Image credit: SIGGRAPH Conferences and quote attributed to “Star Wars”
“No! Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.” —Yoda. In order to achieve the improbable, you must have an extraordinary amount of perseverance, passion, and determination. The ACM SIGGRAPH Blog prides itself on featuring leading innovators in the field of computer graphics and interactive techniques, including some key players from the “Star Wars” film franchise. 4 May marks Star Wars Day, and we are celebrating by sharing some of our favorite articles from over the years that highlight virtual reality, new technology, ray tracing, and more. Read on, my young Padawan.
SIGGRAPH Spotlight: Episode 46 – ‘Star Wars’ in VR
SIGGRAPH 2022 Immersive Pavilion Chair Derek Ham chatted with two SIGGRAPH 2021 contributors from ILMxLAB, lead UI artist Mary Huang and interactive audio supervisor Kevin Bolen, to discuss the audio and design process for expanding the “Star Wars” universe into VR. Hear their favorite scenes along with the future of “Star Wars” in VR. Listen now.
‘Star Wars’ Soars in Real Time: Behind ‘Millennium Falcon’
Meet the fastest ship in the galaxy. SIGGRAPH sat down with one of the creators behind the SIGGRAPH 2020 Real-Time Live! demo “The Technology Behind ‘Millennium Falcon’: Smugglers Run” to learn more about the technology used to create this theme park attraction and how riders’ rave reviews have touched him on a personal level. Read more.
Star Wars: A Look Back With ILM Veteran Jeff Light
The “Star Wars” film franchise is filled with talented individuals in computer graphics, so when Jim Morris, then-president at ILM, needed someone to supervise the war sequences in an upcoming film, his first thought was ILM veteran Jeff Light. Take a deep dive into Jeff Light’s career, including his work on “Star Wars: Episode I,” “Jurassic Park,” and more. Read more.
Epic Games and ILMxLAB on ‘Reflections’
Enter the “Star Wars” universe. The creators behind the SIGGRAPH 2018 Real-Time Live! demo, “Ray-Traced, Collaborative Virtual Production in Unreal Engine,” Mohen Leo (director of content and platform strategy, ILMxLAB), Kim Libreri (CTO, Epic Games), and Gavin Moran (creative cinematic director, Epic Games), caught up with SIGGRAPH to talk about the difference between ray tracing and rasterization, the process behind “Reflections,” and the future of machine-learning tools. Read more.
“Star Wars” wasn’t the only monumental creation to come out of the 1970s … Help SIGGRAPH celebrate 50 years of innovation, research, and more by joining us this 6-10 August in Los Angeles. Register today.
