Monday, August 07, 2006
Siggraph Review
Well I'm back from Siggraph 2006. Since it was my first time to attend one I wasn't sure what to expect. According to my buddies from RFX who were there with me, it was one of the least impressive they had been to in a while. They say that there were half the booths and exhibits than when it is held in LA. It did seem smaller than I thought it would. But there were still some great highlights about the event.
Overall, the major software companies didn't really introduce anything groundbreaking. I will say Autodesk showed a piece of software at the User Group presentation that could eventually be awesome to work with for building smart, fast, intuitive motion libraries for projects. To me this software would be fanstastic for being able to take the mundane walks, runs, etc for transition shots in movies and be able to knock those things out in record time (and having them look good). Allowing the animators to spend more time on the shots that matter most...namely the acting and heavy character shots. The codename for this software: Geppeddo.
I also had a chance to meet with, and see an impressive demo of Reflex being developed by Mark Oftedal and Dan Herman over at DigitalFish. Both are super nice guys, and super talented. The Reflex animation software could very well change the way people animate in 3D. Pretty amazing stuff they have implented. It combines much of the 2D and 3D workflow into one application. I really hope to be able to work with those guys in some capacity in the future. The software is still in beta right now. Check out the site when you get a chance. http://www.digitalfish.com/
Reel FX threw a party in conjunction with Animation Mentor on Tuesday evening. I had a chance to meet a bunch of the students who are currently a part of AM. A lot of these guys are in their last session and courses with AM, and you can tell that the experience has been rewarding for them. The talent and abililty of many of these guys coming out of AM now is just great. I wish something like this had been available when I first became interested in animation. Some of these guys are already working freelance for us on our current project at Reel FX. Very cool.
I think for the collective group who went to Siggraph this year, we agreed that we were all impressed with the "making of" Pirates 2. Honestly, ILM has raised the bar so high with what they did with Davey Jones...that it will be tough to match. Insane good.
So there were some cool things about my first trip to Siggraph. I might have had a better time had I not gotten the flu on the plane ride up there. I haven't mentioned yet that I spent the first 3-4 days coughing, sneezing, and generally feeling crummy. But I had to try to fight through that stuff and not waste the time I had there. I think I had an ok first Siggraph experience. I hope to go again (preferably in LA) to see what that might be like. And next time...maybe I'll remember to take my vitamins BEFORE I go. :)
Well I'm back from Siggraph 2006. Since it was my first time to attend one I wasn't sure what to expect. According to my buddies from RFX who were there with me, it was one of the least impressive they had been to in a while. They say that there were half the booths and exhibits than when it is held in LA. It did seem smaller than I thought it would. But there were still some great highlights about the event.
Overall, the major software companies didn't really introduce anything groundbreaking. I will say Autodesk showed a piece of software at the User Group presentation that could eventually be awesome to work with for building smart, fast, intuitive motion libraries for projects. To me this software would be fanstastic for being able to take the mundane walks, runs, etc for transition shots in movies and be able to knock those things out in record time (and having them look good). Allowing the animators to spend more time on the shots that matter most...namely the acting and heavy character shots. The codename for this software: Geppeddo.
I also had a chance to meet with, and see an impressive demo of Reflex being developed by Mark Oftedal and Dan Herman over at DigitalFish. Both are super nice guys, and super talented. The Reflex animation software could very well change the way people animate in 3D. Pretty amazing stuff they have implented. It combines much of the 2D and 3D workflow into one application. I really hope to be able to work with those guys in some capacity in the future. The software is still in beta right now. Check out the site when you get a chance. http://www.digitalfish.com/
Reel FX threw a party in conjunction with Animation Mentor on Tuesday evening. I had a chance to meet a bunch of the students who are currently a part of AM. A lot of these guys are in their last session and courses with AM, and you can tell that the experience has been rewarding for them. The talent and abililty of many of these guys coming out of AM now is just great. I wish something like this had been available when I first became interested in animation. Some of these guys are already working freelance for us on our current project at Reel FX. Very cool.
I think for the collective group who went to Siggraph this year, we agreed that we were all impressed with the "making of" Pirates 2. Honestly, ILM has raised the bar so high with what they did with Davey Jones...that it will be tough to match. Insane good.
So there were some cool things about my first trip to Siggraph. I might have had a better time had I not gotten the flu on the plane ride up there. I haven't mentioned yet that I spent the first 3-4 days coughing, sneezing, and generally feeling crummy. But I had to try to fight through that stuff and not waste the time I had there. I think I had an ok first Siggraph experience. I hope to go again (preferably in LA) to see what that might be like. And next time...maybe I'll remember to take my vitamins BEFORE I go. :)
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