SIGGRAPH 2012!

This past August, I had the privilege of being selected to be a Student Volunteer at the SIGGRAPH 2012 conference, a conference and exhibition focusing on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques convened by ACM SIGGRAPH. There was no photography allowed at the conference, so the only two photos I have are of the lobby and outside area; however, rest assured that any photo I could take could not possibly convey how amazing this experience was for me. I have wanted to attend this conference for a few years, as it is such an incredible learning opportunity for computer scientists interested in computer graphics, as well as a great way to network. Unfortunately, I (until now) was never able to procure the funds to attend. I was ecstatic to be selected as a student volunteer this year and to have access to the ETC’s conference stipend as well, in order to make this trip possible! 

While at the conference, I attended many talks and presentations, including (but not limited to) “Studio Views of Demo Reels,” SIGGRAPH Dailies, Real-Time Live!, “Grooving” (a Studio Talk), “Effects Omelet” (several VFX studios’ presentations on how they achieved complex effects), and some presentations exclusively for student volunteers. One such presentation, “Getting Your Foot in The Door at a Major VFX Studio,” I found extremely useful. It was presented by Andrea Pace of the Production Services & Resources department at Sony Imageworks; she described an entry level position at the company (with equivalent positions at other studios) where I would be able to gain experience working on a major film production while also learning skills to carry on to another position. This talk definitely opened a new door for me in terms of career paths and skills I can work on in order to get a job in the film industry. Along the same lines, “Studio Views of Demo Reels” was also quite useful, as representatives from various studios showed reels and reel clips of skills they look for in potential hires.

Real-Time Live!, another favorite presentation of mine. showcased the latest trends and techniques in interactive visuals. The part of the presentation that I found most intriguing was “Beauty: Real-Time Visuals,” a presentation of BeautyPi. This is a project that takes advantage of high-quality, advanced, real-time rendering to create an engaging and interactive experience. BeautyPi is the perfect example of something I would love to do as a career: merging great VFX with music and audience interactivity to really captivate and immerse the audience.

Aside from attending talks and presentations, I also explored the different areas of the conference, such as the Art Gallery, the Exhibition Hall (of course), and the Emerging Technologies area. The Emerging Technologies area was neat, for obvious reasons, and I liked the Art Gallery as well! My two favorite works there were "The Galloping Horse" and "The HeartBeats Watch" (the latter of which I was tasked with guarding as part of my student volunteer duties).

My biggest takeaway from this conference was first and foremost that it really inspired me to stay creative, to keep looking for ways to integrate the various things I’ve learned, and to continue to work across disciplines (a la BeautyPi).  A secondary (but not less important) takeaway was all of the amazing people I met. Not only did I get to network with industry professionals and learn about all of the innovations in the graphics industry, but I also came away with many new friends! (Not to mention, I got to catch up with Greg Turk and Chris Wojtan from Georgia Tech, both of whom advised me on an NSF-funded CG research project I worked on back in Summer of 2010.) Attending this conference made me realize that Computer Graphics is not purely a technical field, and that there is a lot to be learned in this area from artists as well! I learned so much from this year’s conference, and I can’t wait to go back next year!