7: – 10:30pm  performances

The PHOTON BALLET

Thomas Dolby & the Jazz Mafia Horns
Frank Serafine musician and visualist
Matt Venuti -of the Venusians
Marci Javril - DanceHoop'er
MAXON -  BodyPaint 3D 
DJ Nalepa
Paul Holman - VJ System Producer 
Mark Bava- Events Producer, Artist
Joegh Bullock - Anon Salon, Inflatable Arts
Glenn Grillo - VJ Digital Production
Marco Schindelmann, LITTERATI (synthetic Theater)
Sander R. Wolff: "Transduction" (Kinetic Sculpture)
Donna Sternberg, digital artists Michael Masucci & Kate Johnson of EZTV, 
Excerpt from "RAGE TO KNOW" a performance between four dancers, three projectors and two musicians, created especially for LA-SIGGRAPH's Photon Ballet. Live Vocals: Elif Savas, Live Percussion: Robert Gelman

At The Music Box Henry Fonda Theater
6126 Hollywood Blvd / Hollywood, CA 90028
http://www.henryfondatheater.com/2007/

sponsors include:
Microsoft

EZTV

MAXON Computer 

MEETING PRODUCERS:  Joan Collins Carey, Robert Gelman, Michael J. Masucci, & Mark Bava, & the SIG: ART Co: Chairs: Sheriann Ki Sun Burnham, and Jennifer Grey

TICKETS:  At the door only, and there is plenty of room, so come on down. (Capacity 1,200)
The event is free to LA ACM SIGGRAPH members, and $15 for non-members.
New members who sign up on site and pay the $35 annual membership fee (checks or cash only) do not have to pay the $15 fee.  Anyone can become an LA SIGGRAPH member for $35.  You get in free to ten meetings.  DOWNLOAD the membership form in advance: http://la.siggraph.org/html/membership.htm

DIRECTIONS: 
Between Argyle and Vine on Hollywood Blvd.  Use Hollywood Blvd exit off of the 101 Hollywood Fwy.  Also, the Metro Red Line station is right there on Argyle.   ( http://www.henryfondatheater.com/2007/map01.htm# )

PARKING:
In the Sunshine Parking lot, (a.k.a. Pantages parking).

MAIN STAGE PRESENTORS:

Thomas Dolby & the Jazz Mafia Horns
In the late 1970s, synths and electronic music was the exclusive province of superstars, academics, and seasoned studio pros. Then came a new generation of young rebels, led by Thomas Dolby.

Thomas Dolby and his songs are living, breathing entities. They have grown and matured. What is a state-of-the-art gizmo today may sound dated tomorrow; Dolby has always kept timeless fundamentals: evocative timbres, thoughtful lyrics, and memorable melodies at the heart of his music.

His current live show offers an opportunity for both artist and audience to get back up to speed with his classic material... before the next leg of his absorbing journey commences.

His performance at the Photon Ballet will include a three-piece horn section and a jaw-dropping real-time sequencing performance, enhanced by the multimedia visuals created by VJ Johnny Dekam.  A fitting return to the stage for one of the pioneer artists of the MTV generation.
http://www.thomasdolby.com/

Frank Serafine
The Art of Modern Classical Electronic Music, and Motion Graphics
His Join legendary composer / sound designer / musician and visualist Frank Serafine, as he gives a unique performance featuring his original modern orchestral music and motion graphics.

Best known for his work on Star Trek I & III: The Search For Spock, Tron, Hunt for Red October, Peter Gabriel, Ravi Shankar and many more, Serafine will perform music, with motion graphics all created using the latest Apple Mac music hardware and software as well as many other 3rd party audio andn graphics developers.  Learn more about Serafine and his work at www.frankserafine.com

Matt Venuti, (of the Venusians)
Matt Venuti is an original and one of a rare breed to musician-technologists who are able to use technology for maximum emotional impact.  When you hear his hypnotic grooves, soaring melodies and rhythmic textures, you might not be aware that you are listening to an EVI (electronic valve instrument) that sounds as much like a fine string section in one moment as it does a thrash guitar in another.  Played like a trumpet, it's always amazing to watch.

With Matt's original compositions, you can be taken anywhere, and it's often a great surprise where you end up. His latest venture is in the world of the "Hang," (pronounced "hong").  This is a hand-played steel-drum like instrument that looks something like a flying saucer.  And like a flying saucer, Matt's playing is likely to transport you to some other world. 

He'll be playing a little of the Hang as well as his EVI along with laptop beats at Photon Ballet.
current release: Dance of Helix
http://www.venusians.com
http://venusians.com/instruments.html

Donna Sternberg, digital artists Michael Masucci & Kate Johnson of EZTV,
EXCERPT FROM "RAGE TO KNOW"
a performance between four dancers, three projectors and two musicians, created especially for LA-SIGGRAPH's Photon Ballet. 

A collaboration between Donna Sternberg & Dancers and EZTV
Digital Video & Animation: Michael Masucci, Kate Johnson
Choreographer: Donna Sternberg
Live Vocals: Elif Savas
Live Percussion: Robert Gelman

Today's notions in contemporary physics, including Quantum Mechanics and String Theory, are bombarding humankind's notions of time, space and spirituality. How do artists interpret these notions, and serve as both translators as well as commentators in reaction to ideas that few can actually ponder?  Rage to Know is an experiment through modern dance and digital art to create an expressionistic landscape upon which to reflect and ponder the nature of existence itself. 

For over 25 years, EZTV's Michael Masucci, an acknowledged pioneer in desktop video, has been collaborating with many of Los Angeles' choreographers, to create highly influential and innovative experiments in the use of multi-screen ( and often mobile ) video & digital projections with live dancers and performance artists. By the integration of specifically produced cinematic and photographic imagery, in addition to more abstract "VJ-style" imagery, Masucci introduced a more narrative and scenic design aesthetic to typical 'wallpaper' designs which still make-up most of the use of video projection in live performance. Kate Johnson, continuing in this EZTV cinema-style tradition, has created some of the most critically acclaimed examples of digital art projection used with contemporary dance today, in a number of award-winning collaborations which continue to raise the bar of what is expected in video/dance performance. 

Choreographer Donna Sternberg co-founded the Mixed Motion Dance Company, where she choreographed, performed and taught throughout California, Oregon and Washington states. Desiring to work with artists of other disciplines, Ms. Sternberg moved on to become Artistic Director of Dance Collaborative, where she choreographed and performed solo and collaborative concerts. In 1985 she founded Donna Sternberg & Dancers, a modern dance company, to express her vision of the communicative power of movement. The company is based in Santa Monica, California. She has danced in the companies of Donald Byrd, Mary Jane Eisenberg, Dance/LA and TNR: Moebius. 

In addition to the pre-recorded original music tracks created especially for this performance by Masucci, Johnson & Sternberg, performing live will be Elif Savas, an internationally recognized artist, whose operatically trained soprano voice has been used in performances ranging from opera to contemporary. Additionally, accompanying the live vocals and electronica music, will be live percussion by cyber-art pioneer/musician Robert Gelman.

For this LA-SIGGRAPH performance, EZTV's Masucci will utilize two modified camera support system to hold video projectors to allow them to follow and move more smoothly with the four dancers, who are used as projection surfaces for this piece. This technique, called LightCrane by Masucci, has been evolving since his collaborations  in the mid-1980's with multimedia dance pioneer Zina Bethune.  No lighting design other than video projection will be used to light the dancers, who will be enclosed in several prototypes of mesh fabric costume/sets which changes shape and therefore the shape and size of the projection surfaces. This Butoh-like performance, created especially for LA-SIGGRAPH's March 13th event, is adapted from a two-year collaboration between Donna Sternberg & Dancers and EZTV called "RAGE TO KNOW" an evening-length live multimedia dance event to premiere at California State Northridge April 28th, in collaboration with their Dept.of Physics, and Dr. Ken Phillips of the California Science Museum.

Marco Schindelmann, LITTERATI (synthetic Theater)
Featured Artist: MLuM (cineMLuM, MLuMettes)
Guest Artists and sponsors: RCC Dancers, Chung Shih Hoh, Scary Culture, FLOOD
An example of Synthetic Theater, informed by hara-kirioke (a fusion of karaoke, Noh drama and Theater of Cruelty),
Litterati is a conceptual demonstration of litter employed as artistic medium as well as a nonmimetic display of the energetics of litter as formulated into methodology. By way of movement, action and dance, litter is created onstage; via projection, litter is aestheticized as it randomly captures the space-borne and lucific litter of images cast by projectors. Conceptual points are further underscored by live and prerecorded sound and musical elements. Processes include aleatorization, automatism, preprogramming and transilience while performance practices feature spontaneous and calculated doubling techniques and iterations (the "sing along" aesthetics of sweetening and performing to the radio, iPod and other pop prerecord sources).
http://www.mlum.com/litterati.htm

Marci Javril
Special guest appearances by Marci Javril, creator of HOOPLAY- uniquely stylized movement improvisation using DanceHoops. Performances throughout the evening, interacting with many of the art installations and lighting.  Marci Javril, Vital Energist, transmutated image was splashed in multiple trails across giant video projection screens in the late 80's. Hailed as a pioneer artist in using real-time computer animation techniques, she solo-choreographed specific movement forms to interact with Technology, using image processing by Ed Tannenbaum, and collaborating with other artists using the Fairlight Computer Video Instrument from 1984-92 (both precursors of the VideoToaster). She is now an expert (hula) DanceHoop'er and improvises an incredible mix of dance theatre with technology. See her article published in Whole Life Times & a brief hoop.mov from Burningman 2005: www.VitalEnergyCenter.com/burningman.html

Sander Wolff, "Transduction"  (Rooftop Terrece)
Media: Kinetic Sculpture (Metal, Water, Sound, Light)
"Transduction" is a kinetic sculpture that uses the natural qualities of metal, water, and light to create a dynamic dialog with the energy of sound.
Sander is the Executive Director of LongBeachCulture.org, a free community Arts portal.
http://www.SanderIs.com 

Glenn Grillo - Digital Production
With his Los Angeles-based, Arcane Realities, Glenn is a world leader in cutting-edge 3D animation and direction. He’s developed critically acclaimed animations for HBO, Nissan, Toyota, Entropia, Inc. and Virgin Records. His work is featured in clubs from Tokyo to New York to Los Angeles. If you want to push the limits, Glenn’s your man.  www.arcanerealities.com/

MAXON Computer - BodyPaint 3D,
A Paint Directly onto 3D Models with Real-Time Results
A well known producer of powerful and intuitive 3D solutions, invites attendees to see the high-end tools of BodyPaint 3D in action and paint directly on 3D models.  Popular among major motion pictures studios, BodyPaint gives artists ultimate control over the materials and textures with layers, filters, and real-time ray-traced feedback.  Using Wacom's Cintiq tablet, visitors can paint on the computer screen and see instant results with the pen pressure, direction, angle, and rotation taken perfectly into account.  BodyPaint 3D offers direct connection plugins for most leading 3D animation packages including CINEMA 4D, Maya, Softimage XSI, 3ds Max, and Lightwave.  You can download a free, full-functional demo of BodyPaint 3D @ http://www.maxon.net

Mark Bava - Events and Concert Producer, Artist
Producer- Anon Salon, Blue Bongo Cafe.  Mark Bava has produced both public and corporate events for over 20 years from concert production in the early 1980's in Monterey Ca. to current annual Sea of Dreams New Years Eve (LA and San Francisco) and LaDecom Street Fair (fundraiser for Black Rock Arts Foundation). Current board member of LARABA (Los Angeles River Arts and Business  Assoc).
www.markbava.blogspot.com &  www.anonsalon.com

Joegh Bullock - Event Producer, Founder of Anon Salon/Climate 
Theatre, Inflatable Arts
Anon Salon has been producing trend setting multi media events and theatre since 1990 that has been blurring the line between audience and performer for close to 25 years. Over the course of its 15-year existence, Anon Salon has helped redefine West Coast event and party production by producing hundreds of unique theme parties, theater festivals, art shows and even street fairs for adventurous fans in both San Francisco and Los Angeles.  Producers of Anon Salon, Sea of Dreams, Ambiotica Lounge, Solo Mio Festival, Climate Theatre, Glas Haus and co-producers of Heat the Streets Faire, Flambe Lounge for Black Rock Arts Foundation.
www.anonsalon.com &  www.inflatablearts.com

SPECIAL THANKS
PAUL HOLMAN – VJ System Producer
DJ Nalepa – DJ System content

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MUCH APPRECIATION FOR OUR EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

Chair: Joan Collins Carey, collins@siggraph.org
Co-Chair: Alan Botvinick
Vice Chair:Candice Sanders
Secretary: Andy Milne
Treasurer: Howard E. Neely, III
Membership Chair & Webmaster: John Sterni