by Kelly Richardson
Animation School Review Columnist
Animation Theater and Electronic Theater presentations. A prestigious forum for computer graphics research. Panels of industry experts discussing a wide variety of topics in animation and visual arts. This is your career launch pad.
Welcome, animation students, to SIGGRAPH (Special Interest Group for Computer Graphics), the annual ‘must-attend’ event celebrating the best in visual arts advancements. A large exhibition floor and elaborate booths entice visitors to absorb the latest technologies in engineering, computer graphics, motion pictures, media interactivity, and video gaming. And you might even see a celeb or two as you wander from display Brand Viagra to display.
SIGGRAPH Up Close
Here’s what you can expect should you make the trek:
- Full Menu. SIGGRAPH offers attendees the Computer Animation Festival, Emerging Technologies, Sketches, Access Grids, and Web Programs.
- Submission Ops. Learn from dynamic project submissions that cover topics from physics simulation to advanced picture and video animation processing.
- The Classics. Preview Robert Zemeckis’ upcoming performance-capture feature Beowulf as part of SIGGRAPH 2007’s Electronic Theater.
Animation Career Building
It’s quite easy to become caught up in the animation splendors of SIGGRAPH and forget that this is the perfect atmosphere for career development. Those who want to make an impact in the visual arts field will find support and direction with every exhibition.
Some of the more unique aspects of SIGGRAPH are the full-and half-day courses in state-of-the-art computer graphics topics. Learn from established animation and visual arts professionals as they discuss software, equipment, and techniques in a continuing education format.
No matter how you slice it, the SIGGRAPH symposium offers the best in the visual arts and animation industries—especially for newbies in the field.
About the Author
Kelly Richardson covers the local education and technology scenes in major cities across the country. His articles appear in educational journals, periodicals, and e-zines.
