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B O S T O N<br />

Publication sponsored by<br />

The Magazine for the 33 rd International Conference & Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques<br />

Summer 2006<br />

www.digitalcontentproducer.com/siggraph_2006<br />

Volume 4 Issue 1<br />

1


ON THE COVER<br />

Art Director Amanda Fletcher captures the diversity and<br />

festival-like atmosphere of SIGGRAPH using a collage of still<br />

images from films shown at this year’s Computer Animation<br />

Festival and wall-hung art pieces displayed in the Art Gallery.<br />

This multi-layered cover image came from the following works:<br />

The Magic Box by Alexander Beim, Rama by Eric Bruneton,<br />

Kungfu Gecko by Nickson Fong, calidri by Brian Evans, Relighting<br />

Human Locomotion by Paul Debevec, E-scape by Masakazu<br />

Takano, and The Fly by Hanjin Song.<br />

FEATURES<br />

12 HANG ON TO YOUR SOCKS! By Michael Mallory<br />

Sure to impress attendees, the 2006 version of the SIGGRAPH Computer<br />

Animation Festival aims to be a discussion for the books—<br />

maybe even the Guiness Book. The goal of the comittee was to bring<br />

a big experience to the crowd, from the overarching tone of humor in<br />

the entries to the biggest Etch-A-Sketch® on earth. Michael Mallory<br />

gets the scoop from Festival Chair Terrence Masson.<br />

22 THE 2006 PAPERS PROGRAM<br />

Sit in on the presentations that shape the SIGGRAPH community<br />

as research results are shared and discussed by leading firms and<br />

institutions. From college campuses to industrial labs, top researchers<br />

give insights into how their technological advancements will<br />

revolutionize the computer graphics industry.<br />

DEPARTMENTS<br />

04 FROM THE CHAIR<br />

06 IN THE GALLERY<br />

06 KEYNOTE<br />

11 EMERGING<br />

TECHNOLOGIES<br />

16 GUERILLA STUDIO<br />

16 POSTERS<br />

16 SKETCHES<br />

18 COURSES<br />

18 ART<br />

RETROSPECTIVE<br />

19 PANELS<br />

19 SPECIAL SESSIONS<br />

20 EXHIBITOR LIST<br />

CONTENTS<br />

www.siggraph.org/s2006<br />

www.digitalcontentproducer.com/siggraph_2006 3<br />

© Pixar


SIGGRAPH SCENE<br />

FROM THE CHAIR<br />

In 2003, after many years of attending SIGGRAPH and seeing the significance<br />

of the show within the CG industry, John Finnegan, associate<br />

professor of computer graphics technology at Purdue University,<br />

decided to become more involved. Three years later, he’s running the<br />

show, spending the past 20 months motivating his committee to develop<br />

a SIGGRAPH like never before.<br />

“I have worked with a lot of groups over the years in putting on large<br />

events,” Finnegan says. “I have to say this group definitely took my call<br />

to action, ‘to be the best SIGGRAPH ever,’ and rose above the challenge.<br />

The time, energy, and talent of every member of the team is simply<br />

phenomenal. I am amazed on a daily basis as to what they brought<br />

to the process and what they delivered.”<br />

Finnegan and his committee focused this year’s show on the essence<br />

words: InterAction and InterFace. And as you trek the halls of the Boston<br />

Convention and Exhibition Center you’ll notice Finnegan’s overall theme<br />

of “INTER-.” “The myriad of ‘inter’ words all include the coming together<br />

of disparate entities to make a whole that is greater than the sum of its<br />

parts,” he notes. “I think this concept is what SIGGRAPH is about.”<br />

So, what exactly did this year’s committee deliver? “Simply the best,”<br />

Finnegan says. “Emerging Technology is bringing cutting edge technology<br />

to the conference. The Computer Animation Festival has scoured<br />

the globe for the finest animations available. In addition to the incredible<br />

submitted Art Gallery content, we worked with The Ohio State University<br />

to add a special ‘Charles Csuri Restrospective,’ the first extensive<br />

exhibition of his work, providing an historic look at CG and animation.”<br />

Finnegan also notes that this year’s job fair is expanded, providing<br />

more options to job-seekers than ever before. Plus, the exhibit floor<br />

features many first-time exhibitors, broadening the already significant<br />

gathering of CG hardware and software companies from around the<br />

world. “It’s the one place you can go and get all your [technology] questions<br />

answered.”<br />

SIGGRAPH 2006 returns to the East Coast after many years away.<br />

Finnegan found that Boston not only acts as a great venue for the conference,<br />

but also presents attendees with great opportunities away<br />

from the show. “Boston is a great family city, so attendees can not only<br />

attend the premier CG conference, but they can bring their families and<br />

experience the rich history, the cutting edge technology, some of the<br />

world’s best museums, and much more.”<br />

No matter what attendees seek at SIGGRAPH 2006, Finnegan affirms,<br />

“I don’t think anyone will be disappointed.” As with years past, the show<br />

is bound to be a hit. And it just might live up to Finnegan’s call to be the<br />

best ever. Welcome to Boston! Enjoy the conference and exhibition!<br />

SIGGRAPH 2006 COMMITTEE<br />

SIGGRAPH 2006 was made possible by the<br />

dedication of the following individuals and others<br />

who invested their time, expertise, intellectual<br />

curiosity, and enduring faith in CG.<br />

SIGGRAPH 2006<br />

Conference Chair<br />

John Finnegan, Purdue University<br />

Art Gallery<br />

Bonnie Mitchell, Bowling Green State University<br />

Computer Animation Festival<br />

Terrence Masson, Digital Fauxtography, Inc.<br />

Courses<br />

Dave Shreiner<br />

Educators Program/<br />

Teapot Exhibit<br />

Marc Barr, Middle Tennessee State University<br />

Emerging Technologies<br />

Tom Craven<br />

GraphicsNet<br />

David Spoelstra, MediaMachine<br />

Guerilla Studio<br />

Kimberly Voigt, Temple University, Tyler<br />

School of Art<br />

International Resources<br />

Kirsten Cater, University of Bristol<br />

Panels<br />

David (grue) Debry, Electronic Arts<br />

Papers<br />

Julie Dorsey, Yale University<br />

Research Posters<br />

Mike McGrath<br />

Sketches<br />

Hanspeter Pfister, Mitsubishi Electric<br />

Research Laboratories (MERL)<br />

Special Sessions<br />

Josh Strickon, New York Times Company<br />

Student Volunteers<br />

Jaime Radwan<br />

Outreach<br />

Scott Lang, Bergen County Academies<br />

Lynn Pocock, New York Institute of Technology<br />

Pathfinders<br />

Lou Harrison, North Carolina State University<br />

Development Donations<br />

Coordinator<br />

Pete Braccio, Monterey Bay Aquarium<br />

Research Institute<br />

Student Mentoring<br />

Jacquelyn Martino, Massachusetts Institute<br />

of Technology<br />

4 SIGGRAPH 2006 Magazine presented by <strong>Millimeter</strong> and Digital Content Producer


SIGGRAPH SCENE<br />

IN THE GALLERY<br />

Chair: Bonnie Mitchell, Bowling Green State University<br />

The Art Gallery at SIGGRAPH always provides a thought-provoking and barrier-breaking perspective on the contemporary<br />

arts. This year’s theme, Intersections, allows attendees to explore scores of 2D, 3D, and 4D wall pieces, as well as sound<br />

art, installation art, art animations, and screen-based work created around the globe. Says Art Gallery Chair Bonnie Mitchell,<br />

“The breadth and depth of [this year’s] content is staggering and should leave attendees breathless.”<br />

ART GALLERY OF SPECIAL FEATURES<br />

In addition to the exhibits, the Art Gallery will offer<br />

these special features:<br />

Art Papers: Seven in-depth presentations on a<br />

variety of topics ranging from “New Media, New<br />

Craft?” to “Drunk on Technology, Waiting for the<br />

Hangover.”<br />

Art Panels: Four panels offer attendees a chance<br />

to hear and share opinions on cutting-edge topics<br />

like “Generative and Genetic Art” and “New<br />

Interactions: Communities and Information.”<br />

Electronically Mediated Performances: 15<br />

hybrid forms of dance, theater, music, and art are<br />

presented by groups from around the world—including<br />

two off-stage performances throughout<br />

Boston using digital technology and projections.<br />

KEYNOTE ADDRESS<br />

Joe Rhode, executive designer<br />

and vice president of Walt Disney<br />

Imagineering<br />

Monday, July 31<br />

1:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m., Hall C<br />

Currently in charge of design and development<br />

of the Animal Kingdom at Florida’s Walt<br />

Disney Resort, avid adventurer Joe Rhode has<br />

trekked across the planet documenting its remarkable<br />

biodiversity. Listen to Rhode discuss<br />

the conception of Animal Kingdom, as well as<br />

his focus on conserving authentic environments<br />

and traditions while creating an interactive<br />

storytelling experience.<br />

Media Mirror by Jefferson H. Yan<br />

An interactive video installation continuously arranges small “mosaic” snippets<br />

of over 200 live cable TV channels, mirroring the person standing in<br />

front of the camera lens.<br />

biome 001 by Vicky Isley and Paul Smith<br />

Utilizing virtual space, beyond the reaches of the frame, the biome creates<br />

a dynamic world extending up to a mile in radius. In this space, machines<br />

inspired by sea creatures live and behave in ways generated by a general<br />

set of rules.<br />

Morpho Tower/Spiral Swirl by Sachiko Kodama<br />

This continually evolving sculpture responds to sounds in its environment,<br />

which causes the shape and textures of the piece to alternate between the<br />

iron core of the structure and a varying form produced by a covering of<br />

soft, flowing fluids.<br />

Addictive TV: Eye of the Pilot by Franciose Lamy<br />

Guitarist Alejandro de Valero takes part with many other audio/video artists<br />

to create this live cinema performance, remixing the personal archive of<br />

French pilot Raymond Lamy.<br />

Krakow: a woven story of memory and erasure<br />

by Joanna Berzowska<br />

Illustrating the artist’s memories of Poland, this electronic Jacquard<br />

weaving uses thermochromic inks to change conductive yarns from black to<br />

transparent—showing populations displaced and memories fading over time.<br />

6 SIGGRAPH 2006 Magazine presented by <strong>Millimeter</strong> and Digital Content Producer


EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES<br />

Chair: Tom Craven, recently retired from the Walt Disney Company<br />

SIGGRAPH SCENE<br />

Unique, eclectic, and diverse—these words symbolize this year’s offerings in the Emerging Technologies venue. The jury<br />

selected a wide variety of creative technology to include advancements defined as either small steps or large strides, showcasing<br />

the pivotal importance of all types of innovation. New to this year’s space is the “Fusion Midway,” which will be located<br />

between Emerging Technologies and the Art Gallery. “Many of these exhibits are interactive and just plain fun,” says Emerging<br />

Technologies Chair Tom Craven. “They’ll give attendees the challenge of deciding whether it is art or technology.”<br />

Forehead Retina System<br />

Hiroyuki Kajimoto, University of Tokyo<br />

Using advancements from the SmartTouch system exhibited at SIGGRAPH<br />

2003, the Forehead Retina System gives sight to the visually impaired. A<br />

headband with a built-in camera converts frontal view data into vision<br />

through the tactile electrical stimulation of 512 incorporated electrodes. The<br />

project strives to create an inexpensive and unobtrusive system that gives<br />

rich, dynamic 2D information to the blind.<br />

True 3D Display Using Laser Plasma in Air<br />

Hidei Kimura, Burton Inc.<br />

This is the first successful attempt to display “true 3D images,” out of thin<br />

air, using laser plasma technology. Constructed with a breakthrough plasma<br />

emission phenomenon, real 3D images are created within X, Y, and Z axes<br />

by focusing laser light on dot arrays in the air. Eventually this project seeks to<br />

serve laser-produced characters for entertainment, emergency information,<br />

or advertising in the sky.<br />

Virtual Open Heart Surgery<br />

Thomas Sangild Sorenson, Centre for Advanced Visualisation and<br />

Interaction, University of Aarhus, Denmark<br />

This year, attendees can test their operation skills by attempting to close a<br />

ventricular septal defect of the heart using a new training tool. Devised to<br />

help surgeons learn their way around complex open-heart surgeries, 3D<br />

MRI data mixed with graphical settings (to represent a surgical environment)<br />

provide morphologically accurate replicas of deformed hearts. The<br />

GPU that runs the simulation supports elastic tissue movements including<br />

grabbing, cutting, and suturing with haptic feedback.<br />

bubble cosmos<br />

Hideyuki Ando, NTT Communication<br />

Science Laboratories<br />

Opening the door for an entirely new advertising<br />

venue, the bubble cosmos system displays computer<br />

graphic images on smoke contained inside<br />

real bubbles. At a system-determined interval, the<br />

bubbles either disappear or burst, emitting an unexpected,<br />

exploding sound effect.<br />

High Resolution, Real-Time-<br />

Geometry Video Acquisition<br />

System<br />

Song Zhang, Harvard University<br />

This innovative new system introduces a video<br />

acquisition method that allows real captured video<br />

footage to be used in animation immediately.<br />

With an acquisition speed of 90fps and 266,000<br />

points per frame, the system brings the idea of<br />

coordinating 3D objects pixel by pixel, in realtime,<br />

to life via highly efficient and robust software<br />

algorithms.<br />

www.digitalcontentproducer.com/siggraph_2006 11


© Pixar<br />

TOP LEFT: Have an inner body experience during an excerpt from John<br />

Liebler’s film entitled The Inner Life of the Cell.<br />

TOP RIGHT: Framestore CFC gives you an up-close look at pre-history<br />

exposing dinosaurs like never before, detailing creatures all the way<br />

down to their dilating pupils in Walking With Monsters.<br />

BOTTOM: Pixar Animation Studios toots its horn with One Man Band,<br />

which debuted as a short during the showtimes of its most recent feature<br />

Cars.<br />

OPPOSITE PAGE TOP: The devil has grown more<br />

portly and less viscious in his old age, to the point he<br />

decides to leave his kingdom of fire to extinguish his<br />

burning heart in My Date from Hell.<br />

OPPOSITE PAGE BOTTOM: Psyop puts musician<br />

Sheryl Crow in a whole new world in its Animation<br />

Theater entry Good is Good.<br />

12 SIGGRAPH 2006 Magazine presented by <strong>Millimeter</strong> and Digital Content Producer


Hang Onto Your Socks!<br />

The SIGGRAPH 2006 Computer Animation Festival<br />

By Michael Mallory<br />

“<br />

The simple fact of recordbreaking<br />

submissions has<br />

pushed the quality of the<br />

content to an all-time high.”<br />

Terrence Masson, Computer Animation Festival Chair<br />

Don’t expect the medium to be the whole message<br />

at the SIGGRAPH 2006 Computer Animation<br />

Festival, which is taking place in the spanking-new<br />

Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, July 30<br />

to Aug. 3. The medium will certainly be there in all<br />

its state-of-the-art digital glory, but the message,<br />

according to Computer Animation Festival Chair<br />

Terrence Masson, is going to be, “Hang onto your<br />

socks and prepare to get blown away.”<br />

Masson, the founder of Digital Fauxtography Inc.,<br />

has masterminded—even micro-managed—things<br />

with the calculation of injecting humorous and<br />

passionate pieces into the show. “We have approached<br />

2006 very aggressively to make certain<br />

that SIGGRAPH continues to be the premier event<br />

to showcase the best work in computer graphics<br />

and animation. The simple fact of record-breaking<br />

submissions has pushed the quality of the content<br />

to an all-time high,” Masson says.<br />

A key element to this year’s eye-popping experience<br />

will be the use of Sony SRX-R110 4K digital<br />

cinema projector on the large-format main screen<br />

of the Electronic Theater, sonically augmented<br />

with a JBL 5.1 surround sound system. Masson<br />

www.digitalcontentproducer.com/siggraph_2006 13


has even designed the customized seating for<br />

2,500 viewers in the convention center’s Grand<br />

Ballroom, and promises, “There won’t be a bad<br />

seat in the house.”<br />

But that’s not all. The pre-show for the Electronic<br />

Theater will consist of the world’s largest Etch-A-<br />

Sketch®, oficially endorsed by Ohio Arts, which<br />

will be digitally projected onto a 35ft. by 25ft.<br />

screen and controlled by the audience through<br />

interactive wands. And yes, the Guinness Book<br />

people have been alerted.<br />

Of course, the greatest venue in the world does<br />

not mean much if the content is not equally great,<br />

and Masson feels that he has that base covered<br />

as well. SIGGRAPH 2006 received a total of 726<br />

submissions this year for the Computer Animation<br />

Festival, up more than 125 from the 2005 event.<br />

From that total, 97 films were selected for exhibition—some<br />

from such far-flung places as Syria<br />

and Iran. 458nm, a student film from Germany’s<br />

Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, directed<br />

by Jan Bitzer, Ilija Brunck, and Tom Weber, was<br />

awarded Special Jury Honors. An American entry,<br />

Best of Show: Charlex’s One Rat Short<br />

Most filmmakers employ rats when they want to<br />

disgust the audience. Those at the Manhattanbased<br />

Charlex, however, are using them to move<br />

the audience.<br />

One Rat Short, the 2006 SIGGRAPH Computer<br />

Animation Festival Best of Show, is a startlingly<br />

evocative and effective love story between a gutter<br />

rat and a white lab rat. It is also the Emmy-winning<br />

commercial shop’s first longer-form narrative film,<br />

and came about as a recruiting tool, according to<br />

writer/director Alex Weil, also Charlex’s founder<br />

and creative director.<br />

“I was competing with people who do features and<br />

entertainment work, so if I wanted to get talent in<br />

here I would have to do something besides commercials<br />

that had an edge to it,” Weil says. Starting<br />

out with a more comedic tone, the project’s look<br />

evolved into a much more gritty, high-contrast,<br />

hand-held one that juxtaposes grim mean streets<br />

with a starkly futuristic research lab.<br />

by Michael Mallory<br />

And turning photorealistic rats into convincing romantic leads was no easy<br />

task. “So much of it had to do with how we shot them, how we staged the<br />

scene,” says lead animator Pat Porter. “All of the parts—the music, the lighting,<br />

the staging—came together to let their emotions come through.” Some<br />

artfully acted head movements and a lot of restraint also helped.<br />

“The first few passes, we did a lot with the faces, but it looked cartoony,”<br />

adds lead animator Tony Tabtong. “We found if we held back, we could get<br />

a lot more emotion out of it.”<br />

The team used both Autodesk Maya 6 and 7 to animate and Mental Ray for<br />

the rendering, as well as many proprietary tweaks, notably shaders. While<br />

changing software versions mid-stream is never recommended, the film’s<br />

producer and art director Bryan Godwin notes, “There were numerous advancements<br />

in the export technology and hooks for Mental Ray in version 7<br />

that were worth going through the torture of upgrading.”<br />

The SIGGRAPH Best of Show award is just the first stop on the Festival trail<br />

for One Rat Short, which might ultimately lead to long-form film production,<br />

according to executive producer Chris Byrnes. “I don’t say it lightly, but we<br />

feel we know we can do an independent feature film,” Byrnes says. “We have<br />

the talent and the crew, and we learned enough.”<br />

14 SIGGRAPH 2006 Magazine presented by <strong>Millimeter</strong> and Digital Content Producer


Exemplifying exceptional<br />

skills in creature animation,<br />

Framestore CFC’s<br />

work on the underwater<br />

scenes and merpeople<br />

in Harry Potter and the<br />

Goblet of Fire is included<br />

in this year’s Animation<br />

Theater.<br />

One Rat Short, directed by Alex Weil and produced at the New York-based<br />

commercial house Charlex, was honored with Best of Show (see sidebar).<br />

Masson traces the increase in the number of entries this year to a deliberate<br />

outreach effort from him and his eight handpicked Computer Animation Festival<br />

judges: Iota Center’s Larry Cuba, Pixar’s Bill Polson, Sprite Animation<br />

Studio’s Moto Sakakibara, University of Toronto’s Jodie Jenkinson, Industrial<br />

Light and Magic’s Ed Kramer, Newtonic’s Glenn Robbins, Filmakademie’s<br />

Thomas Haegele, and Dan Krech, founder of DKP. “I wanted to pick folks<br />

who were very aggressively outgoing in their respective areas,” Masson<br />

says, “and I stressed the point from day one that they should each go out<br />

and proactively say to people, ‘You know, I saw your thing online,’ or, ‘I saw<br />

this film at a convention,’ or, ‘I know you’re doing this, because my buddy’s<br />

at your company, and you should really submit this to SIGGRAPH.’”<br />

Jurors were also selected for their specialties within the CG world and their<br />

international perspectives, not to mention their experience. In fact, all the<br />

judges can be regarded as true veterans—some, even pioneers—of this<br />

still-young industry. “The combined years of hardcore computer graphics<br />

production of the jury, plus that of myself, is something like 220 years,” Masson<br />

notes.<br />

The end result, he promises, is an overall viewing experience with no weak<br />

links. The Electronic Theater program traditionally offers a two-hour exhibition<br />

of the crème de la crème, which is then augmented by the programming<br />

in the Animation Theaters. According to Masson, the quality and overall<br />

entertainment factor is equally balanced in the Electronic and Animation<br />

theaters based mainly on the incredible submissions and dedicated effort<br />

of the jury. “People will be blown away by the quality in both theaters,” says<br />

Masson. “Our humble goal has always been to push beyond all past expectations<br />

of the Computer Animation Festival and set the bar even higher for<br />

future pieces.” The Electronic Theater main venue will screen 37 films, while<br />

the Animation Theater venues will show 60.<br />

Out of the total number of entries, 38 were student works, but they were not<br />

categorized in such a way for the judging. “I removed that [student] designation<br />

for the jury so that an individual student film from Des Moines, Iowa, was<br />

judged with the same criteria as ILM’s effects reel,” Masson says. And how<br />

did the student films rate? Some knocked the jury’s proverbial socks off, he<br />

says—particularly those from Europe.<br />

“The international students, frankly, far and away<br />

blew away the North American students across<br />

the board in terms of quality, creativity, originality,<br />

story, character animation, visual effects, aesthetics—everything,”<br />

Masson states. “Probably eight<br />

or nine out of 10 student works didn’t make it to<br />

the second round [of judging].” Masson did add<br />

that there were some surprising successes from<br />

unexpected North American schools including<br />

Brigham Young University, which is represented in<br />

the Animation Theater with the short Petshop.<br />

Of the European schools, France’s Gobelins<br />

L’Ecole de L’Image and Germany’s Filmakademie<br />

made the most impressive showing with five and<br />

three pieces, respectively, accepted into the exhibition<br />

(including the Special Jury Award winner<br />

458nm, which Masson describes as “absolutely<br />

brilliant”). Masson also says that commercials<br />

were a hot source of quality digital work this year—<br />

more so than the big tent-pole feature films. “We<br />

turned down most of the work submitted by the big<br />

major effects and animation companies, because<br />

the quality has been so high for so long, we’ve just<br />

seen it all,” Masson says.<br />

Having said that, though, Electronic Theater attendees<br />

will see two how-we-did-it clips from King<br />

Kong, courtesy of New Zealand’s Weta Digital,<br />

and get a peak at Monster House: There Goes the<br />

Neighborhood and Open Season: Separating the<br />

Trees From the Forest, both from Sony Pictures<br />

Imageworks, as well as One Man Band, the new<br />

Pixar movie. Animation Theater attendees, meanwhile,<br />

will revisit Hogwarts through a clip from<br />

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, featuring work<br />

from Britain’s Framestore CFC, which has four<br />

other pieces in the show. But Narnia will go unchronicled,<br />

Batman won’t begin, and Willie Wonka<br />

has already been retired.<br />

So what was the jury looking for? Masson breaks<br />

this year’s criteria down into three critical areas:<br />

story, animation and aesthetics, and the overall<br />

look of a film. Oh, and humor—lots and lots of humor.<br />

“One thing I really wanted to come through on<br />

this show was wacky, slapstick, outrageous, overthe-top,<br />

funny stuff,” Masson says. “Everybody<br />

that I picked as a juror mirrored my personality<br />

in that way: They were very outgoing, gregarious,<br />

funny people.”<br />

OK, so this year’s Best of Show, One Rat Short, is<br />

not exactly Tom and Jerry in terms of anvils and<br />

pratfalls, even if it does feature more genuine emotion<br />

than you’re apt to find in Poseidon or MI:3. All<br />

that means is that the SIGGRAPH 2006 Computer<br />

Animation Festival is bound to contain a wealth of<br />

unpredictable delights.<br />

www.digitalcontentproducer.com/siggraph_2006 15


SIGGRAPH SCENE<br />

GUERILLA STUDIO<br />

Chair: Kimberly Voigt, Temple University, Tyler School of Art<br />

The Guerilla Studio always brings a dynamic, creative energy to SIGGRAPH. This year is no different, engaging attendees<br />

with a broad range of interactive explorations and workshops. Overall themes for this year’s studio are Collaboration, Creative<br />

Excellence, Exploration, Education, Synergy, and Serendipity.<br />

The 2006 Guerilla Studio included an official Call<br />

for Participation, accepting five artist projects and<br />

two educational workshops, with several others<br />

curated into the program. Attendees can expect to<br />

learn about topics similar to past years with exhibits<br />

on large format 2D printing, 3D printing, 3D laser<br />

scanning, creative sessions, international collaborative<br />

projects, and more. However, this year<br />

adds a rejuvenating mind/body exploration from<br />

performance/technology artist Heather Raikes’ onsite<br />

project “Soma: Physical Media Meditation.”<br />

Not only will Guerilla Studio draw attention at SIG-<br />

GRAPH, but it also has plans to cultivate even<br />

greater attendee participation. Chairperson Kim<br />

Voigt suggests to visit www.siggraph.org/s2006<br />

often for the latest updates on all the Guerilla Studio<br />

has to offer.<br />

On-site, Collaborative Artist Projects:<br />

Enter the Graffiti Research Lab James Powderly<br />

and Evan Roth, New York City’s Eyebeam studio<br />

The Iterated 69 Sessions Marjan Moghaddam,<br />

Flavia Sparacino, Adam Caine, Michael<br />

Iannantuono, and Richard Hagen<br />

RESEARCH POSTERS<br />

Chair: Mike McGrath<br />

The Research Posters and Student Research Competition (SRC) returns to SIGGRAPH<br />

for its third year. Continuing its popularity, the committee expects more than 180 posters<br />

in this year’s showcase, chosen from an anticipated 200 entries.<br />

The Posters present important incremental, preliminary, partial, and innovative insights<br />

that may not embody a complete paper on their own. Selected entries are hung, in<br />

poster form, in a prominent area of the SIGGRAPH conference.<br />

Accounting for all phases of research, the program provides a presentation opportunity<br />

for smaller projects, or projects still in their infancy. This gives researchers a dynamic<br />

venue to discuss and exchange ideas, as well as provide feedback and critical examination.<br />

Additionally, it gives students the ability to get their ideas injected into the<br />

research field through financial support of the SRC program.<br />

SRC is a program established by ACM (sponsors of SIGGRAPH 2006) and is financed<br />

with the help of Microsoft Research. Last year, 50 student researchers submitted posters<br />

to SIGGRAPH, with half making the cut. At the show, a panel reviews the students<br />

work and provides additional funding to three winners.<br />

“The part that excites me most as an educator is the excitement these young researchers<br />

exhibit in presenting their results,” says Posters Chair Mike McGrath. “[The students]<br />

are excited about the opportunity to present at SIGGRAPH and are hungry for<br />

feedback. These young folks are the future.”<br />

Recontextualize your Online Avatar with OGLE (Open GLExtractor) and a<br />

3D printer or Google Earth Michael Frumin, New York City’s Eyebeam Art<br />

and Technology Center<br />

Painterly Rendering with Designed Imperfection Jin Wan Park, Producer/<br />

Director from Chung-Ang University<br />

Interactive Holographic Window<br />

3D Photographing, Printing, and Texturing of SIGGRAPH Attendees<br />

Flavia Sparacino from the MIT Media Lab<br />

Educational Workshops:<br />

Soft Computation and Physical Interaction Workshop Joanna Berzowska,<br />

founder of XS Labs, and Marcelo Coelho from Concordia University<br />

Podcasting Workshops Cynthia Beth Rubin, Colette Gaiter, Copper Giloth,<br />

and Jim Demmers<br />

Interactive Documentary Workshop Steve Anderson and Holly Willis,<br />

University of Southern California; Eric Gordon and Erin O’Brien, Emerson<br />

College<br />

Photoshop Sessions (all levels) Steven Burns, author and president of the<br />

San Diego Photoshop Users Group<br />

For more information visit the SIGGRAPH site at www.siggraph.org/s2006.<br />

ON DISPLAY JULY 30 - AUG. 3<br />

SKETCHES<br />

Chair: Hanspeter Pfister, Mitsubishi Electric<br />

Research Laboratories<br />

This year’s Sketches program includes<br />

132 selectively chosen presentations<br />

from a record-breaking 580 submissions.<br />

The 20-minute Sketches cover a<br />

broad spectrum of topics in art, design,<br />

science, and engineering—providing<br />

provocative speculation, academic research,<br />

industrial development, practical<br />

tools, and behind-the-scenes<br />

explanations of both commercial and<br />

artistic works.<br />

Sketches of interest include presentations<br />

about the special effects used in<br />

Ice Age: The Melt Down, Cars, Over the<br />

Hedge, Pirates of the Caribbean 2, and<br />

Poseidon. But, the 2006 offering will<br />

run the gamut, from showing the facial<br />

animation capture and expressive<br />

translation system used for King Kong<br />

to quirkier pieces, such as a presentation<br />

about a computer game that integrates<br />

human-pet interaction.<br />

16 SIGGRAPH 2006 Magazine presented by <strong>Millimeter</strong> and Digital Content Producer


CHARLES A. CSURI<br />

•<br />

•<br />

•<br />

•<br />

•<br />

SIGGRAPH SCENE<br />

COURSES<br />

Chair: Dave Shreiner<br />

Attendees to this year’s courses will find themselves immersed in a richly concentrated learning environment for current<br />

initiatives in the computer graphics industry. From production pipelines, content creation, and rendering to research and<br />

programming, everyone will be able to find a course that fits their interests. Courses Chair Dave Shreiner has lined up some of<br />

the industry’s best to share techniques and ideas, discussing not only projects of yesterday, but even projects in production<br />

today (without giving away key secrets, of course).<br />

A team from Sony Pictures Imageworks will<br />

give a detailed look of how a group of digital<br />

animators can work directly with traditional<br />

storytellers and artists to create an animated<br />

feature in “The Art of Open Season: Traditional<br />

2D Styling With Today’s Bells and Whistles.”<br />

Sunday, Jul. 30, 8:30 a.m.<br />

Brad Hiebert and his Rhythm & Hues Studios<br />

cohorts discuss new workflows, new procedures,<br />

proprietary software, and more in “The<br />

Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Crowds,<br />

and Rhythm & Hues.” Sunday, Jul. 30, 1:45 p.m.<br />

Ramesh Raskar of Mitsubishi Electric Research<br />

Laboratories goes over manipulation<br />

techniques used in creating pictures for CG<br />

and extracting scene properties in “Computational<br />

Photography.” Monday, Jul. 31, 8:30 a.m.<br />

Pamela Kleibrink Thompson of Ideas To Go<br />

exhibits and discusses tools for getting work in<br />

the computer graphics field during “Résumés<br />

and Demo Reels: If Yours Aren’t Working, Neither<br />

are You!” Monday, Jul. 31, 3:45 p.m.<br />

Walt Disney Feature Animation’s Rudy Cortes<br />

gives detailed insight into RISpec in the<br />

three-part course “RenderMan for Everyone.”<br />

Tuesday, Aug. 1, 8:30 a.m.<br />

SIGGRAPH 2006 celebrates computer graphics<br />

innovator Charles A. Csuri with an art retrospective<br />

exhibiting pieces from his first experiments<br />

in computer graphics to his works of today. Csuri<br />

is recognized as the father of digital art and<br />

computer animation by Smithsonian Magazine,<br />

and the Museum of Modern Art considers him the<br />

leading pioneer of computer animation.<br />

•<br />

•<br />

Ted Burge of Walt Disney Feature Animation assembles four screenwriting<br />

gurus to look at story structure, believable characters, and creating<br />

emotional connections with your audience in “The Art of Story Telling.”<br />

Tuesday, Aug. 1, 8:30 a.m.<br />

Fred Pighin of Industrial Light & Magic has organized a discussion on<br />

the current innovations in mo-cap, modeling, and cross-tracking during<br />

“Performance-Driven Facial Animation.” Wednesday, Aug. 2, 8:30 a.m.<br />

BEYOND BOUNDARIES: CSURI RETROSPECTIVE<br />

Since creating some of the first digital art in 1963, Csuri has led the digital<br />

art and animation industry as co-founder of one of the world’s first animation<br />

production companies, Cranston/Csuri Productions, and has directed<br />

various programs dedicated to the research and development of computer<br />

graphics and animation. Csuri’s former students and assistants have put<br />

their acquired knowledge and skills to practice at Pixar, Industrial Light &<br />

Magic, REZN8, Rhythm and Hues, BlueSky Productions, and Walt Disney<br />

Productions. Their credits can be found on films such as Star Wars, Terminator<br />

2, Lawnmower Man, Jurassic Park, Casper, Ice Age, and Toy Story.<br />

The exhibition includes some of Csuri’s earliest work, “After Cezanne” and<br />

“Sinescape,” which he created in the 1960s. A number of large-scale digital<br />

images, “Brick Landscape,” “Golden Mask,” and “Venus in the Garden” will<br />

also be on display. Csuri’s work has evolved with advances in technology,<br />

but remains true to his vision. His surrealist and abstract artwork continues<br />

to utilize one of his original concepts, the Infinite Art Object, incorporating<br />

mathematical techniques to generate the infinite viewpoints of 3D images.<br />

18 SIGGRAPH 2006 Magazine presented by <strong>Millimeter</strong> and Digital Content Producer<br />

NARNIA © DISNEY/WALDEN


PANELS<br />

Chair: David (grue) Debry, Electronic Arts<br />

SIGGRAPH SCENE<br />

Get right in the middle of discussions and debates over industry hot topics at the 2006 Panels. This year’s sessions revolve<br />

around the theme of legal limitations within the computer graphics industry, discussing the ethical boundaries of image manipulation<br />

in film, magazines, and journalism. “The SIGGRAPH community is at an interesting point in time,” says Panels Chair David<br />

(grue) Debry. “For 33 years, SIGGRAPH has been influential in technological and artistic progress in computer graphics. Now<br />

that this medium is so widespread, we’re starting to face questions not just of innovation, but of ethics and responsibility.”<br />

Digital Rights, Digital Restrictions<br />

Mon., Jul. 31, 3:45 - 5:30 p.m.<br />

With increasing bandwidth and accelerating speeds on the Internet, the<br />

world population can disperse and deliver large amounts of digital information<br />

almost instantly. Today’s entertainment corporations attempt to curb<br />

piracy through legal means via the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).<br />

Collaboration between studios and hardware or software companies has<br />

created products that limit the way audio and video files can be used and<br />

shared. Should these collaborations be legal? Is forcing all users to purchase<br />

or upgrade to certain digitally rights managed hardware a fair move?<br />

Panelists - Robert Ryang of P.S. 260; Karen Sandler of Software Freedom<br />

Law Center; Mitch Singer of Sony Pictures Entertainment; Emru Townsend<br />

of FPS Magazine<br />

So You Want to Create Content: Licenses,<br />

Copyrights, and Other Things to Think About<br />

Tue., Aug. 1, 1:45 - 3:30 p.m.<br />

Over the years, licensing generated content has gone from deciding between<br />

open and proprietary licenses, to deciding between “free as in beer” or “free<br />

as in speech,” up to today’s multitude of schemes devised for copyrighting<br />

and licensing—most differing on what’s protected and what’s not. Why do<br />

we need so many schemes? Why are we creating even more schemes, notably<br />

the GPL version 3? What’s left out of today’s schemes that tomorrow’s<br />

will cover? As creators, what are our biggest concerns in licensing to protect<br />

our wealth? Panelists - Andy Luckey of Greater Family, LLC; Gary Morris of<br />

Kenyon & Kenyon, LLP; Gregory Silberman of Kaye Scholer, LLP<br />

Ethics in Image Manipulation<br />

Tue., Aug. 1, 3:45 - 5:30 p.m.<br />

Some of the new graphics technology developed and presented by the SIG-<br />

GRAPH community has found its way into certain image infringements. Most<br />

notable are Time Magazine’s doctoring of O.J. Simpson’s mug shot, the digital<br />

duplication of soldiers at a George W. Bush campaign rally in 2004, and<br />

CBS digitally replacing the NBC logo on the Times Square Jumbotron during<br />

the 2000 New Year’s celebration. Our community takes credit for these<br />

amazing technologies, should we also take responsibility? When is image<br />

manipulation appropriate? How should the SIGGRAPH community respond<br />

to the unethical applications we have created? Panelists - Kathryn Carlson of<br />

Fluid Effect; Brian DeLevie from the University of Colorado at Denver; Aude<br />

Oliva from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology<br />

Is a Career in Computer Graphics Possible?<br />

Tue., Aug. 1, 10:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.<br />

Wed., Aug. 2, 3:45 - 5:30 p.m.<br />

This two-part series looks at the internal and external hurdles faced by those<br />

attempting to break into the industry. Part 1 focuses on the skills and training<br />

of individuals from schooling and company training, alike. What skill sets<br />

are most valuable? Is it better to be a generalist or a specialist? Are there<br />

strategies to avoiding obsolescence? Part 2 revolves around dedication and<br />

expectations of employees. Can companies stay profitable while avoiding<br />

massive overtime? Should we just learn to live with serious stress and eventual<br />

burnout? Panelists (Part 1) - Chryssa Cooke from Ex’pression College<br />

for Digital Arts; Greg Maloney of Industrial Light & Magic; Ken Maruyama of<br />

Sony Pictures Imageworks; (Part 2) - Jenny Fulle of Sony Pictures Imageworks;<br />

Kevin Koch of The Animation Guild, IATSE Local 839; Henry LaBounta<br />

of Electronic Arts<br />

SPECIAL SESSIONS<br />

Chair: Josh Strickon,<br />

New York Times Company<br />

Sure to be a highlight in Boston are this<br />

year’s Special Sessions. Chairperson Josh<br />

Strickon decided early on that his sessions,<br />

although fewer in number, would be grander<br />

in scheme. Sessions were designed around<br />

specific themes and will not only focus on the<br />

film industry, but also reflect the balance of<br />

SIGGRAPH as a whole, including art, sci-viz,<br />

and design.<br />

“While the expectation of the community may<br />

have been to see a Pixar Cars session,” Strickon<br />

says, “I took it one step further to create<br />

a session that will include not only work from<br />

Pixar, but also real car designers.”<br />

Concepts of the other three sessions include a<br />

performance session tied to the art community,<br />

an oceanography session targeting the<br />

sci-viz sector, and a voice talent session for<br />

the film industry. But, all sessions are sure to<br />

have appeal to general audiences.<br />

Plugged In: Creating Emotional Responses<br />

Through the Use of Entertainment<br />

Technology and Live Performance<br />

Monday, Jul. 31, 4:45-6:45 p.m.<br />

Vrooom Vrooom: SIGGRAPH at 500<br />

Horsepower<br />

Tuesday, Aug. 1, 4:45-6:45 p.m.<br />

20,000 Bits Under the Sea: How Robotics,<br />

Visualization, and Scientific Computing are<br />

Changing the Way We Explore, Discover,<br />

and Understand our Oceans<br />

Wednesday, Aug. 2, 1:45-3:45 p.m.<br />

Sounding Off: How Voice Talents Bring<br />

Characters to Life in CG Film<br />

Wednesday, Aug. 2, 4:45-6:45 p.m.<br />

www.digitalcontentproducer.com/siggraph_2006 19


EXHIBITOR LIST<br />

Below is a sampling of the more than 250 exhibitors—a SIGGRAPH record—displaying technology and services on the floor<br />

of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. For a complete list visit www.siggraph.org/s2006. (List as of 6/23/06)<br />

1 Beyond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206<br />

2d3 Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129<br />

3D Consortium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120<br />

3D Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1400<br />

3D Training Institute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2302<br />

3Dconnexion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2306<br />

3dMD/3Q . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2303<br />

5DT (5th Dimension Technologies . . . . 429<br />

Academy of Art University . . . . . . . . . 1723<br />

Act-3D, B.V. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2523<br />

Adobe Systems Incorporated . . . . . . 2006<br />

AJA Video Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1031<br />

Akasaka Natural Vision<br />

Research Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 608<br />

AMAX Information Technologies . . . . . 930<br />

AMD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 806<br />

American Paper Optics . . . . . . . . . . . . 404<br />

Anark Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2030<br />

Andersson Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . 113<br />

Animation Magazine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2208<br />

Anthro Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2414<br />

Anzovin Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 530<br />

ARTVPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2514<br />

ASC-American Cinematographer . . . . 115<br />

ATI Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1513<br />

auto.des.sys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 819<br />

Autodesk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1706<br />

Avid Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1713<br />

Axceleon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430<br />

B&H Photo-Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 729<br />

Ballistic Media Pty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406<br />

Barco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219<br />

Beijing ZhongShiDian<br />

Digital Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116<br />

BlueSky Studios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 623<br />

BigStockPhotos.com<br />

BlueArc Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2226<br />

BlueBoxME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2624<br />

Boris FX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2525<br />

BOXX Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1523<br />

BrightSide Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . 209<br />

CADD Edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 830<br />

CalDigit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329<br />

Caligari Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2426<br />

cebas Computer GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . 1701<br />

Center for Computation &<br />

Technology at Louisiana<br />

State University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2506<br />

Ciara Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 815<br />

Ciprico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2131<br />

CMG-Collaborative Media Group . . . . 130<br />

Cogswell Polytechnical College . . . . . 222<br />

Computer Graphics World . . . . . . . . . 2219<br />

Corel Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303<br />

Cosmic Blobs/SolidWorks . . . . . . . . . . 314<br />

Craft Animations and<br />

Entertainment AB . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2613<br />

Create Magazine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119<br />

Cycling ‘74 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2508<br />

DataDirect Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2620<br />

DAZ Productions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2400<br />

DigiPen Institute of Technology . . . . . . 131<br />

Digital Artist Management. . . . . . . . . . 416<br />

Digital Content Producer Magazine . . 508<br />

Digital Domain/D2 Software. . . . . . . . . 416<br />

Digital Media Arts College . . . . . . . . . . 216<br />

Digital Media Professionals . . . . . . . . . 409<br />

Digital-Tutors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2616<br />

Drexel University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2129<br />

DVS Digital Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2119<br />

e frontier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2211<br />

e-on software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1828<br />

Electronic Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1530<br />

EON Reality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2417<br />

eyeon Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2206<br />

FiatLux/KGT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2424<br />

Florida Interactive Entertainment<br />

Academy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211<br />

Fork Particle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403<br />

Frantic Films . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331<br />

GenArts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1700<br />

Genesis Microchip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123<br />

Gibbs College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207<br />

Google . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226<br />

Great Eastern Technology . . . . . . . . . . 215<br />

Hash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2223<br />

Hewlett Packard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1203<br />

Hotronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 827<br />

I-CubeX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2518<br />

IBM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111<br />

IdN Magazine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417<br />

IDT Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2011<br />

Illuminate Labs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 617<br />

Immersion Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . 1211<br />

Immersive Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2308<br />

InSpeck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2028<br />

IntegrityWare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2517<br />

International Academy of<br />

Design & Technology . . . . . . . . . . . 2200<br />

InterSense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1214<br />

Isilon Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2416<br />

ITT Educational Services . . . . . . . . . . . 114<br />

John Wiley & Sons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322<br />

JourneyED.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2116<br />

Khronos Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 611<br />

LAIKA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426<br />

LightSpace Technologies . . . . . . . . . 2331<br />

Lightspeed Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102<br />

Linden Lab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301<br />

Lucasfilm Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1717<br />

Massive Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1023<br />

MAXON Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 603<br />

Measurand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128<br />

MediaLab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2528<br />

Meta Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423<br />

Microsoft Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . 2619<br />

<strong>Millimeter</strong> Magazine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 508<br />

Mitsubishi Electric Research<br />

Laboratories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307<br />

Morgan Kaufmann/Focal Press . . . . . 2014<br />

Motion Analysis Corporation . . . . . . . 1503<br />

MOVA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1027<br />

National Animation &<br />

Design Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2128<br />

NEC Display Solutions of America . . . 515<br />

New York Film Academy . . . . . . . . . . . 125<br />

New York Institute of Technology . . . 2526<br />

20 SIGGRAPH 2006 Magazine presented by <strong>Millimeter</strong> and Digital Content Producer


New York University - CADA . . . . . . . 2425<br />

NewTek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1518<br />

Nexstar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2522<br />

Next Limit Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . 402<br />

NextEngine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 630<br />

Northeastern University . . . . . . . . . . . 2622<br />

NVIDIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1017<br />

Ohio University School of<br />

Telecommunications . . . . . . . . . . . 2130<br />

Okino Computer Graphics . . . . . . . . . 2408<br />

Orad Hi Tec Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 502<br />

Peachpit Press . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2018<br />

PipelineFX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2614<br />

Pixar Animation Studios . . . . . . . . . . . . 811<br />

Pixologic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1223<br />

PNY Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 626<br />

Point Grey Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 928<br />

Post Magazine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2219<br />

Purdue University, Department of<br />

Computer Graphics Technology . . 1728<br />

Radical Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . 2509<br />

Ravensbourne College of Design<br />

and Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . 229<br />

Reallusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 600<br />

REALVIZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419<br />

Relic Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2026<br />

Renderosity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203<br />

Rhythm & Hues Studios . . . . . . . . . . . 2023<br />

Ringling School of Art and Design . . . 411<br />

Rochester Institute of Technology . . . . 200<br />

Savannah College of Art<br />

and Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2016<br />

SensAble Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . 408<br />

Side Effects Software . . . . . . . . . . . . 1713<br />

snowball VFX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 715<br />

Sony Pictures Imageworks . . . . . . . . 1506<br />

SpheronVR AG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2404<br />

Spine3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1601<br />

Springer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2419<br />

Stash Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 529<br />

Storewiz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 615<br />

Stratasys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 514<br />

StudentFilmmakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2628<br />

Sybex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323<br />

T-Splines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108<br />

Technicolor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2430<br />

TechViz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208<br />

TeraRecon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2406<br />

Texas Memory Systems . . . . . . . . . . . 1702<br />

The Art Institutes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1006<br />

The Center for Digital Imaging<br />

Arts at Boston University . . . . . . . . 531<br />

The CGAL Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316<br />

The Cleveland Institute of Art . . . . . . . 2611<br />

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EXHIBITOR LIST<br />

The DAVE School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2630<br />

The Guildhall at SMU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308<br />

The MIT Press . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 831<br />

The University of the Arts . . . . . . . . . . . 118<br />

Thomson Course Technology . . . . . . . 619<br />

Toon Boom Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . 1201<br />

Total Immersion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2202<br />

Triple Squid Software Design . . . . . . . 2626<br />

University of Massachussetts-<br />

Dartmouth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 629<br />

Valenciennes Digital/Supinfocom . . . . 926<br />

Vancouver Film School . . . . . . . . . . . . 2204<br />

Vertus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 616<br />

Virtools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 823<br />

VisMasters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1014<br />

Visual Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1301<br />

Wacom Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1011<br />

Walt Disney Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . 1227<br />

Web3D Consortium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223<br />

Westbridge Film School . . . . . . . . . . . 2428<br />

wondertouch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 606<br />

Xerox Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 517<br />

Yorkshire Forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2427<br />

Z Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1831<br />

Zygote Media Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2411<br />

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21


PAPERS<br />

Each year, the SIGGRAPH Papers Program showcases<br />

the leading innovations in computer graphics.<br />

Signifying the expanding influence of the SIG-<br />

GRAPH community around the globe, this year’s<br />

Papers committee accepted more than 80 hot<br />

topic submissions from 15 countries around the<br />

world. Attendees in Boston will hear presentations<br />

given by industry leaders from the United States,<br />

Israel, Germany, China, Scotland, Korea, Austria,<br />

Hong Kong, Canada, France, Switzerland, England,<br />

Belgium, and Finland.<br />

“Papers is a premier forum for disseminating<br />

groundbreaking, provocative, and important new<br />

work in computer graphics,” says Julie Dorsey,<br />

SIGGRAPH 2006 Papers Chair. So, when deciding<br />

on criteria for narrowing down the 474 paper<br />

submissions, the committee primarily looked at<br />

two things: the excellence of ideas and expected<br />

impact on the field.<br />

As it is every year, the Papers Program is a key component<br />

of this year’s SIGGRAPH conference. Topics<br />

covered usually resonate within the core of the<br />

industry and can ignite attempts to break barriers<br />

on all levels of the CG terrain. Participation in SIG-<br />

GRAPH Papers provides a forum to discuss breakthrough<br />

research from various sources, including<br />

top educational institutions such as Columbia University<br />

and Stanford University, as well as leading<br />

research facilities such as Microsoft Research and<br />

Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories (MERL).<br />

Papers address traditional topics within the industry,<br />

including animation, modeling, and rendering.<br />

University of Washington representatives<br />

Adrien Treuille, Seth Cooper, and Zoran Popovic<br />

discuss their attempts to improve animated crowd<br />

movement with collision avoidance in “Continuum<br />

Crowds.” Electronic Arts evaluated and licensed<br />

its new algorithm, which creates a realtime performance<br />

that may be used in its next generation<br />

of games. In “A Fast Multigrid Algorithm for Mesh<br />

Deformation,” researchers Lin Shi, Yizhou Yu, Nathan<br />

Bell, and Wei-Wen Feng at the University of<br />

Illinois at Urbana-Champaign explore more efficient<br />

techniques for deforming large surface and<br />

volume meshes. The team discovered a system<br />

that trades accuracy for speed, which saves time<br />

and money, to achieve greater interactivity.<br />

Beyond coverage of traditional core areas of computer<br />

graphics, the Papers Program also spans a<br />

range of additional topics, including image manipulation<br />

and capture, which are presented in<br />

“Multiple Interacting Liquids.” Another discussion<br />

given by representatives from the University of Toronto and Massachusetts<br />

Institute of Technology focuses on correcting the chronic problem of blurry<br />

photographs. Their paper, “Removing Camera Shake From a Single Photograph,”<br />

introduces a new algorithm for removing these effects to create<br />

clearer images.<br />

For a complete list of the 2006<br />

Papers, as well as information<br />

on other SIGGRAPH presentations,<br />

such as the Panels<br />

Program and Special<br />

Sessions, visit www.siggraph.org/s2006.<br />

Researchers from the University of<br />

Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will<br />

present “A Fast Multigrid Algorithm for<br />

Mesh Deformation” during Thursday’s<br />

Shape Deformation Papers session.<br />

The SIGGRAPH 2006<br />

Papers Program<br />

Monday, July 31<br />

Session: “Sampling and Ray Tracing”<br />

8:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.<br />

Session: “Image Processing”<br />

8:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.<br />

Session: “Shape Matching and<br />

Symmetry” 10:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.<br />

Session: “Shape Modeling and<br />

Textures” 10:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.<br />

Session: “Image Manipulations”<br />

3:45 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.<br />

Tuesday, August 1<br />

Session: “Surfaces”<br />

8:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.<br />

Session: “HDR and Systems”<br />

10:30 am–12:15 pm<br />

Session: “Appearance<br />

Representation” 1:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.<br />

Session: “Matting and Deblurring”<br />

3:45 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.<br />

Wednesday, August 2<br />

Session: “Fluids”<br />

8:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.<br />

Session: “Image Collections”<br />

8:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.<br />

Session: “Motion Capture”<br />

10:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.<br />

Session: “Image Capture”<br />

10:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.<br />

Session: “Precomputed Transfer”<br />

3:45 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.<br />

Thursday, August 3<br />

Session: “Appearance Modeling”<br />

8:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.<br />

Session: “Meshes”<br />

8:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.<br />

Session: “Light Transport”<br />

10:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.<br />

Session: “Shape Deformation”<br />

10:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.<br />

Session: “Numerical and Geometric<br />

Algorithms and Crowds”<br />

1:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.<br />

Session: “Animation”<br />

1:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.<br />

Chair: Julie Dorsey<br />

Yale University<br />

Session: “Non-Photorealistic<br />

Rendering” 3:45 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.<br />

22 SIGGRAPH 2006 Magazine presented by <strong>Millimeter</strong> and Digital Content Producer

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