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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 />
Master of Science in Digital Imaging and Design<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