Some of our VES members may missed this year’s SIGGRAPH convention in Denver, July 28th – August 1st. But never fear – you are welcome to join us for an online event which gathers a group of Siggraph attendees, to recap for VES members who were unable to attend.

It’s a chance to get a glimpse of what the conference had to offer, hear about trending tech topics, and ask questions about what made an impression across the computer graphics industry this year.

The format will be a 1-hour Zoom session with presenters sharing their observations, in a roundtable setting for conversations and multiple perspectives.

Tuesday, September 10th
7pm PDT

This will NOT be recorded, so we hope to see you there, LIVE!

No need to RSVP, just join the call with this link
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83199250642

We will have a couple of very special guests speaking at this roundtable:

Terrence Masson

• Terrence Masson, Chair of MFA Computer Arts at the School of Visual Arts in NYC is an education and computer graphics raconteur with over 30 years of production and education leadership experience.

  In addition to feature animated film, special venue, mixed reality and interactive projects, his 20 feature film visual effects films include Hook, True Lies, Interview with the Vampire and three Star Wars movies. He developed the original CG animation method for SouthPark in 1996 and his short film Bunkie & Booboo which won first place in the World Animation Celebration in 1998. His book CG101: A Computer Graphics Industry Reference remains an industry standard.

  Terrence has enjoyed speaking at over 100 international venues, including SIGGRAPH, VIEW, FMX, Producers Guild of America, the Visual Effects Society and as a past ACM Distinguished Lecturer.

Ed Kramer

• Ed Kramer began learning Computer Graphics in 1979, while earning his Master of Arts in Film Production. By 1981, he was animating at Image West in Hollywood, using the Scanimate, one of the earliest analog computers. As digital technology became a reality for production, Kramer was on the forefront, becoming one of the first to use the Ampex ADO, the Bosch FGS-4000, the Quantel Paintbox, the Abekas A-60 digital disk recorder and ultimately was one of the first Wavefront animators.

  Using Wavefront, he worked at the Kleiser/Walczak Construction Company on the Columbia Pictures logo, and with Douglas Trumbull on the Luxor Hotel attractions. His first feature film VFX work was on the helmet morph shots for Stargate and the smart bomb sequence for Clear and Present Danger. He was hired at Industrial Light + Magic in 1994, where he spent 12 years as a Senior Technical Director and Sequence Supervisor, contributing to all three Star Wars prequels. He also contributed to VFX classics like Jumanji, Twister, Harry Potter II, The Perfect Storm, 101 Dalmatians, Deep Impact, Van Helsing, and Pirates of the Caribbean II, which won the Visual Effects Oscar in 2006.

  After ILM, Kramer started a career as Professor of Computer Graphics at the Colorado Film School, the Art Institute of Colorado, and the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design (RMCAD), retiring in 2023. Ed has been attending SIGGRAPH conferences since 1983 – and has only missed two conferences in all that time! Since 2019, Kramer has been Chair of the SIGGRAPH Pioneers group, and has spearheaded numerous SIGGRAPH panels and events, including a Pioneers Retrospective for the SIGGRAPH 50th anniversary conference, and creating online panels. Each year, Kramer has coordinated the Pioneers Reception, featuring influential keynote speakers who have had a significant impact on the field. He has been on the SIGGRAPH Electronic Theater Jury twice, in 2006 and 2024. As Chair of the Pioneers, Ed also participates in the Executive Council of SIGGRAPH, helping to shape the future of the organization.

   

If you have topics you would like to see addressed, please send an email in advance to the evening’s moderator:

Jeff A. Johnson, Secretary, Bay Area Board of Managers
bayareasecretary@vesglobal.org