SIGGRAPH Spotlight

ABOUT THE EPISODE In this episode of SIGGRAPH Spotlight, ACM SIGGRAPH International Resources Committee member Afsaneh Rafighi is joined by Hasan Karimi (president, Iran Computer and Video Games Foundation). The two discuss the international games community, SIGGRAPH’s role in worldwide, collaborative game development, and how Hasan is working to transform Iran into an industry leader. || MUSIC Podcast theme, "SIGGRAPH," composed by Julius Dobos. || LINKS *Episode* https://www.siggraph.org/connect/international-resources | http://www.tehrangamecon.com/en/news-post/three-basic-strategies-for-the-success-of-iranian-games-in-domestic-as-well-as-global-markets-1 | https://www.simba.com/ *Social Media* http://blog.siggraph.org/ | https://www.facebook.com/SIGGRAPHConferences | https://twitter.com/siggraph | https://www.youtube.com/user/ACMSIGGRAPH | https://www.instagram.com/acmsiggraph/ | https://www.linkedin.com/company/acm-siggraph/ | "siggraph" on Snapchat *Conference Website* http://s2018.siggraph.org/

ABOUT THE EPISODE SIGGRAPH 2018 Virtual, Augmented & Mixed Reality Chair Pol Jeremias-Vila (Pixar Animation Studios) sits down with Niantic, Inc.’s Diana Hu (lead, augmented reality engineering) and Niniane Wang (senior director, engineering) to discuss their Immersive Pavilion project — which will be showcased in Vancouver — and the Niantic development process, spanning everything from Pokémon GO to Codename: Neon. The two also share the respective career journeys that led them to where they are today and sparked their interest in augmented reality. A bit of a preview: Diana was previously the co-founder and CTO of Escher Reality, a startup that was acquired by Niantic and builds the backend for augmented reality applications. She holds eight patents in AR, computer vision, and machine learning. As for Niniane, in addition to the project discussed, she is responsible for the Harry Potter augmented reality game, Ingress, and more. She, too, came to Niantic via acquisition, of Evertoon, and has worked for many other cutting-edge companies, including Minted, Google, and Microsoft, since graduating with her bachelor’s degree at just 18! As a past conference presenter in 2003 and 2004, Niniane feels grateful to SIGGRAPH for showing her the breadth of what can be achieved with computer graphics. We hope you enjoy their stories! || MUSIC Podcast theme, "SIGGRAPH," composed by Julius Dobos. || LINKS *Episode* https://s2018.siggraph.org/conference/conference-overview/virtual-augmented-mixed-reality/ | https://www.nianticlabs.com/ | https://youtu.be/dO1NpT2SSX4 | *Social Media* http://blog.siggraph.org/ | https://www.facebook.com/SIGGRAPHConferences | https://twitter.com/siggraph | https://www.youtube.com/user/ACMSIGGRAPH | https://www.instagram.com/acmsiggraph/ | https://www.linkedin.com/company/acm-siggraph/ | "siggraph" on Snapchat *Conference Website* http://s2018.siggraph.org/

ABOUT THE EPISODE SIGGRAPH 2018 Production Sessions Chair Emily Hsu (associate producer, Blizzard Entertainment) sits down with a panel of independent creators in production and animation to chat about what led them to go “independent.” The group discusses the challenges — and joys — of financing and producing projects as well as what keeps them motivated to push the limits of storytelling, and offers advice for the next generation of creators. The amazing group of guest innovators includes Rex Grignon (CEO and co-founder, Nimble Collective), Larry Cutler (CTO and co-founder, Baobab Studios), Daisuke “Dice” Tsutsumi (founder, Tonko House), Bobby Pontillas (art director, TAIKO Studios), Andrew Chesworth (head of development, TAIKO Studios), and Keika Lee (founder, greyscale animation). || MUSIC Podcast theme, "SIGGRAPH Theme," composed by Julius Dobos. || LINKS *Episode* https://s2018.siggraph.org/conference/production-and-animation/ | https://nimblecollective.com/ | http://www.tonkohouse.com/ | https://www.baobabstudios.com/ | http://www.taikostudios.com/ | http://greyscaleanimation.com/ | http://bit.ly/OddDogIndieGoGo | https://s2018.siggraph.org/conference/conference-overview/production-sessions/ | *Social Media* http://blog.siggraph.org/ | https://www.facebook.com/SIGGRAPHConferences | https://twitter.com/siggraph | https://www.youtube.com/user/ACMSIGGRAPH | https://www.instagram.com/acmsiggraph/ | https://www.linkedin.com/company/acm-siggraph/ | "siggraph" on Snapchat *Conference Website* http://s2018.siggraph.org/

ABOUT THE EPISODE ACM SIGGRAPH International Resources Committee member Rebecca Ko (co-founder, Rooftop Animation) sits down with 3D artist and Vancouver native Natalia Freitas (independent animator) to discuss Freitas’s experience with renowned studios, her geographical and cross-cultural work – which spans projects from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Moana” to Sony Pictures Imageworks’ “Hotel Transylvania 3” – and how SIGGRAPH has contributed to her career and life. || MUSIC Podcast theme, "SIGGRAPH," composed by Julius Dobos. || LINKS *Episode* https://www.siggraph.org/connect/international-resources | https://www.natfreitas.com | https://www.rooftopanimation.com/ | https://www.behance.net/nopawdy6b05 | *Social Media* http://blog.siggraph.org/ | https://www.facebook.com/SIGGRAPHConferences | https://twitter.com/siggraph | https://www.youtube.com/user/ACMSIGGRAPH | https://www.instagram.com/acmsiggraph/ | https://www.linkedin.com/company/acm-siggraph/ | "siggraph" on Snapchat *Conference Website* http://s2018.siggraph.org/

ABOUT THE EPISODE For part one of the ACM SIGGRAPH International Resource Committee's "next generation" series, Rebecca Ko (co-founder, Rooftop Animation) sits down with Myriam Beauvais (graphics programmer and intern, Ubisoft Montreal) and Caroline Beyne (pipeline technical director and software engineer, L'Atelier Animation) to discuss the gaming and animation industries in Montreal, their experiences working in Canada and abroad, and what they are doing to revive the ACM SIGGRAPH Montreal Chapter. || MUSIC Podcast theme, "SIGGRAPH," composed by Julius Dobos. || LINKS *Episode* https://www.siggraph.org/connect/international-resources | https://www.latelieranimation.com/ | https://www.rooftopanimation.com/ | http://montreal.ubisoft.com/en/ | http://carolinebeyne.com/ | https://www.siggraph.org/discover/inspiration/member-profiles/myriam-beauvais | *Social Media* blog.siggraph.org/ | www.facebook.com/SIGGRAPHConferences | twitter.com/siggraph | www.youtube.com/user/ACMSIGGRAPH | www.instagram.com/acmsiggraph/ | www.linkedin.com/company/acm-siggraph/ | "siggraph" on Snapchat *Conference Website* s2018.siggraph.org/

ABOUT THE EPISODE SIGGRAPH 2018 Real-Time Live! Chair Jesse Barker (software developer, Unity Technologies) sits down with gaming and interactive innovators Kim Libreri (CTO, Epic Games), Jerry Rees (creative lead – Magic Bench, Disney Research), and Joji Tsuruga (realtime supervisor, The Mill). In addition to their expertise, two of our guests have been honored with the SIGGRAPH Best Real-Time Graphics and Interactivity Award at recent conferences for projects “The Human Race” (2017) and “From Previs to Final in Five Minutes” (2016). Tune in as they talk gaming and interactive trends in computer graphics, what’s next for technology, and share advice for the next generation of creators. || MUSIC Podcast theme, "SIGGRAPH," composed by Julius Dobos. || LINKS *Episode* https://s2018.siggraph.org/conference/gaming-and-interactive/ | http://www.themill.com/ | https://www.disneyresearch.com/innovations/magic-bench/ | https://www.epicgames.com/ | http://www.jojitsuruga.com/ | http://www.jerryrees.com/ | http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0508912/ | https://s2018.siggraph.org/conference/conference-overview/real-time-live/ *Social Media* http://blog.siggraph.org/ | https://www.facebook.com/SIGGRAPHConferences | https://twitter.com/siggraph | https://www.youtube.com/user/ACMSIGGRAPH | https://www.instagram.com/acmsiggraph/ | https://www.linkedin.com/company/acm-siggraph/ | "siggraph" on Snapchat *Conference Website* http://s2018.siggraph.org/

ABOUT THE EPISODE ACM SIGGRAPH International Resources Committee member Santiago Echeverry (professor, University of Tampa) sits down with Łukasz Mackiewicz and Francho Melendez, two members of the team behind “Loving Vincent,” the first-ever, fully painted animated feature film, which takes viewers through the life of artist Vincent van Gogh. Mackiewicz and Melendez discuss their work on the film, what it was like to work in Poland, and so much more! II MUSIC Podcast theme, "SIGGRAPH," composed by Julius Dobos. || LINKS *Episode* http://www.santi.tv/ | http://lovingvincent.com/ | http://franchomelendez.com/ | https://www.siggraph.org/connect/international-resources | https://s2018.siggraph.org/conference/conference-overview/computer-animation-festival/ *Social Media* http://blog.siggraph.org/ | https://www.facebook.com/SIGGRAPHConferences | https://twitter.com/siggraph | https://www.youtube.com/user/ACMSIGGRAPH | https://www.instagram.com/acmsiggraph/ | https://www.linkedin.com/company/acm-siggraph/ | "siggraph" on Snapchat *Conference Website* http://s2018.siggraph.org/

ABOUT THE EPISODE Bektur Ryskeldiev (ACM SIGGRAPH International Resources Committee member; and, Ph.D. candidate, University of Tsukuba) sits down with Mark Billinghurst (professor of virtual and augmented reality, University of South Australia and the University of Auckland) to talk about the current and future state of virtual and augmented reality. The two discuss cultural differences of international collaboration, what’s next in the space, and how students can get involved. MUSIC Podcast theme, "SIGGRAPH," composed by Julius Dobos. LINKS *Episode* https://people.unisa.edu.au/Mark.Billinghurst https://twitter.com/marknb00 http://www.unisa.edu.au/IT-Engineering-and-the-Environment/Information-Technology-and-Mathematical-Sciences/ https://www.siggraph.org/connect/international-resources https://www.siggraph.org/discover/inspiration/member-profiles/bektur-ryskeldiev *Social Media* http://blog.siggraph.org/ https://www.facebook.com/SIGGRAPHConferences https://twitter.com/siggraph https://www.youtube.com/user/ACMSIGGRAPH https://www.instagram.com/acmsiggraph/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/acm-siggraph/ "siggraph" on Snapchat *Conference Website* http://s2018.siggraph.org/

ABOUT THE EPISODE SIGGRAPH 2018 Emerging Technologies Chair Gerry Derksen and Studio Chair Nik Aberle are joined by Steven M. LaValle (professor of computer science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) and Ben Malouf (director of marketing, Aleph Objects, Inc. – Makers of LulzBot 3D Printers) to talk about the history and future of technology… and SIGGRAPH! MUSIC Podcast theme, "SIGGRAPH," composed by Julius Dobos. LINKS *Episode* http://msl.cs.uiuc.edu/~lavalle/ https://www.alephobjects.com/ *Social Media* http://blog.siggraph.org/ https://www.facebook.com/SIGGRAPHConferences https://twitter.com/siggraph https://www.youtube.com/user/ACMSIGGRAPH https://www.instagram.com/acmsiggraph/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/acm-siggraph/ "siggraph" on Snapchat *Conference Website* http://s2018.siggraph.org/

To celebrate the “generations” of SIGGRAPH and the 50th anniversary of the Leonardo journal, Danielle Siembieda (Managing Director, Leonardo/ISAST) sat down with an expert panel to discuss Leonardo’s history with the SIGGRAPH conference, its upcoming 50th anniversary and where the future of art — and the conference — is headed. Panelists include: Ernest Edmonds (Professor of Computational Art, De Montfort University; Founding Director, Creativity and Cognition Studios, University of Technology, Sydney), Jacquelyn Martino, Ph.D. (STSM, IBM Research AI), Andrés Burbano (Associate Professor – Design Department, Universidad de los Andes; Art Gallery chair, SIGGRAPH 2018), Roger Malina (Distinguished Professor of Art and Technology, and Professor of Physics, University of Texas at Dallas; Executive Editor, Leonardo Publications, MIT Press), and Angus Forbes (Assistant Professor – Computational Media Department, University of California, Santa Cruz; Art Papers chair, SIGGRAPH 2018). MUSIC Podcast theme, "SIGGRAPH," composed by Julius Dobos. LINKS *Episode* https://www.leonardo.info/ http://www.ernestedmonds.com/www/index.htm https://creativecoding.soe.ucsc.edu/ http://www.utdallas.edu/atec/malina/ http://www.burbane.net/ https://twitter.com/jamartino *Social Media* http://blog.siggraph.org/ https://www.facebook.com/SIGGRAPHConferences https://twitter.com/siggraph https://www.instagram.com/acmsiggraph/ "siggraph" on Snapchat *Conference Website* http://s2018.siggraph.org/