are thrilled to have these outstanding works and projects.”

The 2014 Art Gallery will take place in the West Building, Exhibit Hall A at the Vancouver Convention Centre. Access to this program can be purchased for as low as $75 USD at s2014.siggraph.org. A special opportunity for meeting with the artists will occur on Tuesday, 12 August during an afternoon reception sponsored by Leonardo/ISAST and The MIT Press.

Highlights from the SIGGRAPH 2014 Art Gallery:

Looking Glass Time
Artist: Yoichi Ochiai

“Looking Glass Time” aims to represent social media activities and their timelines with physical clock animation, without any recording media.

The Internet SteamGauge
Artist: Ed Konowal / GraphicsNet

Internet usage is typically measured in Mb/s (Megabits per second). “The Internet SteamGauge” takes the same data and translates it to a real-world gauge.

The Evolution of Science

Artist: Rachele Riley

The Evolution of Silence addresses the scale of damage brought about by 41 years of nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site. The Web-based archive presents a non-linear map and interpretation of the area’s destruction, and an opportunity to explore this restricted desert landscape.

SIGGRAPH 2014 Focus: Mobile Content

Imagine the endless possibilities in the next generation of mobile technology. SIGGRAPH 2014 presents the latest advances in mobile graphics and apps, including: powerful new graphic techniques, game production for handheld devices, productivity apps, and multimedia systems.

“There is a diverse and deep level of mobile content at SIGGRAPH 2014,” said Jesse Barker, SIGGRAPH 2014 Mobile Chair from ARM. “It truly expands across the entire conference and touches almost every corner. SIGGRAPH is becoming a ‘must attend’ event for anyone that is even remotely involved in the mobile industry.”

Listed below is SIGGRAPH 2014 content that maybe of interest to the following people: Mobile Developers and Designers, Android Developers, iOS Developers, Art/Creative Directors, Digital Media Designers, User Experience Designers, Web Producers and Designers, Product Managers, and Technical Managers:

Courses
The Glass Class: Designing Wearable Interfaces
SUNDAY, 10 AUGUST 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Ballroom B-C

Courses
Attention-Aware Rendering, Mobile Graphics, and Games
SUNDAY, 10 AUGUST 2:00 PM - 5:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Rooms 211-214

Courses
Introduction to WebGL Programming
SUNDAY, 10 AUGUST 2:00 PM - 5:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Rooms 109-110

Technical Papers
Shape Collection
MONDAY, 11 AUGUST 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Ballroom B-C

Talks
Simulation
MONDAY, 11 AUGUST 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Rooms 118-120

Courses
Put on Your 3D Glasses Now: The Past, Present, and Future of Virtual and Augmented Reality
MONDAY, 11 AUGUST 2:00 PM - 5:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Rooms 109-110

Studio - Courses
Make Cross-Platform Mobile Apps Quickly
MONDAY, 11 AUGUST 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Exhibit Hall

Courses
Moving Pictures: Making the Most of the Mobile
TUESDAY, 12 AUGUST 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Rooms 109-110

Technical Papers
Displays
TUESDAY, 12 AUGUST 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Exhibit Hall A

Studio - Courses
Developing a 3D Model Viewer for iOS Using COLLADA and OpenGL ES
TUESDAY, 12 AUGUST 2:00 PM - 5:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Exhibit Hall A

Technical Papers
Games & Design
TUESDAY, 12 AUGUST 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Ballroom B-

Technical Papers
Video Applications
TUESDAY, 12 AUGUST 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Exhibit Hall

Technical Papers
Typography & Illustration
TUESDAY, 12 AUGUST 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Ballroom B-C

Birds of a Feather
Khronos API Education at KNU (Kyungpook National University)
WEDNESDAY, 13 AUGUST 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM | Marriott Vancouver Pinnacle Downtown, Pinnacle Ballroom

Talks
Let There Be Light
WEDNESDAY, 13 AUGUST 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Rooms 109-110

Courses
Why Graphics Programmers Need to Know About DRAM
WEDNESDAY, 13 AUGUST 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Ballroom A

Birds of a Feather
WebGL for 3D Graphics on the Web
WEDNESDAY, 13 AUGUST 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM | Marriott Vancouver Pinnacle Downtown, Pinnacle Ballroom

Birds of a Feather
OpenGL, OpenGL ES and the 3D API Landscape
WEDNESDAY, 13 AUGUST 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM | Marriott Vancouver Pinnacle Downtown, Pinnacle Ballroom

Birds of a Feather
OpenGLES for 3D Graphics on Mobile
WEDNESDAY, 13 AUGUST 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM | Marriott Vancouver Pinnacle Downtown, Pinnacle Ballroom

Technical Papers
Hardware Systems
THURSDAY, 14 AUGUST 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building,
Ballroom B-C

Technical Papers
Depth for All Occasions
THURSDAY, 14 AUGUST 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building,
B-C

SIGGRAPH 2014 BRINGS INDIE GAME SHOWCASE TO VANCOUVER

SIGGRAPH 2014 has teamed up with Media Indie Exchange (The MIX) to bring the first-ever SIGGRAPH indie game showcase to its Exhibition, 12-14 August, at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia.  

SIGGRAPH is the premiere international conference on computer graphics and interactive techniques and consistently offers top-notch content for gaming professionals and enthusiasts alike. As part of this special collaboration with The MIX, attendees will have access to exclusive presentations — with the game developers themselves — on indie projects featuring a wide variety of cutting-edge graphics and gameplay that in some instances is still in the experimental stages.

“The MIX brings a high level of talent, creativity, and quality to the table. We are excited to bring this experience to the SIGGRAPH community and put a spotlight on it,” remarked SIGGRAPH 2014 Conference Chair Dave Shreiner. “Hopefully, speaking with indie developers first-hand will inspire individuals and small teams in attendance to ‘go for it’ with their own projects.”

The MIX team has been organizing showcases for independent game developers to present their projects to media and industry leaders since 2012. SIGGRAPH 2014 will mark the first MIX showcase outside of the United States.

“The MIX at SIGGRAPH 2014 shows the ongoing impact of indie studios on the industry,” said Justin Woodward of The MIX.  “This event provides another platform where we can help share advances from this world with new audiences.”

The MIX lineup during SIGGRAPH 2014 will be released in the weeks leading up to the conference. For the latest updates visit s2014.siggraph.org or stay tuned to SIGGRAPH 2014 on Facebook and Twitter. Access to the Exhibition starts at $50 USD and is available by clicking here.

Q&A with Side Effects Software's Mark Elendt, SIGGRAPH Dailies Chair

What Motivated You to Come Back and Be the Chair Two Years In a Row?

Mark Elendt

Dailies is a very special program to me because it celebrates the artists who create computer graphics. As one of the only forums where artists can share their stories, I think it's very important the program succeeds.  By volunteering to chair the Dailies, I have the opportunity to ensure the program remains interesting and relevant to the community. While every year brings it's own unexpected challenges, chairing the program the second year is always a smoother ride.

I should mention that this is my last year as chair of the program. While I really enjoy the opportunity to chair, it's very important to keep the program fresh and get new ideas. I'm happy that Juan Buhler will be taking over my duties for 2015.  He has years of production experience and he's possibly even more passionate about the ideals behind Dailies program than I am.

Why Do You Think the Program Has Caught On So Quickly? i.e What Makes Dailies Special?

There are more than 40 presentations in fewer than two hours. This means that the event is really fast paced with a huge amount of variety.

Dailies is a unique experience. It's one of the few places where you can see students presenting their work right along side artists from big studios like DreamWorks, Pixar, and Naughty Dog.

The variety of work presented also keeps the event fresh and interesting. There really is something for everyone, including feature film shot break-downs, game art & design, scientific visualization and even jewelry design.

Dailies is always an audience favorite and should not be missed.

How Many Submissions Did You Receive This Year?

It was very difficult for the jury to select the 43 submissions from more than 70 we received this year. The quality of submissions was outstanding.

Geographically, Where Do the Submissions Come From?

Perhaps because SIGGRAPH is in Vancouver, this year's presentations seem to have a much more international feel. We have several submissions from Australia, Canada, Poland, the UK and even one from Syria. I'm looking forward to their presentation about creating a music video  that tries to reflect their cultural heritage while capturing some of the current events in Syria.

Any Surprises or Trends That You Noticed?

Last year there were a significant number of submissions by two large studios and though the presentations were amazing, it did make  the evening feel a touch unbalanced. This year, there was a much broader base of submissions which should add to the variety of pieces presented.

What Can the Audience Expect?

There is such a variety of content that people should come ready to be inspired, entertained, educated, and delighted.

To highlight a few of the presentations:

                 Volume Rendered Global Atmospheric Model

Volume Rendered Global Atmospheric Model
Greg Shira, NASA
How NASA was able to visualize terabytes of data and gain a deeper understanding of weather systems.

The Last of Us - Saving Ellie
Michal Mach, Naughty Dog, Inc.
In  this piece, rag-doll character simulation led to some in-game issues.  This presentation discusses how Michal Mach overcame these challenges.

RIPD: Frozen World 
Jacob Clark & Daniel Elophe, Image Engine Design, Inc.
Effects simulations are always challenging, but Image Engine was faced with further challenges while creating high-quality “frozen” explosions for RIPD.

 Poly's Feast: Snappy Stop-motion Style Achieved by Using CGI

Poly's Feast: Snappy Stop-motion Style Achieved by Using CGI 
Simone Giampaolo & Robert Stratton, BFX/Bournemouth University
How an artist's background in traditional stop-motion animation influenced the look and style of their CGI student project.

What makes these presentations so special is that they are given by the artists who created them.

If Someone Only Has Time to See ½ of the Program, Do You Still Think It Is Worth Attending?

There's always so much to do at SIGGRAPH it's often a challenge to fit everything into your schedule.  At Dailies, there are more than 40 short presentations. So, if you can only see half the program, you still see more than 20 presentations. You may miss some great presentations, but even so, you'll still walk away amazed and entertained.

You should definitely make time to see Dailies, even if you can't watch the entire program.

What Advice Would You Give Someone Who Is Interested In Submitting Content Next Year?

There are two criteria the jury looks at to choose Dailies submissions. The first is obviously the quality of the work – we look for excellence in computer graphics. But the second and more important factor is the story behind the work. The jury is certainly interested in how you made the art, but they are much more interested in why you chose to do things the way you did, or how you were personally affected by the process.

What Personally Motivates You to Continue to Come to SIGGRAPH?

There are innumerable reasons why I continue to attend SIGGRAPH. Personally it's the premiere opportunity to get my fix of new research and technology;  to see what's going on, and keep my finger on the pulse of the industry. More than that though, it's a chance to stay in touch with my graphics family - to catch up with old friends and meet new ones.

SIGGRAPH 2014 Releases Real Time Live! Preview Video

SIGGRAPH Real-Time Live! shows off the latest trends and techniques for pushing the boundaries of interactive visuals. An international jury selects submissions from a diverse array of industries to create a fast-paced, 90-minute show of cutting-edge, aesthetically stimulating real-time work, and maybe a battle between mind-controlled robot monkeys with laser eyes and autonomous penguin drones with shrink-ray bow ties.

Experience Real-Time Live! at SIGGRAPH 2014, which brings together thousands of computer graphics professionals, 10-14 August 2014 in Vancouver, BC. Learn more by clicking here.

Join the conversation on social media using #SIGGRAPH 2014.

SIGGRAPH 2014 PRODUCTION SESSIONS FEATURE SUMMER BLOCKBUSTERS, OSCAR WINNER

Building Blocks for "The Lego Movie" will be one of many popular Production Sessions at SIGGRAPH 2014.

SIGGRAPH 2014 will offer presentations on more than 15 of the biggest current and upcoming studio productions, including “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “Gravity,” “How to Train Your Dragon 2” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” Production Sessions are hosted as part of the Computer Animation Festival and will be held at the Vancouver Convention Centre, 11-14 August.

“The 2014 Production Session lineup is packed with powerful content and truly showcases an amazing conglomerate of the best creative minds in the business,” noted Roy C. Anthony, SIGGRAPH 2014 Production Sessions Chair from Christie Digital. “It’s not often that industry professionals and students alike can come together and learn from CG and VFX experts of this caliber."

SIGGRAPH Production Sessions bring together the world’s most elite and talented computer graphics experts and creative geniuses and allow them to explain their processes and techniques to a rapt audience of peers. Following each presentation, conference attendees are given the opportunity to ask questions as part of a live Q&A. As a bonus for 2014, DreamWorks Animation will treat session attendees to a free screening of its film “How to Train Your Dragon 2” on Wednesday night.

Production Sessions are available only to Full Conference and Select Conference pass holders. Access to Production Sessions  can be purchased at s2014.SIGGRAPH.org and starts at $205 USD. For the full lineup of all 19 sessions, visit s2014.SIGGRAPH.org/attendees/production-sessions.

Highlights from SIGGRAPH 2014 Production Sessions:

X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST (Twentieth Century Fox)
“Twentieth Century Fox Presents the Visual Effects of ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’” 
Panelists: Benoit Dubuc, Animation Supervisor, MPC; Lou Pecora, VFX Supervisor, Digital Domain; Derek Spears, VFX Supervisor, Rhythm & Hues; Adam Paschke, DFX Supervisor, Rising Sun Pictures

This year, the ultimate X-Men ensemble were brought together to fight a war for the survival of the species across two time periods. With the visual effects work lead by Production VFX Supervisor Richard Stammers, X-Men Days of Future Past showcased some of the most spectacular effects of the summer. Experts from MPC (Moving Picture Company), Digital Domain, Rhythm & Hues and Rising Sun Pictures will illustrate the approaches used to create a wide range of VFX work, from the creation of the past and future Sentinels, to the epic RFK stadium and White House destruction and the complexities of creating mutant powers for Magneto, Colossus, Iceman, Quicksilver, Sunspot, Blink, Wolverine and Mystique.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (Sony Pictures Imageworks)

“Unmask the Secrets Behind ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’”

Panelists: Jerome Chen, VFX Supervisor; David Schaub, Animation Supervisor; David Smith, DFX Supervisor

Sony Pictures Imageworks created much of the visual effects for “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” the sequel to the 2012 blockbuster directed by Marc Webb. The VFX team was challenged with the introduction of new villains, extensive digital environments and CG animation. Join Sony Pictures Imageworks visual effects leads for an inside look at this "amazing" film.

GRAVITY (Warner Bros. Pictures)

“Making ‘Gravity’ at Framestore” 

Panelists: Tim Webber, Overall VFX Supervisor; Chris Lawrence, Framestore CG Supervisor; Martin Preston, Framestore Head of R&D

Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures and Framestore

This talk describes Framestore’s work on “Gravity,” including the involvement in the pre-production, filming and post production of the movie.

FEAST (Walt Disney Animation Studios)

“‘Feast’ – A Look at Walk Disney Animation Studios’ Newest Short” 

Panelists: Patrick Osborne, Head of Animation, “Paperman”; Josh Staub, VFX Supervisor

Join Walt Disney Animation Studios filmmakers, including director Patrick Osborne (Head of Animation, Oscar-winning short "Paperman"), for a screening and presentation of the short "Feast."

THE LEGO MOVIE (Warner Bros. Pictures in association with Village Roadshow Pictures)

“Building Blocks for ‘The LEGO Movie’”

Panelists: Damien Grey, CG Supervisor; Rob Coleman, Head of Animation; Aidan Sarsfield, CG Supervisor; Daniel Heckenberg, R&D Lead

“The LEGO Movie” is a CG animated feature film set in a world made entirely of Lego bricks. It was critical to the filmmakers that this world maintain a highly realistic connection to the look and feel of real Lego.

What resulted was a unique, photo-realistic, stop motion aesthetic and animation style, with everything on screen including the characters, sets, oceans and explosions being built and realized with accurate CG Lego bricks.

Essential to the story was the dynamic construction (and destruction!) of any of these elements into component bricks. And with a desire to echo the creative possibilities of Lego itself, Animal Logic's team of "masterbuilders" built a comprehensive Lego toolset that ensured artists could access and manipulate individual bricks, or the bricks within any asset, to create unique and spontaneous additions to the content of a shot. The results were often unscripted and highly entertaining.

Making a CG feature is complex at the best of times, but making a CG feature constructed entirely from bricks was a new and exciting challenge. It resulted in something quite different from conventional animation processes.

THE BOXTROLLS (Focus Features)

“Puppets, Printing and Compositing: A Unique Collaboration in LAIKA’s Animated Features

Panelists: Brain McLean, Rapid Prototyping; Georgina Hayns, Creative Supervisor, Puppet Fabrication; Steve Emerson, Co-VFX Supervisor

From inspiration to Oscar noms, Oregon-based LAIKA has garnered global acclaim for its unprecedented fusion of stop-motion and computer graphics within each feature film. The studio's environment embraces the hybrid of artistic puppet performance and stunning visual effects enhancements. Georgina Hayns (Creative Supervisor, Puppet Fabrication), Brian McLean (Director of Rapid Prototype) and Steve Emerson (Co-VFX Supervisor) will discuss their interdepartmental relationships on the upcoming feature “The Boxtrolls” (in theaters September 26). They will also address the challenges, solutions -- and learnings -- that led to the success of LAIKA's first two Oscar-nominated films: “Coraline” (2009) and “ParaNorman” (2012).