Computer graphics industry leader PDI (Pacific Data Images) will participate in a variety of presentations at SIGGRAPH 99. They include the following:


- PDI Co-founder and Chairman Carl Rosendahl is featured in the new
ACM SIGGRAPH produced feature-length documentary, THE STORY OF COMPUTER GRAPHICS. The documentary "chronicles the history of the industry, its impact on society, and the excitement of future possibilities."


- Electronic Theatre: For the fourth consecutive year, PDI is proud to
feature new work in the annual "Oscars for the computer graphics
community." An excerpt from the PDI Short Film, FISHING by Animator David
Gainey will premiere in the festival. Key PDI technical contributors to
the short, Character Technical Director Cassidy Curtis, and Research &
Development team member Nick Foster, will lead courses this year (see
below).


- Non-Photorealistic Rendering, a full-day course on Monday August 9, will
feature Cassidy Curtis who will lecture on NPR imagery techniques
including ink and watercolor. Cassidy will also discuss imaging solutions
he applied to the PDI Short Films, FISHING and his own PDI Short
BRIC-A-BRAC which appeared in the Siggraph Computer Animation Festival in
1995.


- Visual Effects Galaxy, a full-day course on Monday August 9, will
include PDI Senior Effects Animator Scott Singer who will lecture on dust
and water effects as seen most recently in the PDI/Dreamworks
feature-length animated film ANTZ.


- Simulating Nature: From Theory To Application, a full-day course on
Monday August 9, will feature Nick Foster lecturing on his 1999 Academy of
Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences "Sci/Tech" award-winning work in
software development of fluid dynamics for water and gas animation.


- CG Crowds: The Emergence of the Digital Extra, a panel on Wednesday
August 11, featuring PDI Effects Animators Juan Buhler and Jonathan Gibbs,
will examine the challenges of creating crowd systems for use in feature
films.


- The annual "CG-Char" gathering of character animators at Siggraph will
include an exclusive presentation by PDI Animator and FISHING Short Film
Director David Gainey on Wednesday August 11, at the Wilshire Hotel, near
the convention center.


- Research and Development for Film Production: On Thursday August 12, PDI
Director of Animation Software Development, Ken Pearce will be a member of
this panel which examines "approaches to finding the right creative
technical staff, pushing the technical envelope, and satisfying production
needs."


- Form and Function of Effects in Animated Films, will take place on
Friday August 13. This panel, lead by Visual FX Supervisor Ken Bielenberg
and Effects Animator Apurva Shah, will address the fundamental question
that arises in considering effects in animated films, "if the entire movie
is computer-generated, what defines an effect?"


- PDI is an award-winning producer of high-end animation and visual effects
for the feature film, commercial and entertainment industries. It is the
chief supplier of computer-generated feature animation for DreamWorks SKG
under an exclusive co-production agreement. PDI is currently in production
on the second and third feature films, SHREK and TUSKER. In 1998, The
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized PDI with a
Technical Achievement Award for the concept and architecture of the
studio's proprietary animation system.


For more information visit PDI online at www.pdi.com.