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
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.
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
IPAX Session – Artists draw as curious onlookers stare
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.
The poster of ‘9’ – Winner 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)
A view from the 3rd floor
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.
Rhythm & Hues booth at SIGGRAPH
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.
Still from A day with Wilbur Robinson displayed at WDFA’s booth at SIGGRAPH 05
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.
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/
Virtual Canoe at Emerging technologies exhibits
Other exhibits included the The Interactive FogScreen (Univ of California), Virtual Hang-Gliding Over Rio de Janeiro (Universidade de S??o 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 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.
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 –
Visitors from India
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.