Q&A with SIGGRAPH 2015 Technical Papers Chair Doug James

Technical Papers chair Doug James shares his passion for the program in an exclusive interview below. 

Reminder: Technical Papers submission form and abstract are due 22:00 UTC/GMT, 19 January 2015. The final paper is due 22:00 UTC/GMT, 20 January 2015.

How did you become involved with SIGGRAPH?

My first SIGGRAPH was in `99 when I published a paper as a graduate student at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Since then, I've continued to be very excited about interactive physics simulation--and graphics and animation research in general--and found SIGGRAPH to be a great community for advancing those ideas. As a computer graphics professor, it is the natural venue for our research.

What motivated you to become Technical Papers Chair?

SIGGRAPH has always been the primary venue for my research activities, and I have been a long-time volunteer in the review process of the Technical Papers program, having reviewed hundreds of papers. I was honored to be asked to be the Technical Papers Chair: it's a great opportunity for me to help maintain and improve the widely respected SIGGRAPH review process established by our community.

What advice would you give to someone who is interested in submitting content for the first time?

For new submitters to the Technical Papers program, I recommend reading the Technical Papers "call for papers" and related website content. In particular, there is an extensive Technical Papers FAQ that addresses many common questions. The basic recipe for showcasing your work in the technical program is to have a novel idea, explain it clearly in written form, and to provide evidence (be it data, images or video) to help support claims that your method improves upon the state of the art in some specific ways. Understanding and citing related works, and being able to explain the pros/cons of your approach, are also critical components. Getting feedback from experienced colleagues is also a good way to improve your submission.

What makes this program different from the others at SIGGRAPH?

The SIGGRAPH Technical Papers program is the premier international forum for disseminating new scholarly work in computer graphics and interactive techniques. We focus on the technical details underlying a broad spectrum of computer graphics innovations, and seek to document and disseminate these advances in all their glory.

Outside of Technical Papers, what other areas of the conference are you particularly excited about?

Everything. Seriously. I strongly recommend trying to look at a little of everything if you can, especially if it's something less familiar or different for you--come for the technical papers, but stay for the art and games. Things always change, and you never know what you will see next year.

How has SIGGRAPH influenced you personally and professionally?

We're inseparable. It's given me a lifelong venue for practicing and experiencing exciting technical and artistic innovations.

SIGGRAPH 2014 Highlights from Vancouver

SIGGRAPH Technical Papers Fast Forward was a popular session on Sunday evening.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - SIGGRAPH 2014 returned to Vancouver, Canada, for its 41st conference and exhibition. From 10-14 August, 14,045 artists, research scientists, gaming experts and developers, filmmakers, students, and academics from 50 U.S. states and 75 countries gathered to experience cutting-edge computer graphics and interactive techniques. There were 6,156 participants from the host country of Canada.

The SIGGRAPH Exhibition ran from 12-14 August and attracted 175 exhibitors.

The conference boasted more than 40,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space featuring 175 participating companies - an increase from the 2013 conference in Anaheim, California. Eighteen countries were represented on the exhibit floor, 44% of which are based outside of the U.S. - including 28 companies from Canada. Furthermore, 25% of the exhibitors were first-timers, which was the highest percentage in four years.

Dave Shreiner

"This year’s exceptional education, numerous networking opportunities, and mind-blowing technological advances appealed to everyone," said Dave Shreiner, SIGGRAPH 2014 Conference Chair. "SIGGRAPH 2014 offered an incredible exhibition experience, innovative and inspiring content, and celebrated the impact that graphics and technology can have in every day life. Finally, the city of Vancouver was amazing - from the mayor’s office to the convention centre to the economic commission to the tourism bureau."

An impressive 1,533 speakers and contributors participated in the conference through a variety of talks, sessions, panels, papers, presentations, tutorials, and screenings.

Highlights from SIGGRAPH 2014 included:

The impactful keynote presentation by Not Impossible Labs co-founder Elliot Kotek shared a simple message: “Help One. Help Many.” Kotek showed how technology can have an immense impact on humanity by sharing stories of Not Impossible Labs’ efforts including Project Daniel, which outfitted Sudanese amputees with new prosthetic limbs thanks to 3D printing technology. 

Thierry Frey (center), SIGGRAPH Emerging Technologies Chair, leads the Vancouver mayor on a tour.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson made an appearance, addressing members of the press and visiting SIGGRAPH 2014’s Emerging Technologies venue. He expressed his delight that emerging technologies and computer graphics have caused "an influx of talent and great people to our city" as well as thousands of jobs for its citizens. The Vancouver Economic Council sponsored the Emerging Technologies area. The virtual reality experience “Birdly” won the Laval Virtual award and the AR/VR competition.

Jerome Solomon served as the 2014 Computer Animation Festival Director.

The Computer Animation Festival presented the world's most innovative, accomplished, and amazing creators of digital gaming, film, and video. The festival received more than 450 juried submissions in 2014. SIGGRAPH 2014 Computer Animation Festival award winners included:

Box

BEST IN SHOW AWARD
Box (United States)

Directed Tarik Abdel-Gawad, Bot & Dolly

Paper World

JURY AWARD 

Paper World (Hungary)

Directed by Dávid Ringeisen, László Ruska, Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design

Home Sweet Home

BEST ANIMATED SHORT 

Home Sweet Home (France)

Directed by Pierre Clenet, Alejandro Diaz, Romain Mazenet, Stéphane Paccolat, Supinfocom Arles

Wrapped

BEST STUDENT PROJECT PRIZE

Wrapped (Germany)

Directed by Roman Kalin, Falko Paeper, Florian Wittmann, Filmakademie Baden-Wüerttemberg

Gravity

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Gravity (United Kingdom)

Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, Esperanto Filmoj

Kinematics

BEST VISUALIZATION & SIMULATION

Kinematics (United States)

Directed by Jessica Rosenkrantz, Jesse Louis-Rosenberg, Nervous System

The Crew

BEST GAME

The Crew (France)

Directed by Maxime Luère, Dominique Boidin, Rémi Kozyra, Unit Image

RYSE: Son of Rome

BEST REAL-TIME GRAPHICS

RYSE: Son of Rome (Germany)

Directed by Chris Evans, Peter Gornstein, Martin L’Heureux, Crytek

The Pony

BEST COMMERCIAL ADVERTISEMENT

Three, "The Pony" (United Kingdom)

Directed by Dougal Wilson, Blink Productions

SIGGRAPH 2014 Technical Papers Chair Adam Finkelstein  

Technical Papers is the premier global forum for presenting groundbreaking research from today's leading experts. The SIGGRAPH 2014 Technical Papers program featured 173 Technical Papers, selected among 550 submissions. The Technical Papers detailed new advances across many fronts, including 3D printing, creating water and snow with particles, deformation and distortion, and more.

For more details about SIGGRAPH 2014, visit the official SIGGRAPH 2014 Media Blog: http://siggraphmediablog.blogspot.ca/  

Download photos from SIGGRAPH 2014: www.flickr.com/photos/siggraphconferences/ 

Join Us in Los Angeles in 2015


SIGGRAPH 2015, the 42nd International Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, will be held 9-13 August, 2015 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

SIGGRAPH 2014 Emerging Technologies Media Tour

Click here to take the Media Tour.

SIGGRAPH 2014 Emerging Technologies Chair Thierry Frey (center in lavender shirt) takes you on a tour of this year's advancements in several fields - from displays and virtual reality technology to haptics and robotics, as well as innovations that apply to film and game production. The Vancouver Economic Commission is the official sponsor of the 2014 Emerging Technologies area.

Brazilian Paulo Henrique Machado Attends SIGGRAPH 2014 Via Telepresence

Paulo Henrique Machado

Paulo Henrique Machado has lived in a room at Clinicas hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil since he was an infant. As a baby, he suffered paralysis brought on by polio, and is confined to bed and hooked to an artificial respirator 24 hours a day. In 46 years, he has left the hospital only a few dozen times. He saw the ocean for the first time at the age of 32. Much of Paulo’s childhood was spent in his hospital bed, dreaming of the world outside. "For me, playing football or with normal toys wasn't an option -- so it was more about using my imagination," he told BBC News last year.

3D model made by Paolo

Despite his physical limitations, Paulo has trained as a computer animator, and is now making an animated series for children about his life. The series, which is called “The Adventures of Leca and her Friends” is the embodiment of his greatest wish -- to show children that being different is okay, and that everyone is special in their own way. The series was inspired by a book written by his lifelong friend, Eliana Zagui, who is also paralyzed as a result of polio, and lives in the same room as Paulo.

Storyboards from Paolo's series.

For many years, Paulo has dreamed of attending SIGGRAPH. This year, SIGGRAPH and Double Robotics made that dream come true through the use of a telepresence robot. The nicknamed "R2 D2"--Paolo clearly has a great sense of humor--is the first telepresence robot he has ever employed.

SIGGRAPH 2014 Conference Chair Dave Shreiner noted:  “SIGGRAPH is a community. Paulo is part of our community, and we take care of our own.”

You may spot Paulo driving around the conference, steering the Double Robotics robot from his hospital room in Brazil. Please stop and say hello! He speaks some English, but will have Portuguese-speaking SIGGRAPH student volunteers with him to translate.

Paulo interacting with other SIGGRAPH attendees.

On Sunday, August 10, Paulo saw the Vancouver harbor for the first time, and was taken aback. He turned the robot left and right to look out the glass windows of the Vancouver Convention Centre. “Do you know what this means to me?” he asked SIGGRAPH, when questioned how he liked the robot. “It gives me the freedom that I physically can’t have.”

For more information on the series, email leca.e.seus.amigos@gmail.com.

BBC News Article: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-23364127

Catarse Campaign: http://catarse.me/en/leca

SIGGRAPH 2014 Releases Mobile App Game (SMAG)

Go big or go home! The SIGGRAPH Mobile App Game (SMAG)  is a mobile-enhanced persistent game that allows you to collect achievements throughout the SIGGRAPH 2014 Conference. Using your  iOS  or Android  mobile devices to scan QR markers using the SIGGRAPH Mobile App wherever you see them in the Vancouver Convention Center, from your fellow attendees' apps, and in sessions. Have fun and meet people as you make your way towards becoming one of this year's big winners!

Here are  five solid reasons to get everyone (you, attendees, random strangers on the street) excited:

1.  SMAG has 127 (and counting) achievements to complete! This means that you won't run out of things to do, even on the last day of the conference. You can chase a mad scientist, carry secrets passwords, catch a golden snitch(!), or find a wandering Guardian of the Galaxy on the conference floor.

2.  You can earn points just by being involved in the conference! Our goal is to promote great content and projects - attendees will be gaining points just by:

• Participating in the International Center's NoirMaker: Escape from Vancouver;
• Playing SIGGRAPH Caching, a clue-based treasure hunt that will happening concurrently on the conference floor;
• Exploring with RTL's AR App and searching for RTL's Behind-the-Scenes content;

3.  We are also promoting everybody's venues and projects, such as:

• Studio's Drawing Contest;
• The Back-to-Back CAF/How To Train Your Dragon 2 Screening;
• The World Record Attempt;
• And many more! You can even earn points just by registering or buying a cup of coffee!

4.  You can win prizes just by participating! Thanks to the help of friends and sponsors, we have a variety of prizes that be available throughout the week that may be available through a variety of means. 

• You may not be the top scorer, but you can still win an elusive RenderMan teapot, mysterious grab bags, and SIGGRAPH memorabilia just by playing!
• If you are a top scorer, you could win an S2015 Full Conference Registration, a copy of SIGGRAPH Encore, and many more!

5.  You can challenge yourselves intellectually! With our timed trivia challenges, you can earn points from identifying technical papers/concepts, pop culture references, and general geekiness!

Will you be this year's winner? Get a headstart and scan the QR marker above, and check out our documentation page for all the achievements and prizes available.

SIGGRAPH 2014 RELEASES EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES PREVIEW

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

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

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

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

SIGGRAPH 2014 Emerging Technologies Highlights:

Birdly

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SIGGRAPH 2014 Releases Art Gallery Preview Video

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

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

SIGGRAPH 2014 Selects Elliot Kotek, Co-Founder of Not Impossible Labs, as Keynote Speaker

Elliot Kotek

SIGGRAPH 2014 announces the selection of Elliot Kotek, co-founder of Not Impossible Labs, as the keynote speaker at SIGGRAPH 2014, the 41st International Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, 10-14 August 2014 at the Vancouver Convention Centre. 

The current content chief and co-founder of Not Impossible Labs, and editor-in-chief of www.NotImpossibleNow.com, Kotek is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Beyond Cinema and the former editor-in-chief of both Moving Pictures and Celebs.com. Not Impossible Labs is comprised of thinkers and doers with a mission to transform ideas that once seemed impossible to possible.

"Elliot Kotek is an ideal keynote speaker for SIGGRAPH 2014," said Dave Shreiner, SIGGRAPH 2014 Conference Chair. “The motto of Not Impossible Labs, 'technology for the sake of humanity', is the perfect example that the SIGGRAPH community strives for in making a meaningful impact on society with their work. Not Impossible Labs' projects serve as inspiration to the thousands of researchers, artists, educators, and computer graphics professionals that gather at SIGGRAPH each year."

                       

By utilizing crowd-sourcing to crowd-solve healthcare issues, Not Impossible aims to provide low-cost and DIY solutions on an open-source platform, and to enable high-tech devices to reach people in need all over the world. Utilizing the content production strength of its founders, Not Impossible is disrupting the status quo of healthcare via compelling stories in which the one person helped inspires many to action. Not Impossible creates a sustainable cycle where collaboration inspires innovation, and where content compels further action.

Not Impossible projects include: 

• Eyewriter are eye-tracking glasses with free, open-source software that enabled a renowned graffiti artist paralyzed by ALS to draw and communicate using only his eyes. The technology was lauded in TIME’S “Top 50 Inventions of 2010,” named to Gizmodo’s Eight Incredible Health Innovations that Transform Lives, and became the subject of the award-winning documentary “Getting Up.” It also went on to win Gizmodo’s Health Invention of the Year.   

• Hot off their win at the Cannes Lion Awards 2014 for Project Daniel: 3D Printing Prosthetic Arms for Children of War-torn Sudan, Not Impossible Labs was honored with a Cannes Titanium Lion, a Gold Lion in Product Design and a Bronze Lion in Branded Content & Entertainment.  Other awards for Project Daniel include: Curator’s Recognition and the Next Cause Marketing award at AICP, two gold pencils at the One Show Awards (including tying for Best In Show for Design), a Silver Telly and a Bronze Telly, and the Maker Faire Editor’s Choice Blue Ribbon for creativity, ingenuity, and innovation. 

• The Brainwriter is a personal EEG device, available for only $200, that operates a computer mouse or gaming console, and creates a seamless interface between brain and machine. Brainwriter will enable people suffering from any kind of neuromuscular syndrome to continue to write and draw as their condition worsens. EEG technology has been around for a while, and while there are already several companies creating personal brain-computer interfaces, they range in price from $800 to $2,000 and are not open-source. The Brainwriter is being launched as part of the Digital Revolution Exhibition at Barbican in London on 3 July 2014.

A former M&A/Biotech Venture Capital attorney in Australia and New York, Kotek holds a Law Degree, a BS in Pharmacology & Toxicology, studied at The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and completed UCLA’s Professional Program in Screenwriting. He’s become a recognizable figure in taking stories based in the sphere of science and technology, and ensuring that they are not only accessible, but that they serve to inspire. 

The feature documentary “140", which Kotek co-produced, is the first ever user-generated film made utilizing social media. ”Little Larry,” which Elliot wrote, received a Directors Guild of Canada nomination, and his current productions include the documentaries “Queen Mimi” with Zach Galifianakis and “The People Sign,” which highlights the work of music interpreters for the hearing impaired.

SIGGRAPH 2014 Posts Studio Preview Video

Now you can take an early tour of the wonderful content in this year's SIGGRAPH Studio - a collaborative working environment where the latest technologies and brightest minds come together to learn, experiment, and create. Attendees of the SIGGRAPH Studio explore wide range of new techniques and media with help from experienced hands. Here is where attendees experience the latest in 3D printing, modeling, and animation software.

The SIGGRAPH Studio is made for anyone interested in cutting-edge DIY gadgets, quasi-objects, Rube Goldberg machines, user-generated content projects, software, hardware, processes, workflows, technologies, etc.

SIGGRAPH 2014 Releases Sneak Peek Emerging Technologies Video

The SIGGRAPH 2014 Emerging Technologies program showcases the latest interactive and graphics technologies before they transform the way we live and work. Emerging Technologies presents demonstrations of research from several fields, including displays, input devices, collaborative environments, gaming, computer vision, biometrics, wearable computing, scientific visualization, medicine, robotics, and design.  Here's the new preview video to get you an early peek of the wonderful tech coming to Vancouver.

Q&A With SIGGRAPH 2014 Emerging Technologies Chair Thierry Frey

"Physical Painting With a Digital Paintbrush"

First off, how many submissions did you get this year and how many were accepted? 

We received almost 90 submissions and accepted 24. We also have an additional two curated pieces. One of these received the SIGGRAPH Emerging Technologies prize at the partner conference, Laval Virtual, and thus was invited to SIGGRAPH ["Cyberith Virtualizer"].

How many submissions were from outside of the United States?

Out of 26 accepted pieces, more than 20 are from outside the USA.

Thierry Frey

Did you notice any new themes surface from the submissions?
Not exactly, even though we had a special call for "invisible technologies," i.e. installations and projects that leave technology in the background to focus on the user and/or the usage.


In a few sentences, how would you describe this year’s content?

Very diverse. Some of the selected submissions fall close to the special call. One, for instance, uses a technology that is known, though not extensively used, but in a manner that could help innovate storytelling. Others are more typical of Emerging Technologies, being very scientific or technical.

How will the venue be physically organized this year?

As in the past years, the venue will share space with Art Gallery and Studio. We have tried to emulate last year's design, where a single path leads attendees through all installations, starting with the more technical installations and taking them towards the more practical and tangible. The latter ones are located closer to the Studio, which is all about experience. Studio and Emerging Technologies are actually working together to share a few installations.

What do you think will be a few of the technologies that will really create a buzz?

“Pixie Dust,” for sure! It demonstrates the  manipulation and movement in a 3D volume light objects, such as very small pieces of Styrofoam.

I also think that “Birdly” and “Direct and Natural Interaction With an Aerial Robot” will be extremely popular with the attendees. They are both related to flight, something that we all yearn for, don't we?

What were some of the biggest challenges the jury faced this year?

"Tangible and Modular Input Device for Character Articulation"

I believe there were more or less the same as the previous years. We have two days to judge approximately 90 submissions, and it’s easy to get excited and to discuss each one of them! So time management is a big issue.

And once we have identified the top and bottom tiers, we have to rank the middle tiers. That takes even more time, because there's a facet to each installation that makes it worthy of being accepted. But, we have to make the cut somewhere.

How did you choose your jury?

I submitted the names of some persons I wanted to have on the unified jury and Ann McNamara, SIGGRAPH 2014 General Submissions Chair, made the final selection.

Outside of Emerging Technologies, what other areas of the conference are you particularly excited about?

First of all, Studio, because it has a lot of ties with Emerging Technologies. They are both what I call "experience programs" or hands-on, where attendees can interact and/or create digital content or tangible objects.

Another favorite is the exhibition, which can sometimes be considered as a natural "next step" for some of what is showcased in Emerging Technologies. An innovative and/or disruptive concept can be displayed in Emerging Technologies and then appear as a full-fledged product in the exhibition as early as the following year.

You have a bit of history with SIGGRAPH, in that regard what advice would you give to someone tackling the conference for their first time?

"Janus" - a transparent, double-sided display.

It can definitely be overwhelming! The first concession to make to oneself is that it's impossible to see everything, and choices must be made. Personal areas of interest will naturally help make some of those choices, favoring one program over another, for example, Production Sessions over Technical Papers (or the reverse!) I think you need to plan for the few things that you absolutely don't want to miss, and then also leave some room for wandering around, letting fate/chance guide you.

Most of the content is or will be accessible online after the conference, but not the venues that have to do with "experience,"such as Emerging Technologies, Studio and Art Gallery.

Finally, and probably most importantly, engage with other attendees, contributors and exhibitors.

One of your hobbies is flying gliders, how did you get into that sport and how has it impacted you professionally?

Thierry at the controls.

My father worked for Dassault Aviation, which manufactures the Falcon line of business jets as well as military jets such as the Mirage 2000 and the Rafale. He is himself a private plane and sailplane pilot, so I've heard constantly about flying machines all of my childhood.

I started flying at 15 and received my sailplane license at 16 and my plane licence at 17. In fact, in France, you're legally allowed to fly an aircraft solo before driving a car! After about a 10 years hiatus, I started flying again about 10 years ago and got my sailplane flight instructor certification 5 years ago. I believe that learning how to fly has had as strong impact on me, both personally and professionally.

Personally, the biggest lesson was probably when my instructor let me fly solo for the first time. We were flying runway circuits when he said, "Stop here, let me down, and keep going!" He was basically telling me "I trust you to bring yourself back in one piece." While my parents had actually taught me that lesson earlier, it really dawned on me then, when the consequence of a small problem can really be dramatic.

Thierry in mid-flight.

Professionally, learning how to fly teaches you focus and priorities. The pilot is actually in a constant state of information overload: You have many instruments that are giving you lots of information when, at any given time, you actually really need a single piece of information because you are focused on a single parameter. So you learn how to weed-out, constantly, the non-essential from the essential. The corollary is that you also learn how to assess and shift priorities, because the non-essential at a given time might become the essential a few minutes, if not seconds, later.

Editor's note: Check out the amazing Emerging Technologies Preview Video by clicking here.

SIGGRAPH 2014 Call For Submissions Share Your Talents at SIGGRAPH 2014! Present your work at SIGGRAPH’s 41st International Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques: the premier showcase for creating experiences that wow the crowds and stimulate the senses. Taking place 10-14 August 2014 at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, Canada. SIGGRAPH 2014 welcomes your technical skills and creative talents, ensuring that this year’s event will be the best yet! Whether you are an industry veteran or student, join your fellow computer graphic artists and scientists and share your talents at SIGGRAPH 2014. This year, we are also encouraging submissions focusing on mobile devices! Please consider submitting your work to our SIGGRAPH Mobile program if you are creatively making use of a tablet, smart phone, or any other mobile device for augmented and virtual reality, location-based interactions, collaboration, visualization, or anything else you wish to show us. While there is something for everyone at the conference, there is nothing without you and your contributions. Every piece submitted to SIGGRAPH 2014 through the Call for Submissions is reviewed by a highly qualified jury composed of top practitioners in the relevant field. Because we want each jury to have the time to review each piece carefully, submission deadlines generally are several months ahead of the conference itself. All the submission deadlines are strictly enforced, so be sure to plan accordingly. New for SIGGRAPH 2014 - All contributors to the conference will be required to use ACM's rights management system to grant the necessary permissions rather than SIGGRAPH's information system (SIS), which you used if you previously submitted to a SIGGRAPH conference.  You will still use SIS for creating submissions, but there will be an additional step of granting permissions in ACM--SIGGRAPH's parent organization--system. The ACM right management form includes permission to record and distribute audio and video recordings of presentations made at the conference for the purposes of distribution by ACM and SIGGRAPH. For submissions other than Technical Papers, this is a permission and release form, which allows you to retain the copyright. For technical papers, authors will have the choice of transferring the copyright to ACM, or selecting an exclusive publishing license, or an Open Access license. Complete instructions are available at the SIGGRAPH 2014 web site. Please review the policy before submitting.

Important Submission Deadlines Details For How to Submit Your Brilliant Work to SIGGRAPH All deadlines are 22:00 UTC/GMT Verify deadlines in your time zone via The World Clock converter. 12 January 2014 Student Volunteer Team Leader Applications 20 January 2014 Technical Papers 21 January 2014 Art Papers and Art Gallery 31 January 2014 Production Sessions 9 February 2014 Student Volunteer Applications 18 February 2014 General Submissions Courses Emerging Technologies Panels Posters SIGGRAPH Mobile Studio Talks 4 March 2014 Computer Animation Festival 1 April 2014 Real-Time Live! Dailies 6 May 2014 Late deadline for Posters Submission Deadline Notes Poster submissions can occur prior to the 18 February “general submissions” deadline or the 6 May late deadline for Posters. In both cases, Posters are reviewed using the same criteria and by the same jury. Authors submitting prior to the early deadline will get decision notification in mid-April.