Tuesday – November 9, 2004 3:30-4:30 PM Engineering Building 1033

1. Careers in Computer Graphics CAOS The Computer Association Of SIUE Between computer gaming, movie & commercial effects, and scientific visualization, computer graphic career options abound, but what’s the graphics job market really like these days? Professor Bill White from the Department of Computer Science will discuss several of the professional panels and seminars on this subject that he attended at the SIGGRAPH 2004 conference in LA in August 2004. He’ll also show several of the award-winning computer animation videos from the SIGGRAPH 2004 Computer Animation Festival. Tuesday – November 9, 2004 3:30-4:30 PM Engineering Building 1033 FREE SODA & PIZZA! FREE SODA & PIZZA! FREE SODA & PIZZA!

2. SIGGRAPH 2004 Electronic Theatre CORTEX ACADEMY 3D CGI on AMD 1.2GHz and dual P3 800MHz CPU using Maya on Windows 2000 Video editing on Apple G3 with Mac OS Compositing on SGI Onyx using Inferno on UNIX Ave. CPU time for rendering per frame: 5 minutes Total production time: 130 days ATTACK OF THE NOTE SHEEP PC Intel P3 single 550MHz CPU using Adobe After Effects and Photoshop on Windows 2000 Hand-drawn animation Total production time: six weeks ROCK THE WORLD PC AMD dual 1.67GHz CPU using Maya and Adobe After Effects on Windows XP Ave. CPU time for rendering per frame: 30 minutes Total production time: 600 days

3. SIGGRAPH 2004 Educators Program Panel Discussion Preparing Students for Job Hunting in the High-End CG Industries Pam Hogarth Gnomon School of Visual Effects Debra Blanchard DreamWorks SKG Kathleen Milnes Entertainment Industry Development Corporation Barbara McCullough Rhythm & Hues Studios Stan Szymanski Sony Pictures/Imageworks Peter Grassi Electronic Arts John Hazelton BioLucid Robin Thompkins Electronic Arts A 90-minute discussion with industry professionals regarding the tools that students need in order to improve their chances of obtaining CG employment.

4. Preparing Students for Job Hunting in the High-End CG Industries Artistic & Technical Skills • Traditional Artistic Experience • Sketching, Painting, Sculpting, Animation • Digital Artistic Experience • Maya, 3ds Max, Softimage|XSI, LightWave 3D • Programming Experience • C++, UNIX, OpenGL, DirectX • Mathematics Experience • Linear Algebra, Multivariable Calculus, Geometry

5. Preparing Students for Job Hunting in the High-End CG Industries Interpersonal Skills • Literacy • Poorly written cover letters, resumes - all too common • Speaking Skills • “Deer In Headlights”, “Babbling Idiot” – common extremes • Evidence Of Teamwork • School projects, jobs, extracurricular activities • Research • Know what the employer does and what they’re seeking

6. Preparing Students for Job Hunting in the High-End CG Industries Future Growth • Assessment of Individual Strengths & Weaknesses • Ongoing, reality-based, with efforts to improve • Rapid Shifts in the CG Market • Continuous appraisals of trends in technology, art, style • Versatility • Broadening one’s capabilities as much as possible

7. SIGGRAPH 2004 Animation Theatre THE PAINTER PC Intel dual 1GHz CPU using Maya, Quantel Editbox, and experimental HP rendering software on Windows 2000 RedHat Linux used to network 18-104 CPUs Ave. CPU time for rendering per frame: 22 minutes Total production time: 2.5 months I’M WALKING Single 2GHz CPU using Hash Animation Master and Adobe After Effects on Windows 2000 Ave. CPU time for rendering per frame: 7 minutes Total production time: 2.5 months

8. SIGGRAPH 2004 Panel Discussion Careers in Computer Graphics Entertainment Rachel Falk PDI/DreamWorks Kate Shaw Industrial Light & Magic Hael Kobayashi Animal Logic Luke O’Byrne The Orphanage Dan Scherlis Etherplay Bob Nicoll Electronic Arts A two-hour discussion with industry professionals regarding the needs of the job market and how to best prepare for entry into the industry.

9. Careers in Computer Graphics Entertainment Size Matters • Large Companies • Departmentalized • Require specific skills for each production department • Small Companies • Core teams of all-rounders • Rely on individuals to become skilled generalists

10. Careers in Computer Graphics Entertainment Medium Alternatives • Visual Effects for Live Action • Work divided between several facilities • Primarily 3D artists • Occasionally 2D artists • Schedules between several weeks and several months • Digital Features • Work done by a single company or studio • Primarily 3D artists • Artists divided into skill groups due to complex pipeline • Games Industry • Art directors balance storytelling with game design • Technical artists balance art and technology of graphics • Level designers, animators, modelers, engineers,…

11. Careers in Computer Graphics Entertainment Desired Skills • Problem-Solving Skills • This often means (gasp!) math • Interpersonal Skills • Deadline pressures mean long hours in close quarters • Good sense of humor helps • Good hygiene is essential • Aesthetic Background • Creative and visual • Technical Skills • Solid computer skills • Long list of software packages (including non-graphics) • Love The Medium • Play the games, watch the films, know the audience

12. SIGGRAPH 2004 Animation Theatre THE SITE PC/Intel dual 2.9GHz CPU using Maya. After Effects, Shake, Combustion, and Photoshop on Windows 2000 Ave. CPU time for rendering per frame: 10 minutes Total production time: 150 days THE PIER PC Intel dual 2.6GHz CPU using Maya, Shake, and Adobe Premiere on Windows 2000/XP Ave. CPU time for rendering per frame: 10 minutes Total production time: seven months THE BALLOON PC/Intel dual 2.6GHz CPU with Quadro FX 2000 using Maya, Renderman, and Shake on Windows 2000 Ave. CPU time for rendering per frame: 7 minutes Total production time: seven months