I really love reports from SIGGRAPH because usually they come from young excited as hell people that can't wait to lay their hands on the coolest toys around and create images they used to see on that 360 degree around screen in their minds, ya know, the one you're in when you play with toys? Well, with the tools and the training and access to that imagination computers are unleashing that screen, and that's what SIGGRAPH is about. Here's the latest report...
Here's some more Siggraph tidbits for you and your crazy, wonderfully obsessive audience (myself included) to chew on:
I had the pleasure of sitting in on one of the best panels at the conference, "VFX: Money Pit or Gold Mine." Basically, think of the Siggraph panels as a collection of people (in this case, heads of effects companies) who debate - hopefully without bullshit - important issues in the industry. We got to listen to Jim Morris, head honcho at ILM, Scott Ross, head honcho of Digital Domain, the boss at VIFX/Blue Sky, and Phil Tippett, of - you guessed it - Tippett Studio. A great collection of talent - from varied backgrounds, running different types of effects shops (from the best-of-the-best of ILM to midsize, Mom & Pop grown Tippett Studios). And they all sounded off, debating various issues in effects - discussing mostly the financial issues - which most people never think about when they see the incredible work produced by the industry. I found it informative..
All had different approaches, and a lot was said, so I'll try my best to sum up. What I found VERY surprising was that all were in agreement that the effects industry is a very young industry - and also not a very profitable industry! According to the moderator, the average profit ratio of an effects industry is pretty low - 5 to 15 percent margins. What does this all mean? Well, it's simple - effects can be a chancy investment, because the work depends on a couple of factors... how big the show is, if the varoius houses bidding on the work get underbid, which happens, and how much of the money can the effects house re-invest in R & D to stay competitive.
OK, the fun stuff. By far the coolest, most respected figure by the end of the talk was Phil Tippett. He runs a shop, but still invests himself in the work - he is hands on, and was recognized by the panel (and the audience) as somebody who's heart is totally in the right place - he was inspired by monster movies in the 50s, it kills him when the films he works on are crappy, he is a true resource who will offer years of experience in helping the effects turn out top notch. He got thunderous applause when he exclaimed "Creativity or death!"
Also interesting was the trend I saw in general at Siggraph and at this particular panel - the big buzz seemed to be on "content." In other words, to survive, effects houses may actually have to attempt to be studios, a la Pixar and PDI - that produce their own animated films. The obsticle, of course, is distribution - but with ILM gearing up to produce an all CGI film (and ImageWorks testing their limits with STUART LITTLE, their biggest effects show yet - they've got programmers working on the "wet fur" look as I type this), what studio head would NOT give distribution? This could be the future of effects - with houses developing in-house projects that turn animation into a genre for all ages that continues to push the state-of-the-art. Or maybe it's just Siggraph that puts you into this kind of speculative mind...
All I can say is, everyone needs to see ANTZ *and* A BUG'S LIFE so we can have MORE films like these.
By the way, the ANTZ footage is indeed incredible - but so is A BUG'S LIFE. In my opinion, ANTZ wins in the design department, and from what I can gather from the story, it's gonna be special. However, it's impossible to match Pixar for character animation - this film WILL have better acting. Aren't we lucky, though, to get both? ANTZ was definately more present - I personally saw the much-described "feet action sequence" and "ants into battle" sequence (50,000 ants marching to war - holy cow), plus a scene where Woody Allen and Sly Stallone are drinking aphid beer (amusing) and a demo of a new musculature feature that makes the face more and more lifelike.
Also, it was great to hear from each studio that what really makes a great effects film isn't great effects, but a great story. That certainly was the case in the "Electronic Theater," which is the film festival for Siggraph - over 800 submissions for a 2 hour showcase of the finest in CG. Best shorts were:
"The Smell of Horror" - Creepy-funny with great acting and performace, and great style - imagine if a morbid Hitchcock got some 3-D software...
"Polygon Family" - Finally, a CG drama with great impact, about a man who loses his family to work
"Geri's Game" - 'Nuff said - perfection.
Also there was a cool demonstration of interactive CG "actors" which was demonstrated live in the form of dancing penguins (!), and also a riviting game of pong which pitted the left half of the audience against the right.
Siggraph... ain't it cool?
Best,
THE IKE PIRATE
