SIGGRAPH 2022 is the premier conference for computer graphics and interactive techniques worldwide, and also tackles the animation and visual effects industries. This year, the group has gathered together in person in Vancouver and to celebrate innovations and industry achievements.
While panels and talks and discussions take place on a wide range of topics, we have also been treated to special sessions on things that pique the interest of the animation fan, including behind-the-scenes looks at Encanto, Lightyear, Turning Red, and others. A panel exists this year that is solely about the look of fabrics in Encanto, and how they were textured and designed in a virtual world.
That said, the idea of my attendance at this event was scoffed at by some. In a realm of Comic-Con, D23 Expo, etc, people wonder why I’m coming to this particular event. There (typically) is no groundbreaking announcement of the next VFX heavy film from Marvel or a voices-of-the-CG universe of Star Wars. Where those conventions are mostly just fan service, SIGGRAPH is informative and inspiring. People in the industry and outsiders looking in are treated to great sessions. Some, with titles like “Metaphysic – Creating hyper-real avatars and synthetic humans for web3 and feature films” or “Metaverse and Interverse research development in CG and Interactive techniques” can be a bit overwhelming, for someone in the industry or knows what is going on, this is truly fascinating.
Professionals and enthusiasts from around the world gather for the event to share new discoveries, techniques, software, hardware and more to help inspire each other. Then, there is another subsect that I personally feel SIGGRAPH is MOST important for – Students.
When I was in college, I was invited to a special SIGGRAPH presentation featuring then-Walt Disney Feature Animation. At the time (and this is dating myself) the studio was JUST entering into the realm of Computer Animated Features. Until then, that was mostly Pixar’s territory. The only thing that they had done that was fully CG was Dinosaur. During the presentation, we were treated to the finale of Chicken Little which was due to be released later that year, and storyboards, animatics, and concepts for three other CG films the studio was working on: “American Dog,” “One Day With Wilbur Robinson,” and “Rapunzel: Unbraided” which eventually became Bolt, Meet the Robinsons, and Tangled as we know them today.
Though I didn’t know what the future held for those films at the time, it was greatly inspiring for a student to see these people who are living their dream and creating the future for a brand so widely recognized, a brand that serves as the ultimate aspiration and the pinnacle of the industry. SIGGRAPH, whether it be now-Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Sony, Dreamworks, or even other graphics companies or VFX houses, serves as a great inspiration and informative event to visit. Plus it offers a chance for students to do something that is absolutely necessary in this industry – Networking.
When fans go to events like D23, Comic-Con, E3, and others where it’s more about announcing a new project or a Q&A with animators that serves more as press for a feature, inevitably someone will see that as the launching point to try and finagle a dream job at a high-profile studio. SIGGRAPH actually encourages this with special dedicated panels, sessions, roundtables and more. Alongside the standard Exhibition Floor, (which has plenty of representation from schools around the world, for those just starting and graduate students) this year’s event (and previous events as well) hold dedicated job fairs where students and professionals can seek out the next step in their career. Heavy hitters throughout the industry (and some lesser known upstarts as well) are there seeking out their talent.
Speaking of recruiting, Walt Disney Animation Studios has recently announced a new studio right here in Vancouver, where SIGGRAPH 2022 is taking place. Throughout the conference, they have had numerous sessions where students and professionals can meet and greet with recruiters who are looking for talent to bring to the new studio. The first project set for the new studio? A series for Disney+ based on Moana, with plenty more in the pipeline that those joining the new branch will be able to say they worked on.
So my advice, Students or professionals looking to expand their horizons and learn more about different arms of their industry, definitely keep SIGGRAPH events on your radar.