SIGGRAPH Asia reveals its elements of imagination

The third edition of the highly anticipated ACM SIGGRAPH Conference and Exhibition in Asia will be held in the capital city of Seoul, Korea, from 15 to 18 December at Coex Convention and Exhibition Center. Set to inspire computer graphics and interactive media professionals and enthusiasts, SIGGRAPH Asia 2010 promises to showcase a line-up of up-to-date works that will raise the benchmarks in digital creativity. SIGGRAPH Asia 2010 will feature four exciting programs, namely, Computer Animation Festival, Courses, Technical Papers, Technical Sketches & Posters, as well as a Trade Exhibition. A line-up of renowned experts will also be speaking at the Special Sessions and Featured Speakers segment.

A gathering of top minds and future talents

More than 8,000 participants from all over the world are expected to gather in Seoul this year for yet another thought-provoking and highly stimulating interaction centered on computer graphics and interactive techniques. With more than 100 animations to be screened, and close to 170 research papers and Technical Sketches & Posters to be discussed, SIGGRAPH Asia 2010 is set to blaze a trail in Seoul's and Asia's digital media landscape.

Inspiring the Future of Tomorrow

SIGGRAPH Asia has long been recognized as a unique industry platform that not only showcases the latest developments but also seeks to advance the community through knowledge-sharing and thought-provoking discussions. This objective is underlined through its range of carefully selected Featured Speakers, each a master in their unique medium of creative expression:

Frank Stephenson, Design Director, McLaren Automotive, will offer participants a unique glimpse into the glitz and grind behind designing one of the world's most fascinating speed machines. Having worked on perfecting the super car for McLaren, Stephenson will be sharing how his worldclass design team constantly challenges the future by imagining what the world has yet to witness either through new technologies, new materials, or new concepts. Stephenson will also take the audience into how these breakthrough ideas are transferred to the real world with the aid of topof- the-line computer graphics solutions.

Hyung-Tae Kim, Art Director at NC Soft, is a Korean artist who is well known for his outstanding contributions to the video game industry. He gained his reputation for art creation in games such as the Magna Carta series and the later installments of the War of Genesis series. Sharing his experience in the production of the highly anticipated massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), Blade & Soul, Kim will reveal some first visual elements, such as concept art or trailers in the journey to give life to one of the most popular games today. Focusing on the creation of new characters in the game, Kim's session will also discuss how art direction and game design can influence the way a game is played. Kim will also touch on how Blade & Soul is marketed to a worldwide audience, having first been launched to local audiences in Korea.

Satirical caricaturist Professor Jae-Dong Park wraps up SIGGRAPH Asia 2010's Featured Speakers list .A well-known personality in Korea, he will be sharing his passion for art, and how drawing and sketching have evolved from pencil and paper to the computer screen. In his featured talk, Park will discuss how developments in computer graphics over the past decade have changed the way caricatures and cartoons are produced as well as how non-photorealistic rendering, an active research subject in computer graphics, can enrich human lives. This will complement his sharing session covering his unique and distinctive approach to caricature production.

Computer Animation Festival - Pushing the boundaries of Animation and Electronic Theater

The Computer Animation Festival program, a traditional favorite at SIGGRAPH Asia, seeks to uncover the possibilities in animation development. With a showcase of 108 pieces in the Animation Theater and Electronic Theatre screenings, the Computer Animation Festival will include the latest works from renowned production houses, such as Industrial Light and Magic (I.L.M) and Pixar Animation Studios as well as new pieces from highly acclaimed institutions such as Chung-Ang University, Korea, and Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

"The works selected for this year's Festival represent the best creative sparks and freshest ideas from around the world that are set to inspire the artists, designers, researchers and scientists attending the Festival," said Jinny HyeJin Choo, SIGGRAPH Asia 2010 Computer Animation Festival Chair.

This year, the world-renowned jury of the Computer Animation Festival has selected three very special awards for the "Best of Show," "Best Technical" and "Best Student" recipients.

The "Best of Show" award goes to "Poppy," directed by James Cunningham from New Zealand production house Supercollider. Based on true events, "Poppy" is a short story about two soldiers who found a baby in a muddy ditch, under his dead parents. Working with partner Leslie Chan in a spare bedroom for a year, Cunningham explored the emotional potential of computer-generated imagery (CGI), often used in animation for children, to produce this heart-wrenching film.

The "Best Technical Piece" award goes out to "Civilization V." from Digic Pictures, winner of the same award last year. Produced by Istvan Zorkoczy, this clip reiterates Digic Pictures' mastery and expertise in 3D and computer graphics production. The world-class rendering of a beautifully detailed and realistic living world, clear cinematography and amazing surfacing made this clip stand out prominently in terms of computer graphics technology applied to storytelling.

A new award, the "Best Student" prize goes out to "Loom" by Ilija Brunck, Jan Bitzer and Csaba Letay of Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, Germany. This exceptional piece by students of the reputable film academy tells the story of a moth getting caught in a spider's web. Viewers are taken through the moth's struggle to face its predator bravely only to be digested into an integral part of its own trap, that is, the spider's web. The creative ideas behind this piece outshone its competitors' and proved to the international computer graphics community there are brilliant emerging talents that are set to take the industry to new heights.

Attendees can also look forward to a series of enriching sessions at Computer Animation Festival Panels and Talks. Ki Bum Kim, the Digital Artist for I.L.M. Singapore, will speak on "Photomodel and Sequence Light Setup on Iron Man2," the creation of virtual suits, drones, and the location and background for Iron Man 2. Leon Jeong Wook Park's talk on "Bulldozer Trash from Toy Story 3" will focus especially on interactions between bulldozers and trash piles and introduces trash simulation pipelines for Disney/Pixar's Toy Story 3.

Educating and Nurturing Creative Minds

The Courses Program at SIGGRAPH Asia 2010 will focus on topics related to gaming, animation and visual effects techniques, including the basic foundations of computer graphics and highly technical summaries of the latest research breakthroughs.

To date, 24 organizations and 50 presenters will be participating at the Courses Program including prestigious institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Jeju University and the Savannah College of Arts and Design. Blizzard Entertainment, Industrial Light and Magic, Pixar Animation Studios, Microsoft & Microsoft Game Studios, Disney Animation Studios, Disney Imagineering, NC Soft and Weta Digital have also lent their support to this year's SIGGRAPH Asia.

NCsoft, Intel Corp, Crytek, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute Course highlight on "Recent Advances in Online Game Technology" includes advanced production secrets in developing the world's best online games. Activision/Blizzard's "East Meets West: The Power of the Pitch," presents a publisher's perspective on development opportunities related to the pursuit of new intellectual property, work for hire on existing portfolio needs, and possible acquisition of external, independent developers. "Stereoscopy from XY to Z" is another course which will explore creative ways to use stereoscopy, allowing the user to tell different stories and propose a bag of tricks to fix the common issues encountered when adding stereoscopy to one's graphics pipeline.

"I am very happy with the quality of the presentations and speakers for the Courses Program in SIGGRAPH Asia 2010. There is a good balance between technical and artistic courses with tracks covering gaming, animation techniques, visual effects, real-time techniques, GPU computing and the fundamentals of computer graphics. In addition, a wide array of current hot topics will be covered including the creation of feature-quality games and stereoscopic 3D.

In selecting the tracks for SIGGRAPH Asia 2010, the Jury members have assessed the interest in the topic, its novelty factor, the suitability of the speakers presenting the course and the quality of the proposal submitted. I believe that the Courses Program for SIGGRAPH Asia 2010 is nothing short of inspirational. Attendees will get to learn new skills, and deepen their understanding of the technologies that will guide the future of Computer Graphics." Courses Conference Chair, Sophie Revillard, Connecting Worlds.

SIGGRAPH Asia 2010 - the event for Asia's top talents

SIGGRAPH Asia continues to bring to Asia a global showcase of the latest in computer graphics and animation, while offering Asia's best to the world.

Hyeong-Seok Ko, Conference Chair of SIGGRAPH Asia 2010 and a professor at the department of Electrical Engineering in Seoul National University remarked, "We are excited that Korea is hosting SIGGRAPH Asia 2010 this year. Korea's burgeoning gaming industry and thriving animation industry has given a boost to SIGGRAPH Asia 2010, promising an unparalleled event for anyone interested in the business of computer graphics and interactive techniques. I am confident that the impressive line up of compelling programs from many leading names in the industry together with the ideas and displays showcased this year will translate into some of the hottest breakthroughs in the world of computer graphics and interactive techniques. The trade exhibition completes the experience as attendees will have direct access to the latest products and technologies and business opportunities at this interactive marketplace making this a must attend trade event."

Experience SIGGRAPH Asia in Seoul, World Design Capital 2010

Seoul is the perfect setting to explore the kaleidoscope of sights, sounds and interactive techniques at SIGGRAPH Asia 2010. The host city is a fascinating cosmopolitan metropolis of ancient culture, hidden secrets, adventurous energy, and pioneering animation and production studios, providing the ideal setting for sustainable growth in information technology, digital media and the arts.

For more information on SIGGRAPH Asia 2010, please visit www.siggraph.org/asia2010.

About SIGGRAPH Asia

The 3rd ACM SIGGRAPH Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques in Asia will take place at Coex Convention & Exhibition Center in Seoul, Korea. Featuring an international conference from 15-18 December 2010, SIGGRAPH Asia 2010 offers works that provoke thoughts, explore ideas in innovative ways, address contemporary issues, interactively engage viewers in discovery, and stimulate their intellect and creativity through art,

SIGGRAPH Asia 2010 also features a trade exhibition of products and services from the computer graphics and interactive marketplace and will he held from 16-18 December 2010. Sponsored by ACM, SIGGRAPH Asia 2010 is expected to to bring together over 8,000 computer graphics and interactive technology professionals and enthusiasts from Asia and beyond. For more information, please visit www.siggraph.org/asia2010.

SIGGRAPH Asia 2009 was a resounding success. Artists, researchers, developers, gaming experts, filmmakers, as well as academics from over 50 countries gathered in Yokohama over four exciting days to discover new products, talents, technology and techniques in the digital media industry. For more information, please visit www.siggraph.org/asia2009

About ACM

The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) SIGGRAPH sponsors SIGGRAPH Asia 2010. ACM is an educational and scientific society uniting the world's computing educators, researchers, and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources and address the field's challenges. ACM strengthens the profession's collective voice through strong leadership, promotion of the highest standards, and recognition of technical excellence. ACM supports the professional growth of its members by providing opportunities for life-long learning, career development, and professional networking.