The Computer Animation Festival, celebrating its 40th year, just released a sneak peak into the amazing content that will be present this year in Anaheim. The Festival is recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a qualifying festival. Since 1999, several works originally presented in the Computer Animation Festival have been nominated for or have received a "Best Animated Short" Academy Award. This year’s selections will be featured during the Computer Animation Festival through a series of daily Festival Screenings and the iconic Electronic Theater, allowing attendees to get a glimpse behind the making of computer-generated effects, visualizations, and animations.
“Every piece in the festival has something that made it stand out from the 40 hours of content submitted for this year’s show,” says Jason RM Smith, SIGGRAPH 2013 Computer Animation Festival Chair. “There's no other venue in the world comparable to the Computer Animation Festival; each year we're honored by the amazing number of high-quality entries and every year the show grows. This year we're screening 10% more content; as the quality continues to improve it becomes increasingly difficult to select the best of the best."
For more details on the program, click here.
The 42nd International Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques
Showing posts with label Gaming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gaming. Show all posts
05 June 2012
Q&A with Ann McNamara, SIGGRAPH 2012 Courses Chair from Texas A&M University
Following below is a brief conversation with Ann McNamara, SIGGRAPH 2012 Courses Chair and assistant professor in the Department of Visualization at Texas A&M University.
Her research is in computer graphics and she is currently particularly focused on the application of visual perception to accelerate and improve computer graphics and visualization.
SIGGRAPH Courses are short (1.5 hours) or half-day (3.25 hours) structured sessions that often include elements of interactive demonstration, performance, or other imaginative approaches to teaching. Attendees hear directly from industry experts and gain knowledge critical to career advancement and job satisfaction.
In general, who typically is interested in Courses?
Courses are diverse, in terms of topic and attendee level, so it makes sense that a broad range of people—from beginners to veterans, students to professors, hobbyists to professionals—can all find something to pique their interest.
How is the content different from 2011?
Courses may have the same name, and even some of the same speakers, but quality control is enforced to ensure that courses are kept up to date. Attendees want cutting edge content and every year the Courses deliver!
Did you notice any trends in this year’s content?
The biggest trend was the number of quality submissions - the jury and selection committee had a tough job, and that’s a good problem to have and a trend we hope continues.
How many submissions were there and how many acceptances?
Overall, we had 51 submissions and accepted 23.
What are some highlights of this year’s Courses content?
We have a great slate of courses this year and I encourage everyone to check the website for more information. In addition to updated versions of established courses such as Advances in Real Time Rendering for Games and Character Rigging and Creature Wrangling in Game, Feature Animation,and Visual Effects Production, we have new exciting courses in store, including an interdisciplinary course called Principles of Animation Physics by Dr. Alejandro Garcia, a professor in physics and astronomy from San Jose State University.
This course was developed with support from the National Science Foundation by Professor Garcia, who was on leave at the Department of Artistic Development at DreamWorks Animation SKG,where he presented more than 30 classes and special lectures on physics as it applies to animation. The course covers essential topics from physical mechanics to basic bio-mechanics that apply specifically to character animation.
For anyone who has to provide or receive creative feedback (whether you are a student, professor, artist, or industry professional) Evan Hirsch’s course (Delivering Creative Feedback: A Workshop on Critique) addresses how delivering useful, honest, and effective feedback to creatives is one of the biggest daily challenges producers, supervisors, teachers, and more face. When critiques “feel” subjective, feedback loops can have negative effects on morale and production overall, regardless of the validity of the criticism offered. This was presented at the SIGGRAPH 2011 Business Think Tank and is invaluable information for anyone seeking to give or receive more effective feedback.
I am also really excited to attend a new course entitled The Invisible Art: The History of Matte Painting Through the Digital Age. Matte paintings, a mainstay in the filmmaker's repertoire, are used to create realistic illusions while working within strict budgets. This course focuses on matte painting in film, ranging from traditional matte paintings to modern techniques including 3D projections and software-generated matte backgrounds. The organizer Craig Barron has worked on many notable shots in feature films, and is the recipient of Academy and BAFTA Awards for achievement in visual effects for the work his company Matte World Digital did on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
I am also excited to see what some of our new courses have in store for us including Computational Plenoptic Imaging, Computational Aesthetic Evaluation: Steps Toward Machine Creativity, and State-of-the-Art Stereoscopic Visual Effects: Stereoscopy and Conversion are “More than Meets the Eye”.
In general, what are you looking forward to at SIGGRAPH 2012?
You mean apart from the great courses? So many wonderful programs - including Real-Time Live!, Studio, Posters, Talks, SIGGRAPH Mobile, and the Computer Animation Festival. Of course I always look forward to reconnecting with friends over pancakes in the pantry (The Original Pantry Café in downtown L.A.) – good thing that place is open 24 hours!
What is the best advice you can give someone interested in submitting a course for consideration in 2013?
The absolute best advice would be to communicate with your SIGGRAPH 2013 Courses Chair, Paul Strauss. While every course proposal goes through the rigorous jury process, the Courses Chair may have a specific vision and hope to actively encourage submissions in a certain area. A conversation with Paul would help determine if your idea is in that domain.
My other advice is to carefully read the submission requirements – there are several key pieces of information you will need to provide, and accidentally leaving something out of your proposal can count against you in the review process. Looking at successful proposals can help too. Think about who your audience is, what you want to teach them, and who are the best people in the world that can help you to deliver your great course. Don't be afraid to reach out to them and tell them you would love to include them in the course you are proposing!
Oh another good piece of advice - go to courses, and if you can't attend SIGGRAPH you can still become an ACM SIGGRAPH member and gain access to recordings of courses from previous years in SIGGRAPH Encore.
On a personal level, what projects are you currently working on and what makes them interesting to you?
This spring I was lucky that my department (Visualization at Texas A&M) enabled me spend a semester at Yale University in New Haven, Conn. While there I worked with the graphics group and in particular Su Xue, Holly Rushmeier, and Julie Dorsey on a new project that looks at the perception of memory colors. Memory colors refer to those colors recalled in association with familiar objects, like sky, grass, and skin. It turns out that we all have an internal representation of these so-called memory colors that are not necessarily the same as the actual color.
For example, we think of the sky as being bluer than it really is. We are looking at ways to apply this perceptual knowledge in the realm of computer graphic and image processing. This is really early work and the beginning of what I hope will be a long and fruitful collaboration. I am excited to see where it goes—we are giving a SIGGRAPH 2012 Talk about it [Crowd Sourcing Memory Colors For Image
Enhancement]!
While on the subject of color, I should mention we have three really cool courses on color this year:
1. Cinematic Color: From Your Monitor to the Big Screen
2. Color Transfer
3. Applying Color Theory to Digital Media and Visualization
What does SIGGRAPH mean to you on a personal and a professional level?
Being an assistant professor it is often difficult to separate professional and personal “levels.” On a professional level SIGGRAPH means an opportunity to stay current with the most recent research trends in both academic and industry. On a personal level, while the people I work with at SIGGRAPH are like a second family to me - I am also amazed at how many new people I meet each year and how easily lasting friendships can be born at such a big conference.
06 July 2011
SIGGRAPH Gaming Content Revealed: Part Two
Following is the second entry of a three-part series focusing on gaming content that will be featured at SIGGRAPH 2011. This is a conversation between Jason RM Smith (pictured at the right) and ACM SIGGRAPH Chapter Reporter Mariebeth Aquino. After successfully leading the SIGGRAPH 2010 Real-Time Live! program, Jason RM Smith continues his legacy as Chair and Director for 2011 and 2012. In his life outside SIGGRAPH, he is Digital Production Supervisor at LucasArts San Francisco.
Background details: This year's content features a substantial amount of game development content: game papers, courses, talks (technical, studio, and exhibitor talks), workshops on game development, and technical papers. In addition, game content can be found in the Computer Animation Festival where Real-Time Live! showcases the latest trends and techniques in games. And for those wanting a hands-on experience, the Sandbox provides the ideal environment to test drive the latest in interactive entertainment.
A Conversation with Jason RM Smith, SIGGRAPH 2011 & 2012 Real-Time Live! Director and Chair
What are your responsibilities as Director and Chair of Real-Time Live!?
It’s actually a combination of things which makes the role so interesting.
Firstly, I’m accountable for ensuring Real-Time Live! and the Sandbox are each a success in their own right at SIGGRAPH 2011. Fortunately I get to work alongside a bunch of super smart people who know how to organize an amazing conference, which makes my job much easier.
Secondly, I get to move the two events further forward in terms of placement and understanding as part of SIGGRAPH; they are still both relatively new compared to many other areas of the show so a goal for 2011 was to ground them in their own right, building on the great work established by Evan Hirsch in previous years.
The last major goal was to look to broaden the content (and hopefully the interest) in RTL! Computer Graphics has such a great community it was relatively easy to establish a subcommittee who provided outreach across a wide range of industries and groups that are pushing the boundaries of real-time graphics.
The sub-committee was almost too successful – we ended up with so many strong submissions that deserve to be on stage it was a real challenge to keep the show within its allocated time-slot.
What is the Sandbox? What was the vision behind it and what role does it play at SIGGRAPH?
The vision behind the Sandbox is very straightforward. Real-Time Live! is all about the live presentations from the artists and engineers responsible for the work, and the Sandbox was setup to allow SIGGRAPH attendees to try these projects hands-on, for themselves. (I’m also using it to squeeze in additional content just because there were so many great submissions; be sure to check out the handful of projects in the Sandbox you won’t find anywhere else at the show).
It’s also a really nice change of pace; after a few hours of lectures it’s fun to exercise the physical reflexes a little. Whether you want to race cars or interact with virtual Jellyfish, the Sandbox has something for everyone.
With the rapid evolution and advancements in technologies such as real time rendering, are games using top-notch technologies as impressive to gamers as they are to game developers? Are users more aware or appreciative of what goes on behind the scenes to create their games of choice?
You know, I’m constantly amazed by the number of gamers and communities who are extremely real-time tech savvy just through their interest in the medium. They represent a minority group of players but their depth of knowledge is just incredible.
Looking at the gaming audience in general, I think it’s much more a question of how the technology contributes. If developers’ use breakthroughs to drive a more holistic, compelling experience overall, there is no doubt the work involved is appreciated, even where the exact areas of improvement aren’t obvious to most people playing the game. Ideally, we want to focus 100 percent of the player’s attention to the situation we’re presenting on screen. In many ways, if the technology behind the scenes is obvious or demands attention as an element, then we have failed at delivering the most immersive experience possible.
In-game cinematics temporarily take gamers out of the active play role and place them in a more passive role. With large game development studios placing high importance on the quality of these cinematics, do you foresee a shift towards maintaining player involvement by making these segments more seemingly active?
Yes; there’s no doubt that developers are becoming more comfortable delivering meaningful action and narrative to garner an emotional response from the player using real-time sequences. As this becomes standard, our understanding of cinematics will be challenged as the boundaries between interactive and non-interactive disappear.
As an industry, we’re just beginning to understand how to balance multiple levels of interactivity to deliver a rewarding experience that sits comfortably between storytelling and retaining an immersive experience. The trend has started; it’s interesting to see where it will lead over the next couple of years.
Which is the stronger driving force:
- Video game hardware technology or video game software technology?
- The artist's craft to create video game content or the programmer's knowledge of the latest render technology?
None of them; or all of them. It’s a trap!
What makes a creative industry successful can be broken down or split up into many component pieces, but ultimately the one thing that drives all of those areas is innovation. It’s not always about doing something new, using the same pieces in a new way can be just as progressive, but it’s the underlying creativity that makes the difference, whether affecting one or all of the areas above.
05 July 2011
SIGGRAPH 2011 Gaming Content Revealed
Following is the first entry of a three-part series focusing on gaming content that will be featured at SIGGRAPH 2011. This first entry is a conversation between Drew Davidson (pictured at the right) and ACM SIGGRAPH Chapter Reporter Mariebeth Aquino. Drew Davidson is a professor, producer and player of interactive media. His background spans academic, industry, and professional worlds: he is the Director of the Entertainment Technology Center – Pittsburgh at Carnegie Mellon University and the Editor of ETC Press.Background details: This year's content features a substantial amount of game development content: game papers, courses, talks (technical, studio, and exhibitor talks), workshops on game development, and technical papers. In addition, game content can be found in the Computer Animation Festival where Real-Time Live! showcases the latest trends and techniques in games. And for those wanting a hands-on experience, the Sandbox provides the ideal environment to test drive the latest in interactive entertainment.
A Conversation with Drew Davidson, SIGGRAPH 2011 Games Chair
What are your responsibilities as Games Chair?
To oversee and coordinate game-related content at SIGGRAPH, working with Naty Hoffman (Game Development Community Director), Jason RM Smith (Real Time Live! chair), and T.L. Taylor (Games Papers chair).
In terms of Games Papers, how many submissions were received? Was there an increase in the number of submissions? Did you notice any trends in the content received?
We had around 100 submissions this year, which is right around what we were expecting. Since we've had Game Papers for several years now, we have had between 80-100 submissions each year. As for trends, there seems to be more attention being paid to indie games and user-generated content.
How has the growth of the video games industry affected the amount of game content at SIGGRAPH? Has it affected this year's game content lineup? And do you foresee this trend expanding game content inclusion in future SIGGRAPHs?
That it's there at all attests to the growth of the industry, and Naty Hoffman has done some great work this year getting involvement and participation from the industry in this year's SIGGRAPH. As for expansion, that's tough to tell, it's been successful and it's going to be more of a PR issue as SIGGRAPH works to get the word out to attendees about the amount of good content related to games.
Since games have a little bit of everything, where does game development fit in SIGGRAPH?
Games fit into SIGGRAPH both in terms of graphics (with real-time rendering and such) and also in terms of interactive techniques (issues around design and player engagement) so there's some good fit with SIGGRAPH.
SIGGRAPH 2011 is in Vancouver, a location that has long been associated with game development. Any thoughts on what has made this location a hub for gaming?
Well, it's a great city all around, so it's an appealing place to work, and there has been a lot of local support to do business here. And with the local universities, there is a lot of potential talent. All of this has helped make it a great hub for game development.
Has the conference's location this year impacted the gaming content being included, interest level in content, or amount of submissions/participation by the local community?
It definitely has. Sylvain Provencher and Glenn Entis have been great in helping with some outreach, and again, Naty has done a great job coordinating with industry as well.
What advice do you have for someone interested in submitting content?
It is such a large event, it is really important to go over all the information on the website - it's all there, it just may not be apparent on first pass. And don't be shy about asking questions - you'll get an answer quickly which can help you submit in the right area and complete your submission successfully.
SIGGRAPH is known for debuting the types of technologies that allow for more intricate gaming experiences, such as the advanced motion capture technology in games like L.A. Noire. What do you think is the next big technology that will be featured in mainstream games?
Mobile gaming is really hitting it's stride. We're going to start seeing more integrated experiences that let you take your gameplay with you across platforms. Plus with services like Gaikai, we're going to see games start streaming (like movies and shows through Netflix and Hulu).
On a personal level, what was the last great video game you played and what did you appreciate most about it? What is your favorite video game of all time and why?
Recently, I've been playing a lot of Minecraft. It really is an amazing experience. It's the epitome of a "Sandbox" game, where you can pretty much do whatever you want...but then's there's the night time, for which you better be prepared.
As for all time, that's a complex question, because I enjoy different games at different times and for different reasons. With that caveat in mind, I'm going to mention two of my tops. "ICO" (on the PS2), is a wonderful adventure game that has an enchanting atmosphere and elliptical experience that I enjoy while I play it and that sticks with me afterwards. Second, would be "Words with Friends" (on the iPhone). I regularly play it with my wife as we both enjoy word games. It does such a nice job of taking advantage of the platform to make it easy to continuously play asynchronous games and keep in touch throughout the day.
30 June 2011
Computer Animation Festival Preview Video is Live
For a preview video of the incredibly packed 2011 SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival use the following link and be prepared to get blown away. It is going to be a great show!
To request interviews with the key folks behind this year's Festival, contact media@siggraph.org.
To request interviews with the key folks behind this year's Festival, contact media@siggraph.org.
08 June 2011
SIGGRAPH 2011 Preview Videos Posted
SIGGRAPH Preview Videos are now available for the content in the Art Gallery, Technical Papers, and Emerging Technologies.
Videos previewing Vancouver as well as its Gaming, VFX & Special Effects, Education & Technology Communities are also available on this page.
These videos are all found here. Check back to this Blog in the next few days for the Computer Animation Festival preview.
Videos previewing Vancouver as well as its Gaming, VFX & Special Effects, Education & Technology Communities are also available on this page.
These videos are all found here. Check back to this Blog in the next few days for the Computer Animation Festival preview.
06 June 2011
Interview with the SIGGRAPH 2011 Courses Chair
Following below is a brief conversation with Ann McNamara, SIGGRAPH 2011 Courses Chair and assistant professor in the Department of Visualization at Texas A&M University.
Her research is in computer graphics and she is currently particularly focused on the application of visual perception to accelerate and improve computer graphics and visualization.
SIGGRAPH Courses are short (1.5 hours) or half-day (3.25 hours) structured sessions that often include elements of interactive demonstration, performance, or other imaginative approaches to teaching. Attendees hear directly from industry experts and gain knowledge critical to career advancement and job satisfaction.
What are some of the advantages for attending Courses for both SIGGRAPH newbies and veterans?
Courses are all about learning from the experts and gaining inside knowledge - knowledge that is applicable for everyone. The committee is also careful to include a broad spectrum of courses ranging from introductory courses for those new to the field, to advanced instruction on the most current techniques.
How many submissions did we receive this year?
We had a bumper year for submissions with 54 submissions in total! Not only were there lots of submissions, but also the quality of the submissions was extremely high. This made selection very difficult, but it's a good complaint - the quality of courses this year is outstanding!
Is there international participation in this year's content?
Yes, we have course presenters from all over the globe including the United States, Canada, Spain, Japan, Austria, the UK, and many more.
Did you see any trends in this year's content?
Lots of rendering!
In serving as this year's Courses chair, what was your vision and did the content urn out as you had hoped?
The original vision for Courses in SIGGRAPH 2011 was as always to select the highest quality content for our attendees to experience. Overall I am extremely happy with the content; things really did turn out as well as, if not better than I had hoped. Of course I was just part of a larger team that helped to bring this all together in addition to the entire S2011 committee - I was lucky to have lots of help from the wonderful jurors on the general jury, Pete Braccio (Conference Chair), Mark Elendt (General Submissions Chair), Dan Wexler (Late Breaking Chair) and Naty Hoffman (Game Development Community Director).
Also, what turned out well is that we have some new courses on topics that haven't traditionally been part of the Courses repertoire. For example Advances in New Interfaces for Musical Expression will look at case studies from NIME, and Compiler Techniques for Rendering
will focus on cutting-edge projects that apply compiler technology to improve the performance and functionality of renderers and shading systems. These are just two of the many courses this year that have exceptionally well-qualified presenters that will provide the top-notch instruction for attendees.
In a two-part course, would it still be beneficial to attend the second part of the course if you aren't able to attend the first?
Absolutely! We have three stellar two- part courses this year on Production Volume Rendering, Advances in Real Time Rendering in Games, and Beyond Programmable Shading. While they might be more worthwhile as a complete set, I wouldn't hesitate to attend just one part if that was all my schedule would allow.
Which courses are you anticipating being the most popular?
Wow! That is a tough question because we have so many great courses - personally I am excited to see all of them! But in the popularity stakes I can try to predict a few - the two-part courses that I just referenced will be very popular I am sure! Here are a few more:
There is an amazing collection of people involved in Filtering Approaches for Real-Time Anti-Aliasing.
Bruce Block author of "The Visual Story" will give a course on Cinematography that should strike a cord with everyone.
Storytelling with Color will be very popular. Course organizers Kathy Altieri and Dave Walvoord both experts from Dreamworks have done extensive work on recent Dreamworks blockbusters (HTTYD and KFP2) and are amazing presenters!
What is your advice to someone interested in submitting a course for a future SIGGRAPH
Think about your own expertise and the knowledge you have to share and reach out to other experts with similar experience and knowledge so you can build a strong team of presenters. Also, attend as many courses as possible. There are different presentation styles and delivery methods; some courses are hand-on and interactive - think about how you could encourage knowledge transfer through your own course! Also don't get discouraged, the quality of submissions is very high, and the jury will provide valuable feedback so if you are not successful the first time around you can always resubmit that next year.
You seem to have a pretty busy schedule between teaching, publishing, and research. What are some of your current favorite projects?
At the moment I have some interesting projects in the pipeline so calling favorites is another tough question. We are doing some exciting work (with my collaborators Drs. Reynold Bailey at RIT and Cindy Grimm at WASH-U) on a new technique we developed called Subtle Gaze Direction, where we try to guide a viewers gaze around a scene (without them being aware of this fact and without disrupting the image) - we have published two papers so far on this work - we presented our TOG [Transactions on Graphics] paper on this at SIGGRAPH 2010, which was very cool.
While I thoroughly enjoy all my projects, I find Subtle Gaze Direction particularly fascinating because there are so many applications and avenues for future research … we truly have only begun to explore the possibilities.
26 May 2011
SIGGRAPH Technical Paper Getting Media Attention
SIGGRAPH Conferences have long been the home to advancements in computer graphics and interactive techniques. SIGGRAPH 2011 - set in wonderful Vancouver - appears to be no different.
Check out the media buzz this one Technical Paper "Depixelizing Pixel Art" is already creating:
Check out the media buzz this one Technical Paper "Depixelizing Pixel Art" is already creating:
21 April 2011
SIGGRAPH 2011 Media Registration Now Open
SIGGRAPH is the best place in the world to experience the explosive evolution of computer graphics and interactive techniques. SIGGRAPH 2011 invites you to “Make it Home” with the best and brightest minds in computer graphics for the 38th International Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, 7 - 11 August 2011 in Vancouver.
Online media registration LINK is now open. In order to receive the latest breaking news from leading SIGGRAPH 2011 exhibitors, register by 8 July. Online registration will close 5 August.
Please note: Even if you have qualified for a SIGGRAPH media badge in the past, you must re-qualify for SIGGRAPH 2011. For assistance with your pre-show coverage, contact: media@siggraph.org.
SIGGRAPH 2011 Media Highlights include:
• Vancouver – The vibrant mix of urban and natural environment combined with its contagiously creative energy makes Vancouver the ideal host for SIGGRAPH 2011. With over one-third of it’s population active in SIGGRAPH’s major communities: artists, academics, film production, gaming, VFX, research, and more, this inspirational city welcomes the exploration and innovation this year’s conference brings.
• Technical Papers: The SIGGRAPH Technical Papers program is the premier international forum for disseminating new scholarly work in computer graphics and interactive techniques. SIGGRAPH 2011 Technical Papers will provide a look into some of the latest achievements in facial animation, procedural modeling, and rendering.
• Computer Animation Festival: The leading annual festival for the world's most innovative, accomplished, and amazing digital film and video creators. The Computer Animation Festival is recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a qualifying festival. Since 1999, several works originally presented in the Computer Animation Festival have been nominated for or have received a "Best Animated Short" Academy Award.
• Courses: SIGGRAPH 2011 courses provide attendees inside knowledge that is critical to career advancement presented by experts in the field. The spectrum of Courses ranges from an introduction to the foundations of computer graphics and interactive techniques for those new to the field to advanced instruction on the most current techniques and topics.
• Keeping you informed: Stay up to date on everything SIGGRAPH 2011 with our monthly conference newsletter SIGGRAPHitti, Facebook, and Twitter.
For complete details on all of the dynamic content available at SIGGRAPH 2011, or to register as media for the event, visit the For Media of the SIGGRAPH 2011 Web site.
Online media registration LINK is now open. In order to receive the latest breaking news from leading SIGGRAPH 2011 exhibitors, register by 8 July. Online registration will close 5 August.
Please note: Even if you have qualified for a SIGGRAPH media badge in the past, you must re-qualify for SIGGRAPH 2011. For assistance with your pre-show coverage, contact: media@siggraph.org.
SIGGRAPH 2011 Media Highlights include:
• Vancouver – The vibrant mix of urban and natural environment combined with its contagiously creative energy makes Vancouver the ideal host for SIGGRAPH 2011. With over one-third of it’s population active in SIGGRAPH’s major communities: artists, academics, film production, gaming, VFX, research, and more, this inspirational city welcomes the exploration and innovation this year’s conference brings.
• Technical Papers: The SIGGRAPH Technical Papers program is the premier international forum for disseminating new scholarly work in computer graphics and interactive techniques. SIGGRAPH 2011 Technical Papers will provide a look into some of the latest achievements in facial animation, procedural modeling, and rendering.
• Computer Animation Festival: The leading annual festival for the world's most innovative, accomplished, and amazing digital film and video creators. The Computer Animation Festival is recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a qualifying festival. Since 1999, several works originally presented in the Computer Animation Festival have been nominated for or have received a "Best Animated Short" Academy Award.
• Courses: SIGGRAPH 2011 courses provide attendees inside knowledge that is critical to career advancement presented by experts in the field. The spectrum of Courses ranges from an introduction to the foundations of computer graphics and interactive techniques for those new to the field to advanced instruction on the most current techniques and topics.
• Keeping you informed: Stay up to date on everything SIGGRAPH 2011 with our monthly conference newsletter SIGGRAPHitti, Facebook, and Twitter.
For complete details on all of the dynamic content available at SIGGRAPH 2011, or to register as media for the event, visit the For Media of the SIGGRAPH 2011 Web site.
22 March 2011
SIGGRAPH 2011 Exhibition Sales on Track to Meet or Exceed 2010 Results
SIGGRAPH has traditionally provided the year's largest, most comprehensive exhibition of products and services for the computer graphics and interactive techniques marketplace. If current sales trends continue, SIGGRAPH 2011 will be no different.
SIGGRAPH 2011, 7-11 August, at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, Canada, is on pace or in some instances exceeding the exhibition sales data at this point last year for SIGGRAPH 2010 in Los Angeles. For instance, the current number of exhibitors participating and amount of booth space sold is higher this year than at this same point in time last year.
"Since this is the first time SIGGRAPH is being held in Canada, we are encouraged by the positive response of our exhibitors from North America and around the world," said Peter Braccio, SIGGRAPH 2011 Conference Chair from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. "We are very encouraged by this vote of confidence from the exhibitor community. This year's submissions are even more encouraging. The volume and quality of papers, talks, courses, artwork, films, and interactive demos submitted so far confirm that this will be one of the most memorable SIGGRAPH conferences in years."
View more information on submitting work to be featured at SIGGRAPH 2011.
View more information on becoming a SIGGRAPH 2011 exhibitor.
View a detailed list of all SIGGRAPH 2011 Exhibitors.
SIGGRAPH 2011, 7-11 August, at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, Canada, is on pace or in some instances exceeding the exhibition sales data at this point last year for SIGGRAPH 2010 in Los Angeles. For instance, the current number of exhibitors participating and amount of booth space sold is higher this year than at this same point in time last year.
"Since this is the first time SIGGRAPH is being held in Canada, we are encouraged by the positive response of our exhibitors from North America and around the world," said Peter Braccio, SIGGRAPH 2011 Conference Chair from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. "We are very encouraged by this vote of confidence from the exhibitor community. This year's submissions are even more encouraging. The volume and quality of papers, talks, courses, artwork, films, and interactive demos submitted so far confirm that this will be one of the most memorable SIGGRAPH conferences in years."
View more information on submitting work to be featured at SIGGRAPH 2011.
View more information on becoming a SIGGRAPH 2011 exhibitor.
View a detailed list of all SIGGRAPH 2011 Exhibitors.
07 March 2011
SIGGRAPH 2011 Selects Cory Doctorow as Keynote Speaker
SIGGRAPH announces the selection of Cory Doctorow, science fiction novelist, blogger, and technology activist, to give one of its keynote presentations at SIGGRAPH 2011, the 38th International Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, 7-11 August 2011 at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, Canada.
Doctorow is a contributor to The Guardian, The New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and Wired, as well as co-editor of the popular blog Boing Boing. He was formerly director of European affairs for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a non-profit civil liberties group that defends freedom in technology law, policy, standards, and treaties. He is a visiting senior lecturer at Open University (U.K.) and previously served as the Fulbright chair at the Annenberg Center for Public Diplomacy at the University of Southern California.
“As an author, scholar, future-thinker, and creator, Cory Doctorow brings a lot to the table that should be of immense interest to the SIGGRAPH audience,” said Peter Braccio, SIGGRAPH 2011 Conference Chair from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. “His dynamic vision and creativity are certain to be interspersed throughout his presentation and will be a conference highlight for everyone.”
In 2008, Doctorow’s novel, Little Brother, was a New York Times best seller. Tachyon Books published a collection of his essays called Content: Selected Essays in Technology, Creativity, Copyright, and the Future of the Future and IDW published a collection of comic books inspired by his short fiction called Cory Doctorow’s Futuristic Tales of the Here and Now. Doctorow’s latest works include an adult novel, Maker, published by Tor Books/HarperCollins U.K.; For the Win, a young adult book about video games, labor politics, and economics; and a short story collection entitled Overclocked: Stories of the Future Present.
Doctorow has won the Locus and Sunburst Awards, and been nominated for the Hugo, Nebula, and British Science Fiction Awards. He co-founded the open source peer-to-peer software company OpenCola, sold to OpenText, Inc. in 2003. He serves on the boards of the Participatory Culture Foundation, the MetaBrainz Foundation, Technorati, Inc., the Organization for Transformative Works, Areae, the Annenberg Center for the Study of Online Communities, and Onion Networks, Inc.
SIGGRAPH keynote speakers represent a variety of prominent industry luminaries and technology experts who explore various aspects of computer graphics and interactive techniques.
Image Caption: Cory Doctorow, science fiction novelist, blogger, and technology activist.
Photo by Paula Mariel Salischiker, pausal.co.uk, CC-BY.
27 February 2011
SIGGRAPH 2011 Seeks Real-Time Live! Content
SIGGRAPH 2011 seeks cutting-edge Real-Time Live! content to be presented at this year’s prestigious Computer Animation Festival. Examples of accepted real-time simulations and graphics submissions include:
• Military or industrial simulations
• Interactive animation and graphics
• Research projects
• Computer games
• Real-time art explorations
• Scientific visualizations: medical, astrophysics, astronomy
• Interactive data visualization and information graphics
All content that is interactively controlled and rendered in real-time will be considered. Submissions must be able to be demonstrated in front of a live audience.
“Since its debut in 2009, Real-Time Live! has featured some of the most innovative and cutting-edge work presented at SIGGRAPH’s Computer Animation Festival,” said Jason Smith, SIGGRAPH 2011 Real-Time Live! Chair. “Each year the quality and diversity in real-time submissions showcases the best work going on in the industry. This year’s program will continue this trend of dynamic innovation.”
The Real-Time Live! submission deadline is 15 April 2011. All real-time work will be reviewed by a professional jury of industry experts from traditional computer graphics, video games, and research organizations. Entries will be judged on creativity, innovation, performance, and most importantly, the ability to render in real time in front of a live audience as part of the Computer Animation Festival. The top selections will be played and demonstrated live on their respective platform (PC, PS2, PS3, X box 360, or Nintendo Wii).
View detailed information on how to submit for Real-Time Live! content.
Highlights from SIGGRAPH 2010 Live Real-Time Demos
• Military or industrial simulations
• Interactive animation and graphics
• Research projects
• Computer games
• Real-time art explorations
• Scientific visualizations: medical, astrophysics, astronomy
• Interactive data visualization and information graphics
All content that is interactively controlled and rendered in real-time will be considered. Submissions must be able to be demonstrated in front of a live audience.
“Since its debut in 2009, Real-Time Live! has featured some of the most innovative and cutting-edge work presented at SIGGRAPH’s Computer Animation Festival,” said Jason Smith, SIGGRAPH 2011 Real-Time Live! Chair. “Each year the quality and diversity in real-time submissions showcases the best work going on in the industry. This year’s program will continue this trend of dynamic innovation.”
The Real-Time Live! submission deadline is 15 April 2011. All real-time work will be reviewed by a professional jury of industry experts from traditional computer graphics, video games, and research organizations. Entries will be judged on creativity, innovation, performance, and most importantly, the ability to render in real time in front of a live audience as part of the Computer Animation Festival. The top selections will be played and demonstrated live on their respective platform (PC, PS2, PS3, X box 360, or Nintendo Wii).
View detailed information on how to submit for Real-Time Live! content.
Highlights from SIGGRAPH 2010 Live Real-Time Demos
24 February 2011
Conference Chair Previews SIGGRAPH 2011 in Vancouver
The SIGGRAPH 2011 Marketing and Media team has created this blog to provide SIGGRAPH media with a central point for the latest information and announcements regarding the upcoming conference in Vancouver, Canada. Return to this blog for updates and important announcements.
Following below is a brief conversation with Peter Braccio (pictured below), SIGGRAPH 2011 Conference Chair from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute , on what to expect this year.
SIGGRAPH travels outside the United States for the first
time in its history – what brought about this exciting change?
Vancouver was an obvious choice as a host city for SIGGRAPH as it has large and vibrant groups in all of our major SIGGRAPH communities: artists, academics, film production, gaming, VFX, research, and more. Plus, it is both an international and an inspirational city. As for being outside of the United States for the first time, this is merely an extension of the fact that SIGGRAPH is an international event.
That being said, I can’t think of a better city for SIGGRAPH’s initial foray outside of the United States’ border than Vancouver. And it offers relatively easy access for all the industry situated on the West Coast. Besides the concentration of our various communities here, we also have one of SIGGRAPH’s most active Professional Chapters based in Vancouver. So, in a real sense, we are actually coming home. It’s just to a place that we’ve never been before.
If someone has never visited Vancouver before what should they expect?
The first thing you’ll notice is that the area is just drop-dead beautiful. The way the mountains jut out of the bay reminds me a bit of the fjords of Norway. The second thing that you’ll learn quickly is that the Vancouver residents are just down-right friendly and helpful. This has made the long hours of conference planning a joy. And there’s something for everyone here outside of the conference – whether that be family activities, nightlife, outdoor activities, shopping, or dining. It is a major international city and should make this year’s conference extremely memorable.
How do you expect it to impact attendance or content?
That’s the $64,000 question, isn’t it? At least as far as attendance numbers it is. We believe that the attendance figures are going to be comparable to what they were at SIGGRAPH 2010. While we may have a few less United States attendees, we are likely to pick up more attendees from Asia and Europe due to the Canadian location. More importantly our focus isn’t on the number of bodies, but the quality experience we provide everyone who attends.
As for content, we’re seeing no decrease in submissions. In fact, our General Submissions deadline just passed and we saw a 47% increase in completed submissions over last year’s numbers. We saw significant increases in Technical Papers, Games Papers, Art, and Art Papers submissions as well. While numbers don’t directly correlate to quality, we feel very comfortable in saying that SIGGRAPH 2011 will be at least as good as past conferences in that regard.
What is the vision behind this year’s theme: “Make it Home”
The theme revolving around “Home” came out of a brainstorming meeting in 2010. A small group of us were discussing what the conference means in our lives and how we should use this as a way to reach out to our attendee groups. The fact that the word “groups” is plural is key to this discussion. SIGGRAPH does not have a homogeneous attendee base like most other conferences. This leads to conflicting interests at times. However, it always provides great opportunities because you have access to many points of view given the diverse audience.
The second step on the road to this theme concerned this being the first SIGGRAPH Conference outside of the United States. We talked about how we were going to have to educate our attendee and exhibitor base that it might not be more expensive to do X or harder to do Y, but that there just may be different roads that we would have to follow in order to accomplish what we did in the past. We also discussed that on a daily basis the world is getting smaller. We deal with, and affect, people around the globe constantly. The fact that the conference is not going to be in the United States could be inspirational and show the strength of our organization and its members.
At this point in the process, a planning group member stated that all of these discussions were reminding her of a postcard that she has tacked up in her house. It is a picture of the Earth taken from Apollo 17 (the famous Blue Marble photo). Directly under the photo was one word: Home. This idea resonated with the people in the room. It didn’t matter WHERE the conference was. It only mattered WHO made up the conference. We would be home no matter where we were.
Previously you served as the Guerrilla Studio chair (which is a daunting task in itself), what motivated you to take on the role of overall conference chair?
I’m still trying to answer this question to myself. Basically I felt that I owed it to the conference. I’ve learned a lot from my attendance at the SIGGRAPH conferences and have met some of my best friends here. In my household, the joy of attending the conference is not limited to me. My wife, Rachel, has been helping out in The Studio since the first time I ran that venue in 2000. In 2003, my children, Jacob and Sierra, began to come to the conference with us. So, in a very real sense, The Braccios have made SIGGRAPH "home" for a long time.
How is the SIGGRAPH conference trying to remain relevant?
This is a hard question because it deals with perception. As I’ve already pointed out, SIGGRAPH is made up of many different communities. What is relevant to one is maybe somewhat or totally irrelevant to another.
That said, I believe that we are making strides in addressing the needs of several communities that may have not felt as embraced at SIGGRAPH in recent years. For the people in the trenches in the Production Communities, we instituted the Dailies! Program in 2010. This is a program that applauds the craft of using the tools we have rather than the innovation of the tools themselves.
Another group that we are engaging is the people whose business is computer graphics. In 2011, we are launching The SIGGRAPH Symposium, the business think tank. This will be a day-long discussion concerning many of the thorniest issues facing a group actually trying to make money with computer graphics. Check back to conference website for details about this exciting new program.
What are some of the things that you are most excited about for the 2011 conference?
I think that the The SIGGRAPH Symposium is going to be a big deal that is going to spark conversations that take place well after the conference is over. This day-long event has the potential to change how a lot of people are doing business. And it will be an opportunity for executives and professionals from different backgrounds to network and engage each other in way that has never been experienced at SIGGRAPH. Plus, our exhibitors are responding to the venue change in a very positive fashion – as of today we are currently outpacing booth space sold, quantity of exhibitors, and international exhibitors from what we achieved in Los Angeles at this time last year.
What changes (if any) should attendees expect this year?
Besides The SIGGRAPH Symposium, the biggest change that long-time attendees will see is that we are planning on moving the Reception to Monday night. It will start a bit later in the evening as well and will be a dessert reception. There are a couple of pluses to doing it like this for 2011. The first is that, since the reception will be in the convention center where people will be able to interact with the Art Gallery, Emerging Technologies, and The Studio during the reception. (These venues will open for reception attendees.) The second plus is also logistical. The Reception will start shortly after the Monday night Electronic Theater lets out. Since the reception is one escalator ride away from the Electronic Theater, there should be no time conflicts this year.
Attendees should also expect to be fully engaged by the beauty of this city. You will be inspired by the content in the conference as well as by the amazing natural beauty you encounter literally just outside the convention center.
Following below is a brief conversation with Peter Braccio (pictured below), SIGGRAPH 2011 Conference Chair from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute , on what to expect this year.
SIGGRAPH travels outside the United States for the first
time in its history – what brought about this exciting change?Vancouver was an obvious choice as a host city for SIGGRAPH as it has large and vibrant groups in all of our major SIGGRAPH communities: artists, academics, film production, gaming, VFX, research, and more. Plus, it is both an international and an inspirational city. As for being outside of the United States for the first time, this is merely an extension of the fact that SIGGRAPH is an international event.
That being said, I can’t think of a better city for SIGGRAPH’s initial foray outside of the United States’ border than Vancouver. And it offers relatively easy access for all the industry situated on the West Coast. Besides the concentration of our various communities here, we also have one of SIGGRAPH’s most active Professional Chapters based in Vancouver. So, in a real sense, we are actually coming home. It’s just to a place that we’ve never been before.
If someone has never visited Vancouver before what should they expect?
The first thing you’ll notice is that the area is just drop-dead beautiful. The way the mountains jut out of the bay reminds me a bit of the fjords of Norway. The second thing that you’ll learn quickly is that the Vancouver residents are just down-right friendly and helpful. This has made the long hours of conference planning a joy. And there’s something for everyone here outside of the conference – whether that be family activities, nightlife, outdoor activities, shopping, or dining. It is a major international city and should make this year’s conference extremely memorable.
How do you expect it to impact attendance or content?
That’s the $64,000 question, isn’t it? At least as far as attendance numbers it is. We believe that the attendance figures are going to be comparable to what they were at SIGGRAPH 2010. While we may have a few less United States attendees, we are likely to pick up more attendees from Asia and Europe due to the Canadian location. More importantly our focus isn’t on the number of bodies, but the quality experience we provide everyone who attends.
As for content, we’re seeing no decrease in submissions. In fact, our General Submissions deadline just passed and we saw a 47% increase in completed submissions over last year’s numbers. We saw significant increases in Technical Papers, Games Papers, Art, and Art Papers submissions as well. While numbers don’t directly correlate to quality, we feel very comfortable in saying that SIGGRAPH 2011 will be at least as good as past conferences in that regard.
What is the vision behind this year’s theme: “Make it Home”
The theme revolving around “Home” came out of a brainstorming meeting in 2010. A small group of us were discussing what the conference means in our lives and how we should use this as a way to reach out to our attendee groups. The fact that the word “groups” is plural is key to this discussion. SIGGRAPH does not have a homogeneous attendee base like most other conferences. This leads to conflicting interests at times. However, it always provides great opportunities because you have access to many points of view given the diverse audience.
The second step on the road to this theme concerned this being the first SIGGRAPH Conference outside of the United States. We talked about how we were going to have to educate our attendee and exhibitor base that it might not be more expensive to do X or harder to do Y, but that there just may be different roads that we would have to follow in order to accomplish what we did in the past. We also discussed that on a daily basis the world is getting smaller. We deal with, and affect, people around the globe constantly. The fact that the conference is not going to be in the United States could be inspirational and show the strength of our organization and its members.
At this point in the process, a planning group member stated that all of these discussions were reminding her of a postcard that she has tacked up in her house. It is a picture of the Earth taken from Apollo 17 (the famous Blue Marble photo). Directly under the photo was one word: Home. This idea resonated with the people in the room. It didn’t matter WHERE the conference was. It only mattered WHO made up the conference. We would be home no matter where we were.
Previously you served as the Guerrilla Studio chair (which is a daunting task in itself), what motivated you to take on the role of overall conference chair?
I’m still trying to answer this question to myself. Basically I felt that I owed it to the conference. I’ve learned a lot from my attendance at the SIGGRAPH conferences and have met some of my best friends here. In my household, the joy of attending the conference is not limited to me. My wife, Rachel, has been helping out in The Studio since the first time I ran that venue in 2000. In 2003, my children, Jacob and Sierra, began to come to the conference with us. So, in a very real sense, The Braccios have made SIGGRAPH "home" for a long time.
How is the SIGGRAPH conference trying to remain relevant?
This is a hard question because it deals with perception. As I’ve already pointed out, SIGGRAPH is made up of many different communities. What is relevant to one is maybe somewhat or totally irrelevant to another.
That said, I believe that we are making strides in addressing the needs of several communities that may have not felt as embraced at SIGGRAPH in recent years. For the people in the trenches in the Production Communities, we instituted the Dailies! Program in 2010. This is a program that applauds the craft of using the tools we have rather than the innovation of the tools themselves.
Another group that we are engaging is the people whose business is computer graphics. In 2011, we are launching The SIGGRAPH Symposium, the business think tank. This will be a day-long discussion concerning many of the thorniest issues facing a group actually trying to make money with computer graphics. Check back to conference website for details about this exciting new program.
What are some of the things that you are most excited about for the 2011 conference?
I think that the The SIGGRAPH Symposium is going to be a big deal that is going to spark conversations that take place well after the conference is over. This day-long event has the potential to change how a lot of people are doing business. And it will be an opportunity for executives and professionals from different backgrounds to network and engage each other in way that has never been experienced at SIGGRAPH. Plus, our exhibitors are responding to the venue change in a very positive fashion – as of today we are currently outpacing booth space sold, quantity of exhibitors, and international exhibitors from what we achieved in Los Angeles at this time last year.
What changes (if any) should attendees expect this year?
Besides The SIGGRAPH Symposium, the biggest change that long-time attendees will see is that we are planning on moving the Reception to Monday night. It will start a bit later in the evening as well and will be a dessert reception. There are a couple of pluses to doing it like this for 2011. The first is that, since the reception will be in the convention center where people will be able to interact with the Art Gallery, Emerging Technologies, and The Studio during the reception. (These venues will open for reception attendees.) The second plus is also logistical. The Reception will start shortly after the Monday night Electronic Theater lets out. Since the reception is one escalator ride away from the Electronic Theater, there should be no time conflicts this year.
Attendees should also expect to be fully engaged by the beauty of this city. You will be inspired by the content in the conference as well as by the amazing natural beauty you encounter literally just outside the convention center.
15 July 2010
Jon Peddie Research Releases Analysis on Computer Graphics Industry
**The CG market will exceed $150 billion in 2013
**Industry has had 16.5% growth for past 28 years
The computer graphics industry has been a growth industry since it was established the late 1970s. Weathering the storms of the recession of 2009, the CG industry is back on track and showing new invigorated vitality and potential.
The computer graphics hardware market was worth $59 billion in 2009 and should exceed $63 billion in 2010.
In 2009 the CG software market was worth $11 billion (not counting services, maintenance and other aspects) and should grow to $11.6 billion in 2010 as the industry shakes off the remaining effects of the recession and starts replacing software tools.
As a result of the pull back due to the recession, more people will be buying computer graphics software programs and we will see the development of traditional segments like CAD/CAM expand as new design approaches in automotive, aerospace, and architecture are brought forth. Visualization, a market that has been almost dormant for the past few years is poised now for great expansion due to exciting and lower cost technologies.
Software for making movies, computer games, high-style products, and simulations of products and activities too expensive or too dangerous to test in reality is exploiting the features of today’s CG software. The result will be s amazing realism and real time capabilities in the next generation of films and designs.
The demand for programmers, artists, scientists, and designers has picked up again and firms are actively looking for people who can use and exploit these new programs and their associated hardware accelerators. The economic recession has caused a slow down but it’s going to look like a small bump in the road by 2013.
We are seeing new opportunities growing out of more mainstream applications for the web and consumer applications. The web is growing as a distribution medium for graphics content which in turn encourages people to pick up the tools, learn then, create content for pleasure, and even look for jobs in the field. What used to be a very closed society of experts is opening up.
Given these trends, we see the rate of growth continuing to grow.
Analysis provided to SIGGRAPH by Jon Peddie Research
**Industry has had 16.5% growth for past 28 years
The computer graphics industry has been a growth industry since it was established the late 1970s. Weathering the storms of the recession of 2009, the CG industry is back on track and showing new invigorated vitality and potential.
The computer graphics hardware market was worth $59 billion in 2009 and should exceed $63 billion in 2010.
In 2009 the CG software market was worth $11 billion (not counting services, maintenance and other aspects) and should grow to $11.6 billion in 2010 as the industry shakes off the remaining effects of the recession and starts replacing software tools.
As a result of the pull back due to the recession, more people will be buying computer graphics software programs and we will see the development of traditional segments like CAD/CAM expand as new design approaches in automotive, aerospace, and architecture are brought forth. Visualization, a market that has been almost dormant for the past few years is poised now for great expansion due to exciting and lower cost technologies.
Software for making movies, computer games, high-style products, and simulations of products and activities too expensive or too dangerous to test in reality is exploiting the features of today’s CG software. The result will be s amazing realism and real time capabilities in the next generation of films and designs.
The demand for programmers, artists, scientists, and designers has picked up again and firms are actively looking for people who can use and exploit these new programs and their associated hardware accelerators. The economic recession has caused a slow down but it’s going to look like a small bump in the road by 2013.
We are seeing new opportunities growing out of more mainstream applications for the web and consumer applications. The web is growing as a distribution medium for graphics content which in turn encourages people to pick up the tools, learn then, create content for pleasure, and even look for jobs in the field. What used to be a very closed society of experts is opening up.
Given these trends, we see the rate of growth continuing to grow.
Analysis provided to SIGGRAPH by Jon Peddie Research
29 June 2010
Computer Animation Festival Highlights: Beyond the Film Reels
(Chicago, IL) - The Computer Animation Festival at SIGGRAPH 2010 offers more than just a viewing experience. In addition to film screenings, the Festival includes interactive sessions and opportunities to learn industry secrets, behind-the-scenes stories, and advice from some of the most successful professionals in this field.
"Attendees will get a glimpse of the work that went into creating some of this year's most successful films, including 'Avatar', 'The Last Airbender', 'How to Train Your Dragon', 'Alice in Wonderland', and many more," said Isaac Kerlow, Computer Animation Festival Director from The Earth Observatory of Singapore/NTU ADM. "Nowhere else in the world will so many computer graphics and animation experts come together under one roof to discuss both success stories as well as failures. In essence, sharing information is how this industry continues to move forward by leaps and bounds year after year."
Listed below are just a few of the learning opportunities during the Computer Animation Festival:
Production Sessions
Production Sessions are high-level discussions that showcase how computer graphics and interactive techniques are actually designed and implemented. Attendees of all experience levels will benefit.
The Making of God of War III
Izzy, Concept Artist; Patrick Murphy, Lead Character Modeler; Bruno Velazquez, Lead Animator; Bryan Koszoru, Environment Artist; Paul Coda, Sr. Environment Artist; Jung Ho Park, Concept Artist, SCEA, Santa Monica
The makers of God of War III detail the creative process behind the game's groundbreaking visuals. The first part of the session follows the lead character, Kratos, from initial concept art through modeling to animation. Particular emphasis is given to issues specific to game animation, such as integration with player control and combat systems. The second part focuses on the game environments, exploring different approaches used to create game levels from initial concept art.
Making "Avatar"
Joe Letteri, Senior Visual Effects Supervisor; Stephen Rosenbaum, Visual Effects Supervisor; Richard Baneham, Animation Supervisor, Weta Digital
"Avatar" is the first predominately digitally created film, shot and directed as a live action film. Key to the director's vision was having photorealistic, believable digital characters and environments fit seamlessly with live action. To accomplish this, Weta Digital, led by Joe Letteri, developed innovations that enabled the director and actors work as if they were in a conventional live-action movie, even when filming sequences that were entirely computer-generated.
For the audience to connect with the blue-skinned ten-foot-tall "Na'vi", they had to see the actor's soul shine through the character's eyes. This required increased realism in character animation, especially the facial animation. The emotional performances of the characters in "Avatar" are an achievement that have taken digital characters to a new level of believability and have, at the same time, enhanced story telling.
Animation Blockbuster Breakdown
Shawn Kelly, Lead Animator, Industrial Light & Magic; and Co-Founder, Animation Mentor
Carlos Baena, Lead Animator, Pixar Animation Studios; and Co-Founder, Animation Mentor
Eric Goldberg, Supervising Animator, Walt Disney Animation Studios
Michael Makarewicz, Supervising Animator, Pixar Animation Studios
Aaron Hartline, Animator, Pixar Animation Studios; and Animation Mentor
Animation industry veterans break down shots from your favorite animated films. In 10-minute presentations, they each show two animated shots from recent feature films, summarize the challenges they experienced with each shot, and reveal new ways to approach the craft of animation.
"The Last Airbender" - Harnessing the Elements: Earth, Air, Water, and Fire
Pablo Helman, Visual Effects Supervisor; Olivier Maury, R&D Engineer; Daniel Pearson, CG Supervisor, Industrial Light & Magic
To create the visual effects work for M. Night Shyamalan's "The Last Airbender", ILM developed a hybrid GPU-based simulation engine and renderer. In this session, the production team explains how this novel system allowed artists to achieve photorealistic results at exponential speed increases over previous methods of complex simulation. The team also sheds light on the vast 3D environments created for the show, dissects some of the more challenging effects sequences, and reveals how the results were achieved.
"Day & Night"
Teddy Newton, Director; Kevin Reher, Producer, Pixar Animation Studios
When Day, a sunny fellow, encounters Night, a stranger of distinctly darker moods, sparks fly! At first, they are frightened and suspicious of each other, and they quickly get off on the wrong foot. But as they discover each other's unique qualities and realize that each offers a different window onto the same world, their friendship helps both to gain a new perspective. The Stereo 3D screening of "Day & Night" precedes a presentation by the director, Teddy Newton, who explains his inspiration for the film, what it took to get a green light from the studio, and the challenges posed by such a technically ambitious process.
Live Real-Time Demos
This content showcases the very best of video games and real-time simulations. To help emphasize the difference between these works and pre-rendered works, real-time pieces are demonstrated live on their actual platforms without any post-production. In addition, a selection of these projects will be available for interactive demonstrations in The Sandbox--an open videogame play area.
Agenda Circling Forth
Fairlight and CNCD
A unique real-time demo that takes its inspiration from the Impressionist painters but with an innovative modern twist: it builds animated 3D scenes entirely from particles. Every pixel truly is alive in this piece.
GlyphSea
University of California, San Diego
Real-time demonstration of novel glyph-based visualization techniques. One of the scenarios shows the "Big One" earthquake simulation, highlighting effects on the Los Angeles region.
God of War III
Sony Computer Entertainment
God of War III is the latest entry in the successful God of War series and the first on PlayStation 3. It combines epic set pieces with exquisite fine detail, and its visuals display both technical and creative virtuosity.
Making Love
Quel Solaar
This demo is an exploration of the world of the procedural one-man indie "MMO LOVE". The demo also showcases the tools used to create assets, like sketch-based modeling, 100% automatic UV mapping, shader and asset management tools, and the layer-based procedural texturing tool.
Supersonic Sled
NVIDIA Corporation
The NVIDIA Supersonic Sled is a full physics simulation of a mechanical assembly subjected to heavy loads. Using PhysX, CUDA, and DirectX 11, this demonstration uses real-time simulation and graphics techniques to produce a realistic and exhilarating experience of driving a powerful machine on the edge of control.
SIGGRAPH Dailies!
This new program celebrates excellence in computer graphics by showcasing images and animations of power and beauty. Presenters will have one minute each to loop their animations and describe their work from video game characters to lighting. In a fun, compelling, and fast format, SIGGRAPH Dailies! allows attendees to participate in the vibrant production culture that surrounds presenting and reviewing work that was completed despite challenging obstacles.
View all of the SIGGRAPH Dailies! by clicking here.
Animation Clinics
New this year, industry leaders and masters will review students' final projects and offer creative, production, technical, and career advice. Each chosen work will receive 40 minutes of review during three public sessions open to conference attendees. Clinics are a great way to get direct, constructive feedback from industry experts.
"Attendees will get a glimpse of the work that went into creating some of this year's most successful films, including 'Avatar', 'The Last Airbender', 'How to Train Your Dragon', 'Alice in Wonderland', and many more," said Isaac Kerlow, Computer Animation Festival Director from The Earth Observatory of Singapore/NTU ADM. "Nowhere else in the world will so many computer graphics and animation experts come together under one roof to discuss both success stories as well as failures. In essence, sharing information is how this industry continues to move forward by leaps and bounds year after year."
Listed below are just a few of the learning opportunities during the Computer Animation Festival:
Production Sessions
Production Sessions are high-level discussions that showcase how computer graphics and interactive techniques are actually designed and implemented. Attendees of all experience levels will benefit.
The Making of God of War III
Izzy, Concept Artist; Patrick Murphy, Lead Character Modeler; Bruno Velazquez, Lead Animator; Bryan Koszoru, Environment Artist; Paul Coda, Sr. Environment Artist; Jung Ho Park, Concept Artist, SCEA, Santa Monica
The makers of God of War III detail the creative process behind the game's groundbreaking visuals. The first part of the session follows the lead character, Kratos, from initial concept art through modeling to animation. Particular emphasis is given to issues specific to game animation, such as integration with player control and combat systems. The second part focuses on the game environments, exploring different approaches used to create game levels from initial concept art.
Making "Avatar"
Joe Letteri, Senior Visual Effects Supervisor; Stephen Rosenbaum, Visual Effects Supervisor; Richard Baneham, Animation Supervisor, Weta Digital
"Avatar" is the first predominately digitally created film, shot and directed as a live action film. Key to the director's vision was having photorealistic, believable digital characters and environments fit seamlessly with live action. To accomplish this, Weta Digital, led by Joe Letteri, developed innovations that enabled the director and actors work as if they were in a conventional live-action movie, even when filming sequences that were entirely computer-generated.
For the audience to connect with the blue-skinned ten-foot-tall "Na'vi", they had to see the actor's soul shine through the character's eyes. This required increased realism in character animation, especially the facial animation. The emotional performances of the characters in "Avatar" are an achievement that have taken digital characters to a new level of believability and have, at the same time, enhanced story telling.
Animation Blockbuster Breakdown
Shawn Kelly, Lead Animator, Industrial Light & Magic; and Co-Founder, Animation Mentor
Carlos Baena, Lead Animator, Pixar Animation Studios; and Co-Founder, Animation Mentor
Eric Goldberg, Supervising Animator, Walt Disney Animation Studios
Michael Makarewicz, Supervising Animator, Pixar Animation Studios
Aaron Hartline, Animator, Pixar Animation Studios; and Animation Mentor
Animation industry veterans break down shots from your favorite animated films. In 10-minute presentations, they each show two animated shots from recent feature films, summarize the challenges they experienced with each shot, and reveal new ways to approach the craft of animation.
"The Last Airbender" - Harnessing the Elements: Earth, Air, Water, and Fire
Pablo Helman, Visual Effects Supervisor; Olivier Maury, R&D Engineer; Daniel Pearson, CG Supervisor, Industrial Light & Magic
To create the visual effects work for M. Night Shyamalan's "The Last Airbender", ILM developed a hybrid GPU-based simulation engine and renderer. In this session, the production team explains how this novel system allowed artists to achieve photorealistic results at exponential speed increases over previous methods of complex simulation. The team also sheds light on the vast 3D environments created for the show, dissects some of the more challenging effects sequences, and reveals how the results were achieved.
"Day & Night"
Teddy Newton, Director; Kevin Reher, Producer, Pixar Animation Studios
When Day, a sunny fellow, encounters Night, a stranger of distinctly darker moods, sparks fly! At first, they are frightened and suspicious of each other, and they quickly get off on the wrong foot. But as they discover each other's unique qualities and realize that each offers a different window onto the same world, their friendship helps both to gain a new perspective. The Stereo 3D screening of "Day & Night" precedes a presentation by the director, Teddy Newton, who explains his inspiration for the film, what it took to get a green light from the studio, and the challenges posed by such a technically ambitious process.
Live Real-Time Demos
This content showcases the very best of video games and real-time simulations. To help emphasize the difference between these works and pre-rendered works, real-time pieces are demonstrated live on their actual platforms without any post-production. In addition, a selection of these projects will be available for interactive demonstrations in The Sandbox--an open videogame play area.
Agenda Circling Forth
Fairlight and CNCD
A unique real-time demo that takes its inspiration from the Impressionist painters but with an innovative modern twist: it builds animated 3D scenes entirely from particles. Every pixel truly is alive in this piece.
GlyphSea
University of California, San Diego
Real-time demonstration of novel glyph-based visualization techniques. One of the scenarios shows the "Big One" earthquake simulation, highlighting effects on the Los Angeles region.
God of War III
Sony Computer Entertainment
God of War III is the latest entry in the successful God of War series and the first on PlayStation 3. It combines epic set pieces with exquisite fine detail, and its visuals display both technical and creative virtuosity.
Making Love
Quel Solaar
This demo is an exploration of the world of the procedural one-man indie "MMO LOVE". The demo also showcases the tools used to create assets, like sketch-based modeling, 100% automatic UV mapping, shader and asset management tools, and the layer-based procedural texturing tool.
Supersonic Sled
NVIDIA Corporation
The NVIDIA Supersonic Sled is a full physics simulation of a mechanical assembly subjected to heavy loads. Using PhysX, CUDA, and DirectX 11, this demonstration uses real-time simulation and graphics techniques to produce a realistic and exhilarating experience of driving a powerful machine on the edge of control.
SIGGRAPH Dailies!
This new program celebrates excellence in computer graphics by showcasing images and animations of power and beauty. Presenters will have one minute each to loop their animations and describe their work from video game characters to lighting. In a fun, compelling, and fast format, SIGGRAPH Dailies! allows attendees to participate in the vibrant production culture that surrounds presenting and reviewing work that was completed despite challenging obstacles.
View all of the SIGGRAPH Dailies! by clicking here.
Animation Clinics
New this year, industry leaders and masters will review students' final projects and offer creative, production, technical, and career advice. Each chosen work will receive 40 minutes of review during three public sessions open to conference attendees. Clinics are a great way to get direct, constructive feedback from industry experts.
25 June 2010
SIGGRAPH 2010 Announces Computer Animation Festival Winners
(Chicago, IL) - SIGGRAPH announces the Computer Animation Festival's Best in Show, Jury Award, and Best Student Project recipients for SIGGRAPH 2010 to be held in Los Angeles this July. Nominees were chosen from 750 submissions from around the globe, presented by both professional studios and students alike.
"It was difficult to narrow the pool of submissions because of the high level of quality and technical expertise," said Isaac Kerlow, Computer Animation Festival Director from The Earth Observatory of Singapore/NTU ADM. "Attendees will experience an endorphin rush as they watch the screenings of independent and commercial films, and will get a behind-the-scenes perspective from the planned Production Sessions featuring the visionaries behind some of this year's most successful Hollywood films. Whether you are an industry veteran or someone who just enjoys quality visual effects and animation, there is something for everyone this year."
In all, approximately 100 films will be shown during the Computer Animation Festival. The Electronic Theater, the iconic and tribal SIGGRAPH experience, features an identical program three nights in a row, including most of the Jury Selections. Four thematic Special Screenings show the best in TV Commercials and Cinematics, Long Shorts, Student Animations, and for the first time a special focus on Chinese Student Animations. Truly an international event, the festival had entries from 49 different countries and five continents. Fifty-two of the accepted entries are international, and 18 countries are represented in the final selection.
Some of the year's top visual effects for feature films are featured in the Computer Animation Festival including "Avatar", "The Last Airbender", "Sherlock Holmes", "Iron Man 2", "Prince of Persia", "2012", and "Alice in Wonderland". Plus, eight Live Real-Time Demos, ranging from mainstream to independent work, also contribute to making the Computer Animation Festival a memorable experience.
Since 1999, the SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival has been an official qualifying festival for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences "Best Animated Short Film" Academy Award®. The film "French Roast" became an Academy nominee in the Best Animated Short category after winning Best in Show at last year's Festival. For the third consecutive year, the Festival's screenings, panels and production sessions will be open to the public, allowing general audiences to get a glimpse behind the making of computer generated effects, visualizations, and animations that is rarely available.
A complete preview video of the 2010 Computer Animation Festival is available here.
For a complete list of films and images, click here.
Here are just a few highlights of this year's Computer Animation Festival films and Live Real-Time Demos:
BEST IN SHOW AWARD
"Loom"
(Germany)
Directed by Jan Bitzer, Ilija Brunck, and Csaba Letay
"Loom" tells the story of a moth being drowned in one of nature's complex cycles. "Loom" was the final project of Jan Bitzer, Ilija Brunck, and Csaba Letay at the Filmakademie Baden Wьrttemberg, Institute of Animation, Visual Effects and Digital Postproduction. The production time, including story development and preproduction, was one year. Credit: Loom © 2010 Ilija Brunck, Polynoid
JURY AWARD
"Poppy"
(New Zealand)
Directed by James Cunningham
"Poppy" is an independent short set on France's western front in World War One. Two New Zealand soldiers are trapped behind enemy lines. They find a baby in a muddy ditch, under its dead parents. One of the men wants to save it-the other does not. Based on true events, "Poppy" was written by the great-grandson of one of these soldiers. An innovative combination of motion capture with exquisite facial animation.
BEST STUDENT PROJECT PRIZE
"Making of Nuit Blanche"
(Canada)
Directed by Arev Manoukian, Visual Effects by Marc-Andrй Gray, Stellar Scene
In this reel we explore the making of "Nuit Blanche", an elegant and poetic short film that explores a fleeting moment between two strangers, revealing their brief connection in a hyper-real fantasy heavily dependent on visual effects.Credit: Making of Nuit Blanche ©2010 Marc-André Gray, Stellar Scene
"Visualizing Empires Decline"
(Portugal)
Directed by Pedro Cruz, Centre for Informatics and Systems of the University of Coimbra
This information visualization project narrates the decline of the top four maritime empires in the 19th and 20th centuries. A physics engine is used to build a visual mood that conveys the tone of the empires' decline.Credit: Visualizing Empires Decline © 2010 Pedro M. Cruz, Centre for Informatics and Systems of the University of Coimbra
"Cours Toujours"
(France)
Directed by Olivier Barrй and Elise Garcette, La Station Animation
An intrepid creature throws himself into a wild pursuit of a bird, which gets him into comically frantic situations. Credit: Cours Toujours ©2010 Olivier Barré, La Station Animation
"Making Love"
(Sweden, Live Real-Time Demo)
Quel Solaar
This game exploration demo is an exploration of the world of the procedural one-man indie "MMO LOVE". The demo also showcases the tools used to create assets, like sketch-based modeling, 100 percent automatic UV mapping, shader and asset management tools, and the layer-based procedural texturing tool.
God of War III
(USA, Live Real-Time Demo)
Sony Computer Entertainment of America
God of War III is the latest entry in the successful God of War commercial video game series and the first on PlayStation 3. It combines epic set pieces with exquisite fine detail, and its visuals display both technical and creative virtuosity.
"It was difficult to narrow the pool of submissions because of the high level of quality and technical expertise," said Isaac Kerlow, Computer Animation Festival Director from The Earth Observatory of Singapore/NTU ADM. "Attendees will experience an endorphin rush as they watch the screenings of independent and commercial films, and will get a behind-the-scenes perspective from the planned Production Sessions featuring the visionaries behind some of this year's most successful Hollywood films. Whether you are an industry veteran or someone who just enjoys quality visual effects and animation, there is something for everyone this year."
In all, approximately 100 films will be shown during the Computer Animation Festival. The Electronic Theater, the iconic and tribal SIGGRAPH experience, features an identical program three nights in a row, including most of the Jury Selections. Four thematic Special Screenings show the best in TV Commercials and Cinematics, Long Shorts, Student Animations, and for the first time a special focus on Chinese Student Animations. Truly an international event, the festival had entries from 49 different countries and five continents. Fifty-two of the accepted entries are international, and 18 countries are represented in the final selection.
Some of the year's top visual effects for feature films are featured in the Computer Animation Festival including "Avatar", "The Last Airbender", "Sherlock Holmes", "Iron Man 2", "Prince of Persia", "2012", and "Alice in Wonderland". Plus, eight Live Real-Time Demos, ranging from mainstream to independent work, also contribute to making the Computer Animation Festival a memorable experience.
Since 1999, the SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival has been an official qualifying festival for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences "Best Animated Short Film" Academy Award®. The film "French Roast" became an Academy nominee in the Best Animated Short category after winning Best in Show at last year's Festival. For the third consecutive year, the Festival's screenings, panels and production sessions will be open to the public, allowing general audiences to get a glimpse behind the making of computer generated effects, visualizations, and animations that is rarely available.
A complete preview video of the 2010 Computer Animation Festival is available here.
For a complete list of films and images, click here.
Here are just a few highlights of this year's Computer Animation Festival films and Live Real-Time Demos:
BEST IN SHOW AWARD
"Loom"(Germany)
Directed by Jan Bitzer, Ilija Brunck, and Csaba Letay
"Loom" tells the story of a moth being drowned in one of nature's complex cycles. "Loom" was the final project of Jan Bitzer, Ilija Brunck, and Csaba Letay at the Filmakademie Baden Wьrttemberg, Institute of Animation, Visual Effects and Digital Postproduction. The production time, including story development and preproduction, was one year. Credit: Loom © 2010 Ilija Brunck, Polynoid
JURY AWARD
"Poppy"
(New Zealand)
Directed by James Cunningham
"Poppy" is an independent short set on France's western front in World War One. Two New Zealand soldiers are trapped behind enemy lines. They find a baby in a muddy ditch, under its dead parents. One of the men wants to save it-the other does not. Based on true events, "Poppy" was written by the great-grandson of one of these soldiers. An innovative combination of motion capture with exquisite facial animation.
BEST STUDENT PROJECT PRIZE
"The Wonder Hospital"
(USA)
Directed by Beomsik Shimbe Shim, California Institute of the Arts
In this student project, a girl enters a mysterious hospital that alters her way of seeing beauty. She is given a choice between two images of her face, "Before" and "After". As she continues on this illusionary journey, she realizes that beauty is something very different from what she expected. Credit: The Wonder Hospital © 2010, all rights reserved by Shimbe
"2012" - The Last Fluid Simulation
(USA/Germany)
Visual Effects by Scanline VFX, Los Angeles/Munich
This reel shows the underlying technology that was used for more than 100 massive fluid simulation shots on "2012". Included are examples of fully computer-generated shots with massive tidal waves, simulated ice and snow, and, finally, the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy smashing into the White House.
Assassin's Creed 2
(Hungary)
Cinematic by Digic Pictures for Ubisoft Entertainment
Stunningly rendered and animated, this cinematic narrative follows an assassin on the prowl in a street carnival, on his quest to reveal a secular conspiracy during the masquerades of the Italian Renaissance. Image courtesy of Digic Pictures © 2009 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Assassin's Creed, Ubisoft, Ubi.com, and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries.
"Animated History of Poland"
(Poland)
Directed by Tomek Bagi?ski, Platige Image
A tale about 1,000 years of Polish history in the format of a musical-visual poem. The story starts with the beginning of the Polish nation in the ninth century, and shows the most important events and processes that took place until the 21st century. The project is a presentation-educational piece produced for the EXPO 2010 in Shanghai. Credit: Animated History of Poland © 2010 Agnieszka Piechnik, Platige Image
"Guinness World"
(United Kingdom)
Commercial by The Mill for AMV BBDO
This commercial spot shows how a pint of Guinness comes to life when poured, opening with a man striking a match and lighting a rocket as a voiceover whispers, "It?s time to bring this place to life." There begins an exhilarating journey, bringing life to barren landscapes across the planet. Credit: Guinness World © 2010 The Mill
"Day & Night"
(USA)
Directed by Teddy Newton, Pixar Animation Studios
When Day encounters Night, sparks fly! At first frightened and suspicious of each other, they get off on the wrong foot. But as they discover each other's unique qualities?and realize that each offers a different window onto the world-the friendship helps them gain a new perspective.
"Suiren"
(Japan)
Directed by Tomoya Kimpara, wow.inc
"Suiren" is a poetic science-fiction visual music piece where the ocean is a symbol of life, and machine-seeds are born to devote themselves to the creation of beautiful creatures. Credit: Suiren © 2010 Tomoya Kimpara, wow.inc
"Upgrades"
(USA)
Directed by Anya Belkina, Emerson College
"Upgrades" is a hilarious and breakneck-paced animated parody chronicling major upgrades in computer graphics software. Set to the music of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumble Bee".
Credit: Upgrades © 2010 Anya Belkina, Emerson College
(USA)
Directed by Beomsik Shimbe Shim, California Institute of the Arts
In this student project, a girl enters a mysterious hospital that alters her way of seeing beauty. She is given a choice between two images of her face, "Before" and "After". As she continues on this illusionary journey, she realizes that beauty is something very different from what she expected. Credit: The Wonder Hospital © 2010, all rights reserved by Shimbe
"2012" - The Last Fluid Simulation
(USA/Germany)
Visual Effects by Scanline VFX, Los Angeles/Munich
This reel shows the underlying technology that was used for more than 100 massive fluid simulation shots on "2012". Included are examples of fully computer-generated shots with massive tidal waves, simulated ice and snow, and, finally, the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy smashing into the White House.
Assassin's Creed 2
(Hungary)
Cinematic by Digic Pictures for Ubisoft Entertainment
Stunningly rendered and animated, this cinematic narrative follows an assassin on the prowl in a street carnival, on his quest to reveal a secular conspiracy during the masquerades of the Italian Renaissance. Image courtesy of Digic Pictures © 2009 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Assassin's Creed, Ubisoft, Ubi.com, and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries.
"Animated History of Poland"
(Poland)
Directed by Tomek Bagi?ski, Platige Image
A tale about 1,000 years of Polish history in the format of a musical-visual poem. The story starts with the beginning of the Polish nation in the ninth century, and shows the most important events and processes that took place until the 21st century. The project is a presentation-educational piece produced for the EXPO 2010 in Shanghai. Credit: Animated History of Poland © 2010 Agnieszka Piechnik, Platige Image
"Guinness World"
(United Kingdom)
Commercial by The Mill for AMV BBDO
This commercial spot shows how a pint of Guinness comes to life when poured, opening with a man striking a match and lighting a rocket as a voiceover whispers, "It?s time to bring this place to life." There begins an exhilarating journey, bringing life to barren landscapes across the planet. Credit: Guinness World © 2010 The Mill
"Day & Night"
(USA)
Directed by Teddy Newton, Pixar Animation Studios
When Day encounters Night, sparks fly! At first frightened and suspicious of each other, they get off on the wrong foot. But as they discover each other's unique qualities?and realize that each offers a different window onto the world-the friendship helps them gain a new perspective.
"Suiren"
(Japan)
Directed by Tomoya Kimpara, wow.inc
"Suiren" is a poetic science-fiction visual music piece where the ocean is a symbol of life, and machine-seeds are born to devote themselves to the creation of beautiful creatures. Credit: Suiren © 2010 Tomoya Kimpara, wow.inc
"Upgrades"
(USA)
Directed by Anya Belkina, Emerson College
"Upgrades" is a hilarious and breakneck-paced animated parody chronicling major upgrades in computer graphics software. Set to the music of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumble Bee".
Credit: Upgrades © 2010 Anya Belkina, Emerson College
"Making of Nuit Blanche"
(Canada)
Directed by Arev Manoukian, Visual Effects by Marc-Andrй Gray, Stellar Scene
In this reel we explore the making of "Nuit Blanche", an elegant and poetic short film that explores a fleeting moment between two strangers, revealing their brief connection in a hyper-real fantasy heavily dependent on visual effects.Credit: Making of Nuit Blanche ©2010 Marc-André Gray, Stellar Scene
"Visualizing Empires Decline"
(Portugal)
Directed by Pedro Cruz, Centre for Informatics and Systems of the University of Coimbra
This information visualization project narrates the decline of the top four maritime empires in the 19th and 20th centuries. A physics engine is used to build a visual mood that conveys the tone of the empires' decline.Credit: Visualizing Empires Decline © 2010 Pedro M. Cruz, Centre for Informatics and Systems of the University of Coimbra
"Cours Toujours"
(France)
Directed by Olivier Barrй and Elise Garcette, La Station Animation
An intrepid creature throws himself into a wild pursuit of a bird, which gets him into comically frantic situations. Credit: Cours Toujours ©2010 Olivier Barré, La Station Animation
"Making Love"
(Sweden, Live Real-Time Demo)
Quel Solaar
This game exploration demo is an exploration of the world of the procedural one-man indie "MMO LOVE". The demo also showcases the tools used to create assets, like sketch-based modeling, 100 percent automatic UV mapping, shader and asset management tools, and the layer-based procedural texturing tool.
God of War III
(USA, Live Real-Time Demo)
Sony Computer Entertainment of America
God of War III is the latest entry in the successful God of War commercial video game series and the first on PlayStation 3. It combines epic set pieces with exquisite fine detail, and its visuals display both technical and creative virtuosity.
02 June 2010
SIGGRAPH 2010 Program Content Released, Early Registration Ends this Friday
(Chicago, IL) – SIGGRAPH 2010, held Sunday, 25 July through Thursday, 29 July 2010, will bring approximately 25,000 computer graphics and interactive technology professionals from around the world to Los Angeles. The SIGGRAPH 2010 Advance Program is now available online, announcing session content across Art Papers, Courses, Game Papers, Panels, Talks, Technical Papers, and more.
Two preview videos have also been released to highlight the Computer Animation Festival and Technical Papers.
“SIGGRAPH 2010 is the best place in the world to experience the ‘People Behind the Pixels’,” said Terrence Masson, SIGGRAPH 2010 Conference Chair from Northeastern University. “I highly encourage everyone to attend to meet the personalities, hear the stories, and learn the history behind the most unique and excellent content in CG and interactive techniques. Those wanting to maximize their savings should register by this Friday before the early bird discounts expire.”
Attendees are able to choose from a variety of registration categories that start as low as $45 per day. After Friday, 4 June, the cost of Full Conference Access, Full Conference One Day, and Basic Access passes increase dramatically.
###
About SIGGRAPH 2010
SIGGRAPH 2010 will bring approximately 25,000 computer graphics and interactive technology professionals from six continents to Los Angeles, California, USA for the industry's most respected technical and creative programs focusing on research, science, art, animation, music, gaming, interactivity, education, and the web from Sunday, 25 July through Thursday, 29 July 2010 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. SIGGRAPH 2010 includes a three-day exhibition of products and services from the computer graphics and interactive marketplace from 27-29 July 2010. More than 200 international exhibiting companies are expected. More details are available at www.siggraph.org/s2010
About ACM SIGGRAPH
The ACM Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques www.siggraph.org is an interdisciplinary community interested in research, technology, and applications in computer graphics and interactive techniques. Members include researchers, developers and users from the technical, academic, business, and art communities. ACM SIGGRAPH enriches the computer graphics and interactive techniques community year-round through its conferences, global network of professional and student chapters, publications, and educational activities.
About ACM
ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery www.acm.org is the world's largest educational and scientific computing society, uniting educators, researchers and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources and address the field's challenges. ACM strengthens the computing profession's collective voice through strong leadership, promotion of the highest standards, and recognition of technical excellence. ACM supports the professional growth of its members by providing opportunities for life-long learning, career development, and professional networking.
Two preview videos have also been released to highlight the Computer Animation Festival and Technical Papers.
“SIGGRAPH 2010 is the best place in the world to experience the ‘People Behind the Pixels’,” said Terrence Masson, SIGGRAPH 2010 Conference Chair from Northeastern University. “I highly encourage everyone to attend to meet the personalities, hear the stories, and learn the history behind the most unique and excellent content in CG and interactive techniques. Those wanting to maximize their savings should register by this Friday before the early bird discounts expire.”
Attendees are able to choose from a variety of registration categories that start as low as $45 per day. After Friday, 4 June, the cost of Full Conference Access, Full Conference One Day, and Basic Access passes increase dramatically.
###
About SIGGRAPH 2010
SIGGRAPH 2010 will bring approximately 25,000 computer graphics and interactive technology professionals from six continents to Los Angeles, California, USA for the industry's most respected technical and creative programs focusing on research, science, art, animation, music, gaming, interactivity, education, and the web from Sunday, 25 July through Thursday, 29 July 2010 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. SIGGRAPH 2010 includes a three-day exhibition of products and services from the computer graphics and interactive marketplace from 27-29 July 2010. More than 200 international exhibiting companies are expected. More details are available at www.siggraph.org/s2010
About ACM SIGGRAPH
The ACM Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques www.siggraph.org is an interdisciplinary community interested in research, technology, and applications in computer graphics and interactive techniques. Members include researchers, developers and users from the technical, academic, business, and art communities. ACM SIGGRAPH enriches the computer graphics and interactive techniques community year-round through its conferences, global network of professional and student chapters, publications, and educational activities.
About ACM
ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery www.acm.org is the world's largest educational and scientific computing society, uniting educators, researchers and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources and address the field's challenges. ACM strengthens the computing profession's collective voice through strong leadership, promotion of the highest standards, and recognition of technical excellence. ACM supports the professional growth of its members by providing opportunities for life-long learning, career development, and professional networking.
15 April 2010
New SIGGRAPH 2010 Submission Deadline for Live Real-Time Demos
Deadline Extended to 28 April 2010
Over the last many years, the role and impact of interactive and real-time graphics have grown substantially to affect SIGGRAPH attendees from film production to academia. Building on the debut of Real-Time Rendering at the 2009 Computer Animation Festival, SIGGRAPH 2010 is continuing this new and exciting addition to the conference.
Click here to check out the latest video.
SIGGRAPH 2010 is seeking cutting-edge examples of video games and real-time simulations and graphics in several categories: commercial video games, experimental or prototypes games, software applications, interactive data visualizations, and information aesthetics, among others. As long as the submission is interactively controlled and rendered in real-time, and can be repeated in front of a live audience, it will be considered. Accepted work will be demonstrated live, in real time on a PC, Macintosh, or game console. While we expect many entries will be games released in 2010, we also encourage submission of non-commercial projects such as:
*Game explorations
*Student game projects
*Mathematical or other industrial simulations
*Research projects
*Real-time art explorations
*New uses of pioneering technology
*Scientific visualizations: medical science, astrophysics, astronomy, physical science
*Interactive data visualization and/or interactive information aesthetics
For complete submission details, click here
Over the last many years, the role and impact of interactive and real-time graphics have grown substantially to affect SIGGRAPH attendees from film production to academia. Building on the debut of Real-Time Rendering at the 2009 Computer Animation Festival, SIGGRAPH 2010 is continuing this new and exciting addition to the conference.
Click here to check out the latest video.
SIGGRAPH 2010 is seeking cutting-edge examples of video games and real-time simulations and graphics in several categories: commercial video games, experimental or prototypes games, software applications, interactive data visualizations, and information aesthetics, among others. As long as the submission is interactively controlled and rendered in real-time, and can be repeated in front of a live audience, it will be considered. Accepted work will be demonstrated live, in real time on a PC, Macintosh, or game console. While we expect many entries will be games released in 2010, we also encourage submission of non-commercial projects such as:
*Game explorations
*Student game projects
*Mathematical or other industrial simulations
*Research projects
*Real-time art explorations
*New uses of pioneering technology
*Scientific visualizations: medical science, astrophysics, astronomy, physical science
*Interactive data visualization and/or interactive information aesthetics
For complete submission details, click here
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