Despite busy schedules, our many members find the time to in some way get involved with SIGGRAPH activities, most typically the annual conference. Blocking out a full week to attend is for most a willing sacrifice to further professional development, catch up with friends and colleagues, review new innovations or to view fascinating art and great films, all related to the nuances of what computer graphics has to offer.

In the deeper folds of the membership, others volunteer to help develop and organize the resources ACM/SIGGRAPH provides to the full community. One of those is this newsletter, “Computer Graphics”, which I am sure the majority of its readers considers as their membership “magazine”, published four times a year.

The article, "Making It Real: The Future of Stereoscopic 3D Film Technology” from Sony Pictures Imageworks, written by Eden Ashley Umble, was initiated by Sande Scoredos, Executive Director of Technical Training & Artist Development. Carlye Archibeque, Senior Coordinator of Marketing & Communications was instrumental in pulling all the pieces and people together and getting it approved by the Imageworks legal department for publication. I mention this only because most will not be aware of how much goes into putting together a seemingly straight forward article about behind the scenes operations at a movie studio.

Douglas Easterly’s excerpt from his most recent book on Macromedia Flash development is a wonderful read on how multimedia artist Ricardo Miranda Zúñiga uses the technology to create his internet based art and social commentaries.

As you flip through the pages of this first issue, you find that there are still sections under the Table of Contents that still need to be addressed. This is where the greater ACM/SIGGRAPH community comes in. Unlike a magazine you would purchase at the market, this one is driven by its members and sent directly to their homes, now in digital form. We are still getting used to the new format and I know that as time goes by, many will start to understand the ease of contributing and the newsletter will grow.

So I urge each and everyone reading these pages to think of how your quarterly can best serve your needs. Let your voice be heard by sharing articles and information that will interest our community at large. I welcome to hear from each and every one that wants to get involved.

If you are interested in participating actively in preparing and publishing “Computer Graphics”, we have a few volunteer positions that we looking to fill.

Hans Westman

Editor