Kellie-Bea Cooper asks everyone from pioneers to students just what they thought about the new, highly regarded SIGGRAPH documentary. Also features Quicktime video interviews by Diana Cracknell.
video interviews by Diana Cracknell
If you have the QuickTime plug-in, you can view the video interviews that are featured in this article. Once a year thousands of computer graphics enthusiasts gather at a Special Interest Group for Graphics (SIGGRAPH) conference to share ideas, learn from each other, and show off a bit. This conference, organized in part by the Association of Computing Machinery (AMC), is a haven to encourage each other to branch out to the next challenge, and to conquer the next frontier. Through all the excitement it's easy to forget how it all came to be. To shed some historical light to the conference goers and kick-off the SIGGRAPH '99 convention in Los Angeles, AMC SIGGRAPH premiered its new feature length documentary, The Story of Computer Graphics.. The film documents the technicians, artisans, visionaries, and studios who were faced with the challenges of creating the hardware and software which has changed the way we see the digital world today. Let's hear the reactions from some of those who saw the film, as well as some who participated in it. From students to pioneers everyone had something to say about The Story of Computer Graphics. Being A Part Of It All Because the history of computer animation is, at only 50 years, so young, everyone from the pioneers up until today are really a part of this exciting history. "It was great seeing all these people and knowing that I was kind of a part of it. We started [Homer and Associates] in '87, so it was already fairly advanced and [in the film] these were more of the pioneers that brought it up." - Peter Conn best known for Homer & Associates. Peter has been to SIGGRAPH more than 15 times.
"It was fascinating to see how the history and development had been the result of personal dedication and absolute serendipity. It was also instructive to see how very recently CG has become the darling of Hollywood. I was intrigued to discover how cautiously and/or casually some of today's key figures in the business had become involved." - David Barrington-Holt from Jim Henson Creature Shop Los Angeles. Barrington-Holt has been in the visual effects industry since the mid `80s. "Every year we see small but meaningful advances that transform the field. We are just starting to see the results of those who actually studied computer animation in college. There's a lot more to come in the future, hopefully as good or better than what we see today." - Isaac Kerlow from Walt Disney Technology Group, known for early work in computer graphics in fine arts. "Today our collective is bigger, stronger, and closer to a level playing field. It's like a renaissance or golden age for computer graphics." - Robert Abel known for Abel & Associates, pioneer in the use of computer graphics for TV commercials. "SIGGRAPH has always been the annual event. You can always learn something there, but more importantly it was always a great opportunity to continue to build relationships." - Carl Rosenthal from PDI, pioneer known for the use of computer graphics in film.
Three Cheers For Our Silent Mentors Throughout the film, new comers to the field, as well as veterans, could see the growth, as well as hear and feel the energy set forth by the pioneers. Granted it takes a lot of self motivation to be a part of this industry, but it's so encouraging to have a glance at the experiences that came before us. Like silent mentors the pioneers in this film are leaving behind an accurate trail from which we all can grow. Take Miko Jelison for example. He's a student from Massachusetts who may very well take his love for music and create a team to build the next computer graphics collaborative company.
"People who were into [computer graphics] and had all the great ideas -- which everyone knows now are really significant -- took them to all the big names and couldn't get investors. So they said, `Hey, let's start our own company.' [It was impressive that] they just showed up at each other's houses and sat down and talked, instead of [with] big businesses. It shows how individuals can be a power." - This was Miko Jelison's very first SIGGRAPH.Student Jayson Whitmore also walked away with a new sense of appreciation and respect.
"Being so young to this industry, I had never known what it took to bring about modern day hardware and software programs. You are so used to being able to manipulate images easily and quickly, never thinking to look back to the amazing geniuses who were responsible for creating this generation of computer artists. I have great respect for the people who have pioneered the computer graphics industry, making it easy for people like myself to take advantage of this exciting time in computer art." - Jayson Whitmore, graduate student of the recording arts, film & video production and digital media degrees offered at Full Sail Real World Education, Winter Park Florida.Many found that the documentary helped them reflect on the origins of technical breakthroughs."The documentary helped me reflect on things I had forgotten. It helped me appreciate and have pride in all the stepping stones that came before me." - Robert Abel"[I found out] where the bloody teapot originated." - David Barrington-HoltThen there were some that reflected even deeper to find and thank their own personal mentors."First and foremost, my Dad, who thought it sounded like an okay idea to start a CG company in 1980 when there wasn't any software available and no client base. Harry Marks was one of our first supporters. For four or five years we worked for him on show openings, IDs and other broadcast graphics projects. He taught us a lot about design and visual perception. I would include the entire team at NYIT. In addition to Ed Catmull and Alvy Ray Smith there was an amazing crew of creative talent, including Paul Heckbert, Lance Williams and many others. Every year they would blow away the SIGGRAPH audience with what they had created." - Carl RosenthalLessons From Real Life Struggles However, it wasn't all fun and games for these pioneers. They had their share of struggles too. As with the successes, walking in our heroes shoes, seeing their struggles and revelations can really be enlightening and motivating.
"I really got a kick out of hearing Dennis Muren be so uninterested in computer graphics, because Dennis Muren has always been one of my heroes. To hear him dismiss it so easily was fascinating. I loved when George Lucas was describing that the way they got CG started at ILM was for Dennis Muren to take a sabbatical so they actually had a chance to work [with computer graphics] for a little bit. And that was what got him interested in it." - Doug Cooper from DreamWorks Feature Animation. Doug has been to SIGGRAPH 5 times. "I had not realized that the art community had, initially, shunned computer graphics in favor of a more traditional set of mediums. I wasn't around then, and most of that was lost on me. That fact goes a long way toward explaining some computer people's attitudes toward traditional art institutions and mediums." - Jon Gilbert, Website Systems Engineer, Netscape Communications Corp. "I liked that the film talked about the struggles and the stick-to-it-ness. It mentioned the unavoidable truths of bad storytelling, lay-offs, and company failures. It also talked about unconventional successes through those stubborn enough to keep on going when doors were closed on them." - Robert Abel "I think anyone in a creative field could learn the fundamental lesson that sometimes it's more important to do it for yourself than to wait for someone else to support you in your endeavors. There will be those who already understand this lesson, and others who never will! - David Barrington-Holt.
Optimal Viewing Audience The film brings up a number of points that can be educational to a wide variety of audiences. As a result, there are mixed feelings about who would be the best target audience for this documentary. However, everyone agrees that it is a must see, especially aspiring youth. "Definitely the people who deal with CG art on a daily basis. It is jam packed with high tech information that people outside of the industry could somewhat relate to but not as much as someone who is surrounded by the industry on a daily basis. Furthermore, the computer arts veteran who had been a part of the evolution of technology would have the most appreciation." - Jayson Whitmore Though it sounds good and makes a lot of sense, others had a different opinion. "Certainly not the people that lived through it! It would be good more as a history lesson to students still in high school looking for answers to questions they don't yet have; it would establish a good baseline to work from." - Jon Gilbert has been going to SIGGRAPH since he was in high school himself. "I think the film will be very educational to those who see the CG films and take the CG tools for granted. Jr. High, High School, Film and Art schools would benefit greatly. Young educated talent equals power." - Robert Abel
"The people behind the movie did a great job summarizing lots of information and presenting it in a way that a layperson can understand and enjoy. I took my parents to see it and they understood what the movie was about." - Isaac Kerlow I think it is safe for me to say that the target audience is very wide. I'd love a copy of the film to show both to my students, and to reflect upon myself from time to time. The Evolution of Computer Animation One of the major points of the film was showing how the evolution of computer graphics ran its course. Carl Machover, one of the Executive Producers of the documentary and long time advocate of CG, tells us about the rapid growth and accessibility of the field.
"[The key growth of CG was] the accessibility of the technology. The stuff they were showing in the early stages literally took hundreds and thousands of dollars for very primitive equipment. Times today [have changed] when people are practically giving these things [hardware/software] away. In my point of view this has created a democratization of computer graphics, which was just simply not possible when this all began." - Carl Machover has been to all the SIGGRAPH conventions.Others have experienced this treasured democratization of CG, but it's interesting to note that it wasn't done intentionally."No one proclaimed to have changed the face of animation, only that we pushed the vision as a collective body, or birds of a feather. The computer itself can't animate, but we built off each others successes. We improved upon each other for the challenge of it. And with this challenge we began to communicate, entertain and excite others. We really enjoyed it! It's made our work and studies fun. None of us ever intended it to play a role in film making, it just evolved."The beauty of this evolution is that it's still happening. Back when my mentor John Whitney, Sr. was experimenting, computing power wasn't cheap to come by. As time went on, computers became more and more affordable and accessible. I believe this started with Jim Clark's vision to bring the tool to the masses. This accessibility made it possible for the back-yard inventors (programmers, artists, visionaries) to rise to the top. The true knights of R&D." - Robert AbelHave We Hit the Promised Land? It could not have been foreseen 50 years ago where the digital world currently stands, but have we neared our limit?
"I think it was good that [the film makers] took a negative report on computer graphics a little bit too. They're saying, `We're not out of the woods. We can see the promise land, but we're not there yet.' That was wonderful. I think that it was great of SIGGRAPH to be open minded enough to say there is a promise land but [that] we're not there yet." - Kevin Kain from San Francisco has been to SIGGRAPH 7 times. "Computer graphics is 50 years old. To try to show everything in 90 minutes is virtually impossible. One of the thrusts that we were trying on the film was to emphasize how this technology has changed the way everyone lives. It changed the way we do our work. It changed the way in which we play. And we could show only some of those [ways]. You know there's room for another film." - Carl Machover.
What's next on the horizon?
So if we're not there yet, I'll be at the edge of my seat waiting to know what's next. Some people think that the CG technology search has hit a plateau. To explain this, I have talked with many who have a very definite vision for the future.
"Content! As evidenced by Tron and more recent films such as The Lost World or countless others, if the content of the show isn't enough to pique my interest and make me forget that I'm watching a computer generated film, I'm likely to walk out. Content is king, always. Producers and developers seem to keep forgetting that." - Jon Gilbert "I think what we're gonna see is a way that computers blend completely into the background. The way that computers actually, will finally become so every-day, so common place, and so ubiquitous that there will be no opportunity for us to think of them as being separate from the normal work that artist and engineers and the rest of us do." - Kevin Kain
"Are we getting to a point or plateau where the tools and development is finally leveling off I don't think so. I think there's so many new things to develop. I just started to see some amazing things being done with painterly style rendering. Stuff that's not photo realistic but is new, expressive, and [creating] artistic ways to represent images. I think there are frontiers that we have not begun to scratch the surface of yet. Not only have we come so far, but we have so much farther to go. It's really exciting!" - Doug Cooper. We have come a long way in the last 50 years. This well-received documentary may be the first of many films. New challenges will readily be explored in the years ahead since that's what filmmaking is all about. However, now it's not just a few wild horsemen out there on the prairie. The frontier has been opened wide by these pioneers, and The Story of Computer Graphics reminds us of them and that we all need to give our good thanks. Kellie-Bea Cooper is in the animation and SPFX industry and has produced both traditional animation and computer animation. She has worked for The Baer Animation Company, Jim Henson Interactive, and Warner Bros. TV animation. Kellie-Bea is currently the owner and president of her new studio and school, The Better Mouse Trap. Diana Cracknell is a student in Loyola Marymount University's animation program, which is a part of the film department.
