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SIGGRAPH 2005 - An Overview
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The
Los Angeles Convention Center - Siggraph 05
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SIGGRAPH
2005, the 32nd conference on computer graphics and interactive techniques,
attracted 29,122 artists, research scientists, developers, and academics
from 81 countries to Los Angeles last week.
More than 250 companies exhibited, including 65 for the first time,
covering more than 70,000 net square feet of space. The event was
held from 31 July to August 4 with the technical papers & conferences
on all days and exhibition from 2 August.
SIGGRAPH
is unaraguably the Mecca for Computer Graphics artists and not surprisingly
so, considering the constant focus of organisers ACM SIGGRAPH on
pushing technology and art in computer graphics and interactive
techniques. The focus of the event does not deter, howmuchsoever
the magnitude.
Lucas
Keynote - A major highlight
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George
Lucas at Siggraph 05
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One
of the major highlights this year at SIGGRAPH was the keynote event
which featured George Lucas in an interview format something similar
to a late night talk show. Lucas, who is lauded as the father of
digital cinema and internationally known for visionary cinematic
feats such as "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones,"
explained, "I am a storyteller at heart."
The
Godfather of CG & FX pointed out that he wasn't interested in
how effects were created but rather in using them to narrate stories
better. "I am not a computer person," said the icon. "All
I do is think it up, and say, `I want to do that.' And they say,
`That's impossible.' And then I say, `We'll, figure out how to do
it.'
The
above mentioned lines characterise the creative genius, and can
serve as an inspiration for all CG & VFX artists 'If something
was required to tell a story better. The artist and the technician
can figure a way out' (Click
for more on Lucas' keynote address)
Other
Highlights
Other highlights this year included production sessions with Disney,
Dreamworks, and Sony Pictures; the emerging technologies exhibits
and the Cyber Fashion show.
The show also
featured the annual Computer Animation Festival, a digital Art Gallery,
and the exposition floor which was bustling with activity. Other
features included a variety of session types such as papers, sketches,
panels, and courses.
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Glenn
Keane
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At
one of the Disney presentations Legendary animator Glen Keane talked
about 'Legacy of Disney Animation', his first talk at SIGGRAPH since
1986. Keane who is directing Rapunzel Unbraided (CG) spoke about
how from being an animator who had vowed to never leave his
pencil, he had come to accept CG.
Keane recalled the time when the Disney management was trying to
sell him the idea of directing Rapunzel Unbraided in CG.
The clincher for him was when CG Supervisor Kevin Geiger sat down
with the veteran animator and laid the challenge out in terms that
Glen could grasp and appreciate.
"Kevin
said 'If you can do all the things that you do while drawing without
using a pencil, are you in?'," "And I said 'Yes.'"shared
Keane
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IPAX
Session - Artists draw as curious onlookers stare
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The
Sony Imageworks IPAX life drawing sessions by Karl Gnass too caught
a lot of attention of the visitors even as the models posed for
the artists who vociferously kept at their drawing boards.
Dreamworks animation, fresh from the success of Madagascar
had its biggest ever presence at SIGGRAPH this year. The studio
had lined up the largest number of presentations with four courses,
two panels and seven sketch presentations. The studio also chaired
three sketch sessions and two "birds of a feather" talks.
The
computer animation festival
A seven member panel reviewed around 560 submissions and shortlisted
68 pieces of work which were showcased at The computer animation
festival, one of the strong regular features at SIGGRAPH.
Many
an artist dreams about creating a short that can be displayed at
SIGGRAPH. (Mumbai based Sci Clone's Elvis & I nearly made
it to being entered at SIGGRAPH but for some rendering work which
was pending)
Interestingly this year witnessed a lot of non-entertainment-related
clips displaying CG technology being used in other arenas. “Our
industry’s roots are in this field, and I have long thought
that there should be a stronger scientific representation in the
festival,” CG World quotes chair Samuel Lord Black as saying.
Awards
given at the show were the Computer Festival Animation Awards and
three individual prizes. The animation award for Best of Show went
to Shane Acker for 9 with additional honors going to Tomek
Baginski for Fallen Art and Eric Castaing, Alexandre Heboyan,
and Fafah Togora for La Migration Bigoudenn" Tomek Baginski
became the first 2 time award winner at Siggraph, having earlier
won in 2002 for The Cathedral. (Click
for more on the award winning entries)
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A
view from the 3rd floor
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The
convention floor
Like
every year, this year too saw a host of new product and version
launches from the Computer Graphics Hardware and Software companies
such as Alias, Autodesk, Avid, Maxon, Massive, Realtek, ATI, AMD
etc. The Avid stalls were abuzz with visitors who thronged to check
out the face robot technology on display. An equally strong crowd
quesued up to have a dekko at Massive's launch of Massive Jet crowd
multiplication software.
Motion
Capture was another hot thing this year with a lot of booths displaying
advanced mo cap techniques.
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Rhythm
& Hues booth at SIGGRAPH
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Amongst
studios & FX houses , all the majors including Dreamworks, Disney,
Pixar, Sony Imageworks, Blue Sky Studios, Industrial Light &
Magic, Rhythm & Hues, had strong presence displaying their forthcoming
releases and work.
Rhythm
& Hues showcased its work on The Chronicles of Narnia, the
Lion, the witch and The wardrobe in a big way at its booth (#1912).
The ongoing boom in the animation and CG industry meant that the
recruitment wings of all the major studios were working full throttle
at SIGGRAPH adding the feather of a job fair to the event's overstuffed
hat.
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Still
from A day with Wilbur Robinson displayed at WDFA's
booth at SIGGRAPH 05
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Walt
Disney Feature Animation's booth not only hyped the studio's upcoming
release "Chicken Little," but also displayed a significant
amount of concept art for WDFA's next four animated films: "American
Dog," "A Day with Wilbur Robinson," "Rapunzel
Unbraided" and "Toy Story III."
Dreamworks
unveiled artwork and footage from several of its upcoming films, such
as "Wallace & Gromit -- The Curse of the Were-Rabbit,"
"Over the Hedge," "Flushed Away,"
"Shrek 3," "Bee Movie" and "Kung
Fu Panda" in its booth (#1131) on the convention floor.
Emerging
Technologies Exhibits
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CMU's
Quasi
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The
emerging technologies exhibits (32 in all) ranged from mindboggling
to bizzare. Of them Quasi, the short robot from Carnegie Mellon
University was one of the star attractions. The robot stunned visitors
by not only talking to them but by conversing on various topics
impromtou asking them about their cameras et all.
Quasi would exhibit emotions such as sadness, confusion, and anger
by tilting its head and changing the color of his eyes. In addition,
the tone of voice would change and match his mood. Quasi seemed
to have an unreal sense of his surroundings, and followed attendees
as they moved around.
The robot wasn't AI based though as one may infer. Quasi is remote
controlled via a Tablet PC. Sort of a high tech puppet, wherein
the operator sets the mood of the robot and speaks via a headset.
The robot can have varying degrees of moods, for example he can
be set to 50 percent mad and 50percent confused.
Complete information on Quasi can be found here - http://www.etc.cmu.edu/projects/ibi/
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Virtual
Canoe at Emerging technologies exhibits
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Other
exhibits included the The Interactive FogScreen (Univ of California),
Virtual Hang-Gliding Over Rio de Janeiro (Universidade de São
Paulo) which was very popular, conscious=camera and Virtual Canoe
amongst many others.
The virtual canoe is a real-time water simulator with a pre-computed
database of 3D fluid dynamics. The system simulates a real-time
wave model with a database for complex and fast-flow areas around
objects that creates realistic wakes and force feedback of water
resistance.
Goals for the virtual canoe project include Invention of a real-time
fluid model for virtual reality,
Invention of real-time visualization and haptization methods for
the real-time fluid model and Understanding of fluid-phenomena simulations
in engineering.
Papers
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Tomoyuki
Nishita
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Papers
are the more traditional sessions, in which a group of three or
four papers are presented by their authors along with some videos
of their results. A theme that was ever present in SIGGRAPH 05 was
that of natural phenomena: fluid dynamics, deformable models, plants,
etc.
The Steven Anson Coons Award for Outstanding Creative Contributions
to Computer Graphics went to Tomoyuki Nishita from the University
of Tokyo, for his renders of nature scenes. Computer Graphics Achievement
Awards went to Jos Stam of Alias, for his algorithms on the simulation
of natural phenomena, while the Significant New Researcher Award
went to Ronald Fedkiw of Stanford University, for his research into
computational fluid dynamics.
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The
fastforward papers preview
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The
Fast Forward Papers Preview was an exceptionally unique event at
SIGGRAPH. Presenters were given 50 seconds to convince attendees
to visit their papers session later that week.
The papers covered a large assortment of topics were covered such
as Mesh-Based Inverse Kinematics, Interactive Flower Modeling, Dual
Photography, and As-Rigid-As-Possible Shape Manipulation.
One
of the few game-related sessions was the one on believable AI-driven
characters, in which panelists (mostly from EA) discussed the future
of characters.
All the SIGGRAPH 2005 papers can be accessed online at the BROWN
COMPUTER SCIENCE webite here - http://www.cs.brown.edu/~tor/sig2005.html
Visitors
from India
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R&H
India's Saraswathi
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Amongst
the few visitors from Indian studios were Rhythm & Hues India's
Saraswathi & Prashant. Also Landmarvel's vetrivell along with
a few other colleagues.
Speaking to Animation 'xpress Sarswathi commented,"I
saw a lot of Indians and they all seem to be doing well for themselves!
they are very dedicated and passionate about the animation VSFX
industry they are in!"
On being asked as to what struck her most about SIGGRAPH? she replied,"*people*:
passionate people who love the industry they are in. Its a great
place to meet some nice people. Also *information*: there is a lot
of information available !
The
show now heads to Boston in 2006 and will be held in the Boston
Convention & Exhibition Center, 30 July - 3 August 2006.
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