Bruce McDiffett

Candidate for Director at Large

I'm running for Director at Large because it's time for SIGGRAPH to find a new vision, a new hope, a new dream.

33 conferences ago we set out on a grand journey, one just as inspired and ultimately just as world-changing as Columbus or Magellan. In a world where computers meant punch cards and printouts, we had a vision of learning how to let people use computers to create images. We didn't know how we'd do it. All we had was our vision, and the desire and commitment and unshakeable belief that we would follow it and find out.

Our vision guided us through all our incredible years of discovery. Almost everything in the world has been touched by what we've done. We truly succeeded beyond our wildest dreams.

That's why we need a new dream.

SIGGRAPH was once the only place in the world to experience graphics - the amazing images, the hardware and software, and most of all the people. That's why it was such magic. But now graphics is available to everyone, everywhere, all the time. People have more graphics they know what to do with. And so what was once so special, taking people away from their lives once a year to give them more and better graphics, is now exactly the opposite of what the world wants from us.

In human terms, SIGGRAPH is facing its mid-life transition. At mid-life a person is called to slowly let go of what has brought them success, of what they know of themselves, and open to the next stage of life. It's the transition from facing inward to outward, separation to union, activity to meaning, youth to the acceptance of one's mortality. It's called the second birth. And just like an infant being born, it's holding on to the old life that leads to death. It's embracing the unknown that actually leads to new life.

That's why we need a new dream.

I'm running for Director at Large because it's the position that can bridge those worlds, that can connect who we are with who we're becoming. At Large is the one position that can connect and catalyze everything. That's all I've ever done in my life, really. I'd like to be able to do it now for, and with, the people I care about most.

I can't tell you all of what our new vision should be, because our vision needs to come from all of us, the way pixels make up a picture. I can tell you my vision, and you can read it if you follow the link below. What I can promise you is that I know how we find it. And if it's anything like what I think it is, it's more exciting than anything...ever.

This isn't the end of our journey. It's just where we had to come to begin the next part.

Thank you, and thank you for all the ways you care about SIGGRAPH.

Let's find a new dream.

bruce@siggraph.org
http://www.evilgenius.com/the_future_of_siggraph.html

SIGGRAPH Experience

• SIGGRAPH Conference Course Organizer (Integrating Music & Graphics, 1986-87; Imagery, Symbolism & Human Consciousness, 2002)
• Chair, ACM SIGGRAPH Bay Area Chapter, 1991-1992
• Co-host, The Bruce & Carmi Party, SIGGRAPH 1988 - present
• Quarter century of SIGGRAPH Conferences

Professional Experience

• Feature film visual effects, music industry, software, hardware, communications, science, government, finance

Personal Experience

• Recording musician, independent film producer, book editor, radio host, television guest, personal coach

Current Activity

• I've spent the last ten years exploring the process and experience of personal and collective transformation and growth.