SIGGRAPH 2013 Highlights from Anaheim

Anaheim marked the 40th annual SIGGRAPH Conference and Exhibition.

SIGGRAPH 2013, the world’s premier conference on computer graphics and interactive techniques, celebrated its 40th anniversary by welcoming 17,162 artists, research scientists, gaming experts and developers, filmmakers, students, and academics from 77 countries around the globe to Anaheim, California this week. In addition, 180 industry organizations exhibited at SIGGRAPH 2013 representing 43,850 sq. ft. of exhibit space. A total of 15 countries were represented on the show floor, which represented 38% of the floor being from outside the United States.

Mk Haley, SIGGRAPH 2013 Conference Chair

“”No matter where SIGGRAPH is held, the gathering of tribes across such a wide range of industries and backgrounds always makes for an educational, inspiring, and delightful experience.” said Mk Haley, SIGGRAPH 2013 Conference Chair from Disney Research. “SIGGRAPH 2013 was certainly no different. The content, the connections, the experience will live on through to Vancouver 2014. We want to personally thank everyone who participated or contributed in any way. Our plan is to use SIGGRAPH 2013 as a launching pad to extend the conference out beyond today’s closing through the creation of SIGGRAPH University and posting the entire 2013 Keynote session online amongst other initiatives.”

In all, more than 1,354 speakers and contributors participated in the conference through a variety of talks, sessions, panels, papers, presentations, tutorials, and screenings.

Highlights from SIGGRAPH 2013 included:

The entire SIGGRAPH 2013 Keynote Session is available online here.

Nine Distinguished Animation Directors Share Their Complex Paths to Success at SIGGRAPH Keynote SIGGRAPH 2013, in collaboration with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented “Giants’ First Steps.” The panel was moderated by Randy Haberkamp of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and included notable directors: Ron Clements, Pete Docter, Eric Goldberg, Kevin Lima, Mike Mitchell, Chris Sanders, Henry Selick, David Silverman and Kirk Wise.

The panel explored the issues unique to the world of animation. The session was a part of the Marc Davis Lecture Series, which was established to provide a forum for film experts to explore the challenges of creating animation for feature films. The entire session is available online here.

The Project Skye blimp entertained attendees before the Computer Animation Festival.

The Computer Animation Festival presented the world’s most innovative, accomplished, and amazing creators of digital gaming, film, and video. The Festival received more than 500 juried submissions in 2013. In addition to film screenings, the Festival included interactive sessions and exclusive learning opportunities to gain industry secrets and advice from some of the most successful professionals in the field. In all, there was a more than 10% increase in accepted films resulting in 8 additional hours of content for Daytime Selects. Also, the Electronic Theater returned with a total of 33 accepted pieces.

The Visuals Effects of Marvel’s “Iron Man 3” was a popular session.

There was also a very deep set of 15 Production Sessions and a Real-Time Live! program that attracted major crowds.

SIGGRAPH 2013 Computer Animation Festival award winners were dominated by European films including:

Best in Show Award: À la Française

Directed by Morrigane Boyer, Julien Hazebroucq, Ren Hsien Hsu, Emmanuelle Leleu, and William Lorton, Supinfocom Arles; France

Jury Award: Lost Senses (Zmysły Prysły)

Directed by Marcin Wasilewski, Grupa Smacznego/GS Animation; Poland

Best Student Project Prize: Rollin’ Safari

Directed by Kyra Buschor, Anna Habermehl, and Constantin Päplow, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg; Germany

Best Student Project Prize Runner-Up: Sleddin’
Directed by John Pettingill, Texas A&M University; United States

Best Student Project Prize Runner-Up: Harald

Directed by Moritz Schneider, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg; Germany

Technical Papers, the premier global forum for presenting groundbreaking research from today’s leading experts. The SIGGRAPH 2013 Technical Papers program featured 115 Technical Papers, selected among 480 submissions. The Technical Papers detailed new advances across many fronts, including 3D printing, creating water and snow with particles, deformation and distortion, and more.

The SIGGRAPH 2013 Art Gallery: XYZN: Scale presented exceptional digital and technologically mediated artworks that explored the existence of wonderment, mystery, and awe in today’s world of mediating technologies and abundant data. From nearly 400 submissions, the Art Gallery jury selected 16 pieces to be featured.

SIGGRAPH 2013 Emerging Technologies presented innovative technologies and applications of the latest developments in several fields, from 3D displays and interactive input devices to collaborative environments and robotics, and technologies that apply to film and game production. The Emerging Technologies program provides attendees a unique hands-on opportunity to interact with select innovative technologies before they become hot topics in the mainstream media and blogs.

This year marks the debut of “SIGGRAPH University” where four 2013 Courses were recorded onsite and will be posted to the internet this year and free to watch. More content will follow from SIGGRAPH 2014.

Evan Hirsch,  Business Symposium Chair

The third annual SIGGRAPH Business Symposium was held on Sunday, featuring keynote speaker Captain Thomas Chaby, executive officer at the Naval Special Warfare Center who spoke on disruption in the battlefield. The objective of the event was to provide tactics for leaders in the industry to move beyond disruption.

Click here for access to SIGGRAPH 2013 photos.