SIGGRAPH opens:

Today the huge computer graphics festival SIGGRAPH opens at the downtown LA Convention Center. In animation studios it is a Holy Day of Obligation for techies and CGI artists. Around this time art departments notice that regardless of deadlines or schedules, their people start disappearing from their desks as they make their Haj to the Great Floor.

SIGGRAPH began in the early 1970s as a few die-hards experimenting in electronic graphics who congregated once a year to share their new discoveries, mostly by writing out code in long hand on paper for one another. It has grown to a massive, slick trade show.

George Lucas is the keynote speaker this year. Conferences begin today and the exhibition floor runs from 2nd -4th Aug. Despite it`s size and commercial nature everyone still hopes to hear about a new discovery that might be announced.

In past shows univ and private researchers demonstrated breakthroughs like translusence of textures- a CG representation of a glass of milk doen`t look like flat white paint, or CG fire effects, a tough problem for years because animated fire actually was over exposed 120% on the film emulsion to look hotter than real, while you can`t overexpose on digital.

Everyone tries to get into the hot parties. Old timers remember years ago when ILM held their party at the Richard Nixon Birthplace. Many of the quaint old vaudeville palaces of downtown LA will ring with the sounds of Beck and Rob Zombie as the Digerati celebrate. So, have fun and if you are in the vicinity check it out. Next year SIGGRAPH 2006 will be in Boston.

Tom Sito  ¶ 9:43 AM