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PDI shares latest breakthroughs at SIGGRAPH 99

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 newACM 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 tofeature new work in the annual "Oscars for the computer graphicscommunity." An excerpt from the PDI Short Film, FISHING by Animator DavidGainey will premiere in the festival. Key PDI technical contributors tothe short, Character Technical Director Cassidy Curtis, and Research &Development team member Nick Foster, will lead courses this year (seebelow).

- Non-Photorealistic Rendering, a full-day course on Monday August 9, willfeature Cassidy Curtis who will lecture on NPR imagery techniquesincluding ink and watercolor. Cassidy will also discuss imaging solutionshe applied to the PDI Short Films, FISHING and his own PDI ShortBRIC-A-BRAC which appeared in the Siggraph Computer Animation Festival in1995.

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

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

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

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

- Research and Development for Film Production: On Thursday August 12, PDIDirector of Animation Software Development, Ken Pearce will be a member ofthis panel which examines "approaches to finding the right creativetechnical staff, pushing the technical envelope, and satisfying productionneeds."

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

- PDI is an award-winning producer of high-end animation and visual effectsfor the feature film, commercial and entertainment industries. It is thechief supplier of computer-generated feature animation for DreamWorks SKGunder an exclusive co-production agreement. PDI is currently in productionon the second and third feature films, SHREK and TUSKER. In 1998, TheAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized PDI with aTechnical Achievement Award for the concept and architecture of thestudio's proprietary animation system.

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

Dan Sarto's picture

Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.