SIGGRAPH 99 A Look into the Future of Computer Graphics and Interactive Technologies by Keith Lissak The world's largest gathering of computer graphics technologies descended upon the L.A. Convention Center August 8-13, when the 26th annual International Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, more commonly known as SIGGRAPH, came to town. During the week-long schedule of events, nowhere else on the planet could you find so many technical visionaries, visual effects studios and high-performance computer systems bunched in one spot. For Guild members, the trick to navigating the show floor was being selective. Most of the over 300 exhibitors highlighted products, technologies and services that, while cool to look at, won't necessarily impact the world of film and television editing. Case in point: the first booth I encountered was that of SGI, with its new Reality Center system stopping me dead in my tracks. I stood before a high-resolution, rear-projected video wall fed by an Onyx2 server. The on-screen content, created through a "geo-specific database," appeared to be from a camera positioned in deep space which could zoom down to pre-selected locations around the globe. Through a seamless composition of CGI and satellite and aerial photography, the system operator could travel thousands of miles through space to, say, a point just above the Golden Gate bridge in a matter of seconds. As a large-scale, virtual environment, the Reality Center could open up new doors in medical research, aeronautics, engineering and other high-tech endeavors, but it's value as an entertainment device may not extend much beyond theme parks. It was still awesome to see. The show's largest exhibitors were hardware and software manufacturers. But, unlike NAB, at which it's possible to get lost inside some of the largest booths (think Sony, Panasonic and Avid), SIGGRAPH remains quite manageable. Plus, there's a lot more eye candy than you'll find at NAB. One half of the Avid booth, for instance, served as a dedicated theater showcasing the high-end work created with its Softimage products. Around the side of the booth was a demonstration of Sumatra, the code name given Softimage's new nonlinear animation system. The product's interactive and customizable interface gives animators amazing control over their projects; for instance, by employing mixer-like slide controls, you can easily manipulate individual sections of a larger object, such as the front right leg of a four-legged creature. This level of control is possible, because Sumatra "employs a node-based, multi-threaded architecture, where all operators are relational, in an editable construction history stack." I'm not sure what that means, but the interactivity of the program brings a new level of sophistication to an animator's arsenal. Discreet's booth highlighted the company's full line of graphics and online editing systems, including Smoke, Edit and Flame. Media 100 was also there, as were Quantel, Play, NewTek, Matrox and other companies vying for slices of the editorial market. The emphasis at SIGGRAPH is clearly not editing, however: it's on graphics and effects tools - and recruiting. That's why many of the leading visual effects companies, including ILM, Digital Domain, Pixar, Rhythm & Hues, Pacific Data Images, Sony Pictures Imageworks and Dream Quest Images, had booths that were more recruiting stations than artistic showcases. In fact, one of the great draws to SIGGRAPH for aspiring graphic artists is the chance to make contact with human resources personnel at these companies. For the second straight year, Sony Pictures Imageworks took one of the most imaginative approaches to recruiting: in-booth drawing classes. Crowded around a live model, participants sketched their work on souvenir T-shirts as instructors offered hints and criticisms. Those artists whose work stood out were invited to apply at the studio; the rest were sent off with their custom T-shirt a reminder of the good time they had at SIGGRAPH 99. In addition to the exhibition, the SIGGRAPH conference presents a number of educational programs that reach out to every segment of the computer graphics industry. "The Electronic Schoolhouse," for instance, included the Classroom for presentation of papers and panels, the Workshop for hands-on activities, and the Playground for stand-alone exhibits. The Schoolhouse's courses ranged from "An Introduction to Digital Effects" to "High End Interactive Media in the Museum." Back on the show floor, one attendee noted that SIGGRAPH represents the direction our industry is heading. He then added, "These are the companies that create the pieces. It still takes an editor to put it all together." They haven't come up with a computer that can do that yet, have they?   Reprinted from The Motion Picture Editors Guild Newsletter Vol. 20, No. 6 - Sep/Oct 1999   Guild Home | Newsletter Home | Top of Page   Copyright © 1999, All Rights Reserved by The Motion Picture Editors Guild, IATSE Local 700