Saturday, 01 December 11:00 - 12:30  Garnet 217
		Richard Chuang CEO Cloudpic About Richard Chuang A pioneer of the computer graphics and digital effects industry, Richard Chuang co-founded PDI/DreamWorks over 30 years ago which later received an Academy Technical Achievement Award in 1998 for its proprietary animation system. At PDI/DreamWorks, Richard was responsible for developing production capacity on a global scale for DreamWorks Animation, including multi-national productions that spanned Asia and Europe. His expertise is in computer animation and visual effects for both animated and live action films.

The rise of computer graphics in Asia

Since the introduction of computer graphics into the commercial world in the early 80’s, we have seen the industry blossom and spread across the globe through the world of graphics, commercials, visual effects, and animation. Through the years, Asian researchers and artists have innovated and prospered. However, the Asian studios have constantly remained in the shadow of their western counterparts.   

Since 2000, with the advancement of the Internet, the knowledge and know-how of the computer graphics industry have been leveled across the continents. We will look at some of the achievements and lessons learned through Asian studios and examine the key challenges ahead to achieve global balance in the digital entertainment industry.

Back in the 80’s, Japan set the standards for creative innovation through computer graphics. The commercial world then fostered creativity and leveraged on the technology prowess of the electronics. The 90’s saw the rise of other Asian countries such as South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong as they followed in the footsteps of Japan. Since 2000, the meteoric rise of China and India has once again provided Asia with the same access to the tools and technology that rival the western world. As such, we will discuss several unique perspectives of Asian studios and the impact of western studios in Asia.

By examining the culture and people behind some of the success stories in Asia, we will be able to learn from their triumphs and downfalls. From a personal recount of setting up a TV show in Hong Kong to building studios in India and Japan to helping studios from Singapore to China, these stories will reveal the quality and dedication of several artists from the industry. These experiences will also show attendees some of the cultural, creative, and technical challenges ahead. Ultimately, the goal is to provide a perspective that will stimulate and challenge the audience of SIGGRAPH Asia to reach parity with the rest of the world in the field of computer graphics.

Click here for a podcast interview with Richard Chuang done by fxguide.