Search form

SIGGRAPH '99: Where's the Rest of the Zoo?

Jennifer Champagne enjoyed the exhibition booths, the screenings, the TechnOasis and more, but thought the floor seemed a little more sparse than in years gone by...

SIGGRAPH `99 was filled with the usual suspects -- the gimmicks and giveaways to draw one into particular booths on the exhibition floor, phenomenal screenings of the best of the best in computer graphics, and world class experts discussing the latest advancements through papers and in panels and presentations. However, it was somewhat of a disappointment for me. I'm really used to the event taking up the entire Los Angeles Convention Center, where you have to spend five days to look at everything. While we always complain that SIGGRAPH is a zoo, I think we all secretly look forward to it for just that reason. This year, the Expo especially, was sadly lacking in volume. However, the quality of what was there for perusal was definitely worth the time. I'll go through the highlights of what I found was the most interesting of show for animation type folks.

The exhibit floor at SIGGRAPH `99. All images are courtesy of SIGGRAPH.

The exhibit floor at SIGGRAPH `99. All images are courtesy of SIGGRAPH.

That Ol' Expo Floor

On the floor, there was a nice change from the smoke machines, disco lights and techno music. It seemed as if this year was focused on the style of presentation rather than how loud you can present it. Intergraph had a sleek yet large booth sporting their goods from the new 650s to machines equipped to handle HDTV throughput without a second thought. Across the way was Newtek, showing off their latest release of Lightwave, utilizing the talent from Station X Studios, the primary proponent of the product. The rest of the displays became a blur with the exception of a select few. Gentle Giant wins the award in my book for the most hospitable and unique booth. They were giving away hats with a successful free-throw shot into the nerf hoop set up on their motorhome/production vehicle. Aside from that, they rank as unique because of the services they offer. In a sea of digital artwork and animation, gadgets and gizmos, mechanical armatures that look like they are pulled from a Cronenberg film, yet are actually used to record human motion -- Gentle Giant provides sculptures and maquettes for character visualization and prep for digitizing. These guys still actually use clay rather than CVs, and they are coming from the art background that so many computer artists unfortunately lack. They integrate the digital realm with a portable Cyberware scanner in the back of the motorhome, so that they can be onset with your production to meet immediate needs. For instance, they can scan an actor who has been in a make-up chair for six hours, who does not want to come down to the studio to go through the entire process again just for digital scanning. Really, my Gentle Giant cap is off to Gentle Giant who had the courage and insight to show up with traditional art tools at a digital show. The most ingenious marketing goes to Sony Imageworks with their Figure Drawing class. Imagine: a Sony Imageworks shirt is given to you (a good thing in itself), and then you use it as a canvas as an art instructor steps you through the process of figure drawing as a model stands in front of you. This has nothing to do with Imageworks' ability to provide digital visual effects (if you've seen anything from Stuart Little, you don't need any more convincing), but it sure brought people into the booth.

Students at a class in the Creative Applications Lab, one of many classes presented as part of The Electronic Schoolhouse.

Students at a class in the Creative Applications Lab, one of many classes presented as part of The Electronic Schoolhouse.

On to the Screening Rooms

Outside of the Exhibition was the presentation of The Story of Computer Graphics. Shown at the Shrine Auditorium with a High Definition projector, the film not only was a tribute to the founders of the technology that we thrive in, but also a test for the new technology of HDTV and how well it actually holds up on a 70 foot screen. The presentation of the information was well thought through and the music was moving, despite the fact that a mixing flaw occasionally overpowered the narration and voices. Overall, The Story of Computer Graphics should be required viewing for new employees at CG studios because of the importance of knowing the history of the industry in which you work.

The Electronic Theater this year was an impressive collection of the year's best CG, and indeed most of it was the best. This would become a long list if I were to list the animation that stood out, but I'll name some of the animations that blew me away. Fiat Lux was an experiment in Radiocity and Dynamics (at least that's what it looked like) that was choreographed to choral music. The realism of the piece is astounding, and the beauty behind the cutting and choice of camera compositions is really what CG artists should strive for -- a complete balance between the technical and the aesthetic. Jason Shulman of Ringling School of Art and Design showed us what could be done with the combination of character animation and good storytelling with Hollow. Industrial Light & Magic gets credit for sheer volume of quality work with Saving Private Ryan, The Mummy, Wild Wild West, "First Union: Launch," and The Phantom Menace, of course. The most promising technology I will give to Pacific Title/Mirage for their creation of a believable CG actor in The Jester. The most humorous goes to To Build A Better Mousetrap from Digital Filmworks and Softy Puffs: Paper Chase from Windlight Studios. Finally, I would put in a plug for Blue Sky's Bunny, directed by Chris Wedge, but he got an Oscar, so I'm going to defer to Piotr Karwas' Masks as the Best of Show, moving it one spot up from the Jury Prize that it received. Again, the combination of technology and storytelling is the thing that will push the medium further, and Masks definitely shows where that balance can lead.

Many were impressed by the cool stuff on display in The Millenium Motel.

Many were impressed by the cool stuff on display in The Millenium Motel.

And Beyond...

Although I've been in the middle of production and time constraints did not allow me to attend the much coveted conferences, panels and papers, I did hear that if you were interested in the focused topic of each presentation they were excellent and truly world class. Nowhere else can one find such in-depth presentations on topics that are of use and challenging to those in the thick of such work themselves. I also wanted to offer kudos to Marla Schweppe's TechnOasis. The innovative works of art that were gathered in the gallery were what SIGGRAPH is all about -- technology integrating with art to create the next step. I would have to say though that from what I did see on the floor, SIGGRAPH '99 was more focused and less saturated than in year's previous. Perhaps a projection of the fittest? Or just a testament to the fact that after years of rapid innovations, this year saw a slowdown in new software and hardware developments. We'll have to wait to see until next year in New Orleans. Jennifer A. Champagne is a founding partner at Max Ink Cafe, LLC. Champagne is currently wrapping the first season of Black Scorpion and the animated short, Players.

Tags