August 7, 2007

Dreamworks Animation at SIGGRAPH 2007

DreamWorks Animation is one of the official sponsors of FJORG!—a new and unique computer graphics animation competition. The studio also has more than 130 artists and executives on hand, many of whom are participating in various forums, including courses, posters, sketch, and a special session at SIGGRAPH. DreamWorks also is hosting the SIGGRAPH Educator’s Luncheon symposium, for the fourth consecutive year in a row. In the conference's spirit of sharing knowledge and information with the community, the studio will showcase the technology and creativity behind films such as Shrek the Third and the upcoming Bee Movie by focusing on specific breakthroughs ranging from CG honey to strand and hair simulation.

Shrek-a-logy: The History of An Ogre (Special Session Presented by Philippe Gluckman, Matt Baer, Raman Hui, Dave Smith and Tom Hester): Unique insights into how the Shrek world evolved over the life of the franchise, both technically and creatively. The speakers, who have held key roles on all the Shrek films, share stylistic conceits, technical overviews, production tips, and anecdotes, illustrated by abundant behind-the-scenes material and visual breakdowns.

Evolution of a CG Animated Character (Course Presented by Philippe Gluckman, David Doepp, Scott Peterson & Jason Waltman, Larry Cutler & Lucia Modesto, and Bill Seneshen): Speakers will discuss the choices that helped keep the Shrek franchise unique, as well as the challenges of constantly adapting to new technical and creative demands.

Poseable Dynamics for Merlin's Beard (Poster Presented by Daniel Dawson): In Shrek the Third, Merlin's beard was simulated using a dynamics system for long strands that could be influenced by hand animation.

3000+ Variations of the Voronoi Diagram (Poster Presented by Saty Raghavachary): A simple observation regarding triangle centers in a Delaunay triangulation leads to diverse variations of the well-known Voronoi diagram, useful for novel image warping, surface deformations, and realistic fracture synthesis.

Tiled Cracked Networks (Poster Presented by Saty Raghavachary): A simple technique that uses a single crack prototile triangle to create seamless crack networks over a polymesh. Realistic-looking crack contours and fragments can then be derived from the network.

Creating Realistic CG Honey for Bee Movie (Poster Presented by Allen Ruilova): An examination, from the perspective of lighting, rendering, and fluid simulation, of how to create realistic looking CG honey. 

Artistic Direction of Foliage (Sketch Presented by Amaury Aubel & David Allen): Generating and art directing for trees.

During the Educators' Luncheon Symposium, a forum for college and university level educators, a discussion and debate as to the future direction and strategies for Digital Media education will take place. It is an opportunity to share solutions for the challenges faced in identifying, educating and matriculating students in this rapidly evolving field of study.

As in past years, applicants are invited to drop off reels and/or resumes for interview consideration at the San Diego Convention & Exhibition Center Meeting Room 23A, Tuesday through Thursday, during Exhibition hours. DreamWorks Animation is currently looking to fill numerous positions by year end for several upcoming projects including: Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar: The Crate Escape, Monsters vs. Aliens, and How to Train Your Dragon. A complete list of current openings can be found in the Careers section of the studio's Web site at http://www.dreamworksanimation.com.

DreamWorks Animation; http://www.dreamworksanimation.com