Image credit: Janelle Bidne
By Janelle Bidne, ACM SIGGRAPH Early Career Development Committee Member
Let me know if you have heard this one. A computer graphics student, a computer graphics grad who has been out of school for a few years, and a person recently switching from one career to a new career in computer graphics walk into a session at SIGGRAPH 2026 in Los Angeles. While not the start of your typical setup for a three-persons-walk-into-a-bar joke, you may also be unfamiliar with the common reason why we find this trio together: ECDC.
ECDC is ACM SIGGRAPH’s Early Career and Development Committee who provides year-round services for ACM SIGGRAPH’s students and emerging professionals with ongoing webinars, mentoring opportunities, resume and reel reviews, and in-person sessions at SIGGRAPH Conferences. At this year’s conference, ECDC was proud to host multiple sessions as well as provide in-person resume and reel reviews throughout the course of the event, featuring professionals from various industries in computer graphics. The sessions included: Kickstart a Career in Computer Graphics and How to Get Your Resume and Reel Noticed, which were recorded to be placed on the ECDC website at ecdc.siggraph.org.
Image credit: Janelle Bidne
Of the sessions, the How to Get Your Resume and Reel Noticed was the most popular thanks to an amazing panel of professionals from companies like Industrial Light and Magic and EA as well as the opportunity for attendees to have their demo reel reviewed live by panel members during the session. The reviews involved the ability to converse with the panelists directly as well as ask questions and receive tips on the spot for how to improve the reel. Also noted during the session was the fact that the ECDC and volunteer reviewers from the computer graphics industry reviewed over 200 resumes and reels in the first four days of SIGGRAPH 2026, with more to go on the final day.
With such a successful SIGGRAPH, ECDC is hoping to continue their work throughout the year online via their website and social media pages. ECDC is also thankful to all the volunteers for the sessions and resume/reel reviews that make such events possible. The members of the ECDC also volunteer their time and talents for the organization. They include Michael Collins, chair; Craig Slagel, vice chair; Corinne Price, Committee Apprentice Program coordinator; Benny Garfica, SIGGRAPH Asia coordinator; Josh Naaman, website coordinator; Angela Holm, Careers Outside Entertainment coordinator; Aline Czarnobai, graphics engineer; and Janelle Van Sloun, marketing and social media coordinator.
So, the next time a computer graphics student, a computer graphics grad who has been out of school for a few years, and a person recently switching from one career to a new career in computer graphics are at SIGGRAPH … they are probably headed to an ECDC session or resume/reel review. Go and join them!
