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The Visual Effects Society has just announced its involvement in a groundbreaking project: the creation of a reference platform for VFX software development. Called, quite simply, the 'VFX Reference Platform,' its purpose is to minimize incompatibilities between different VFX software packages and encourage further adoption of Linux by VFX software vendors.

Some background on the project from the VFX Reference Platform website:

"VFX and animation studios typically integrate off the shelf digital content creation (DCC) tools, such as Maya or Houdini, with in-house software and other 3rd party packages to create a connected end-to-end pipeline for their artists. Since the late 90's an increasing number of studios have started running a flavour of Linux as their primary OS for artist workstations for reasons of reliability, flexibility, cost, performance and as a natural progression from SGI's IRIX.

Due to the flexibility of the Linux platform, there are a number of different distributions on varying release schedules and this combines with software vendors all having their own schedules to create a situation where DCC software packages are often released with different and incompatible dependencies. This complexity results in VFX studios requiring specialist expertise to integrate a pipeline around these dependencies or often even deciding against supporting Linux altogether."

The VFX Reference Platform is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between numerous VFX software solutions providers and the VES. According to Chris Vienneau of Autodesk, the collaboration represents a big step forward. "For the past year, the VES has been collaborating with Autodesk and other software vendors to create a reference Linux platform to address the endemic hassle of ‘version-itis.’ We’re thrilled the VES is taking the lead to rally both the visual effects community and vendors on the Linux platform to organize this working group and benefit all of our customers,” he said.

The first version of the platform, Calendar Year 2014 (CY2014) has been published and is available online.  Next year's version, CY2015, is available in draft form; feeback is invited from developers and studios. The final version of CY2015 will be published in August and announced at SIGGRAPH 2014 in Vancouver, Canada.

The 41st annual Computer Animation Festival at SIGGRAPH 2014 will showcase more than 100 of the best examples of computer animation from the past year. Of the 450-plus festival submissions, just over a hundred were accepted — and only nine were selected to receive top honors in their respective categories. Considering the exceptional creativity and technical skill evident in the pool of entries, the decision process must have been a difficult one for the SIGGRAPH jury.

“Each piece in the festival is truly something special on its own merit,” said Jerome Solomon, SIGGRAPH 2014 Computer Animation Festival Director. According to Solomon, more categories have been added to this year's festival, expanding the festival's ability to incorporate and recognize various branches of computer animation. "The new categories enrich the diversity and richness of the show," he explained.

The SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival is recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a qualifying festival for the Academy Awards. Since 1999, several works originally presented in the Computer Animation Festival have been nominated for or have received a "Best Animated Short" Academy Award. In the words of CAF Director Jerome Solomon, "There's no other stage in the world comparable to SIGGRAPH’s Computer Animation Festival."

This year's Computer Animation Festival winners are as follows:

Best in Show

Box (see image, above)
Directed by Tarik Abdel-Gawad, Bot & Dolly

“Box” explores the synthesis of real and digital space through projection mapping on moving surfaces. The short film documents a first-ever live synchronized performance using 3D projection mapping, robots, and actors.

Jury Award

Paper World
Directed by Dávid Ringeisen, László Ruska, Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design

“Paper World” is an image film for the World Wildlife Fund Hungary where the values that WWF stands for become visible metaphorically on the level of a micro-world.

Best Animated Short

Home Sweet Home
Directed by Pierre Clenet, Alejandro Diaz, Romain Mazenet, Stéphane Paccolat, Supinfocom Arles

A house uproots herself and goes on an adventure.

Best Student Project

Wrapped
Directed by Roman Kälin, Falko Paeper, Florian Wittmann, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg

The deterioration of one is the foundation of another one's life. The world, with its never-ending interplay of eating and being eaten, takes on new dimensions when the unexpected forces of nature clash with the existing structures of our society. The only constant is change.

Best Visual Effects

Gravity
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, Esperanto Filmoj.VFX work submitted by Framestore, United Kingdom

“Gravity,” this year’s VFX Bafta and Oscar winner, turns filmmaking on its head. Rather than adding visual effects to a live-action plate, the film is around 80% computer generated, with the live-action elements (Sandra Bullock and George Clooney’s faces), integrated seamlessly with their CG spacesuits and surroundings.

Framestore VFX pros Per Karefelt, Matthias Baas, Vincent Bonnet, Alexis Wajsbrot, Sylvain Degrotte, Christopher Lawrence, Juan-Luis Sanchez, Russell Lloyd, Nathan Walster and Michael Blain will be on hand for a special SIGGRAPH 2014 session, "Don't Let Go," from 9 to 10:30 am on Thursday, August 14. They will discuss Framestore's visual effects work for "Gravity," specifically: volumetrics in space, destruction of the ISS in a single shot, simulation as a multi-stage production tool and creating the Earth as a backdrop.

Best Visualization & Simulation

Kinematics
Directed by Jessica Rosenkrantz, Jesse Louis-Rosenberg, Nervous System

This video visualizes Kinematics, a system for designing and simulating flexible structures for 3D printing. Kinematics generates customized designs composed of 10s to thousands of hinged, interlocking modules. The designs are computationally folded using rigid-body physics into a smaller form for fabrication by 3D printing.

Best Game

The Crew
Directed by Maxime Luère, Dominique Boidin, Rémi Kozyra, Unit Image

The concept of this full-CGI trailer consists of juxtaposing the two worlds valued highly by car lovers: aesthetically pleasing advertisements and action scenes. The features of the game, such as the novelty of the multiplayer aspect and the feeling of freedom in an open world, are highlighted through this concept.

Best Real-Time Graphics

RYSE: Son of Rome
Directed by Chris Evans, Peter Gornstein, Martin L’Heureux, Crytek

With Ryse, Crytek decided to focus on characters and emotion to serve the game and story. Ryse is an eight hour game with an additional 110-minutes of linear storytelling content. The submission shows gameplay and cutscenes, both utilize the same assets and can be rendered in real-time.

Best Commercial Advertisement

Three, "The Pony"
Directed by Dougal Wilson, Blink Productions. VFX work submitted by MPC.

The pony’s bouncy moves were created using a photo-real CG digital double and extensive R&D to translate human movement to a horse. The film cuts seamlessly between CG and real-life footage. Fur was created using MPC's Furtility tool, and environments were altered using compositing and matte painting.

Want to see more? Check out the 2014 Computer Animation Festival trailer.

A remarkable window of opportunity for augmented reality and virtual reality developers is rapidly coming to a close. Wednesday, June 25 at 22:00 UTC/GMT is the final cutoff for submissions to the SIGGRAPH 2014 AR/VR contest — the spoils of which include a flurry of attention for the top entries and Oculus DK2 headsets for each of the three finalists. The grand prize winner will nab a trophy that would make any hardcore VR enthusiast drool: an Oculus DK2 set personally signed by Palmer Luckey, inventor of the Oculus Rift virtual reality gaming headset.

AR and VR developers interested in harnessing the attention of thousands of tech junkies and landing a state-of-the-art Oculus development kit in a single swoop, take note. The contest is open to absolutely anyone; students, hobbyists, professionals and researchers are all encouraged to submit. Contestants can use any software and hardware they choose, and attendance at the SIGGRAPH conference is not a requirement to enter.

The three highest-rated entries will be demonstrated via video presentation at the Real-Time Live session of SIGGRAPH 2014 on Tuesday, August 12 in Vanouver, Canada. The grand prize winner will be chosen by the audience and announced on stage during the event. Though attendance at the SIGGRAPH conference is not required to enter the contest, each finalist will be expected to send a representative to demonstrate their system during Real-Time Live. Finalists will also have the opportunity to demo their entries to attendees during the (not-to-be-missed) SIGGRAPH 2014 Appy Hour on Wednesday, August 13. 

The contest submission requirements are far from unmanageable for last-minute entrants; they include a five-minute segment of captured video from the project, a representative image and half a page of information on the project and its developers. The three finalists will be selected by a panel of experts in computer graphics, video games and research, and will demonstrate the best use of interactive and immersive technologies from among the pool of entries. Creativity, innovation, performance and overall quality will be weighed equally during judging.

There's no time to spare, so submit your project now! Full contest rules and submission instructions can be found on the Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality Contest page of the SIGGRAPH 2014 website.

June 20, 2014 is the last day to register for SIGGRAPH 2014 with the advance registration discount! 

In addition to the early bird discount, SIGGRAPH is also offering a steeply discounted registration to unemployed ACM SIGGRAPH members. A full list of registration fees can be found on the SIGGRAPH 2014 website.

Looking for reasons to attend SIGGRAPH 2014?

How about the bevy of cutting-edge computer graphics courses, taught by highly respected instructors?

Or the Emerging Technologies exhibit?

And don't forget the Computer Animation Festival!

SIGGRAPH 2014 is on target to be one of the most exciting, activity-packed SIGGRAPH conferences yet — so don't miss out!

Register for SIGGRAPH 2014 now.

According to a survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, computer science is one of the country's fastest growing occupational fields. By 2020, the BLS estimates there will be 4.2 million computing and IT jobs in the United States alone. A recent talent strategy report from Microsoft seems to corroborate the BLS' survey results; the report states that in 2012, Microsoft was left with 3,400 unfilled research, development and engineering positions — a 34 percent increase in empty chairs from the year prior. 

Despite the exploding demand for workers skilled in computing, American high school students often graduate with minimal exposure to the near-limitless potential of the art and science of computing. Though the demand for computer-savvy workers is tremendous and steadily increasing, less than 10 percent of the high schools in the United States actually offer students an AP computer science course. The increase in computing jobs is not limited to the U.S., however; nor is the U.S. the furthest behind in computing education. Young students all over the world could benefit from greater exposure to computer science and technology.

Since 2003, the ACM SIGGRAPH Computer Graphics Pioneers group, the ACM SIGGRAPH Education Committee, and various sponsors have been working to introduce high school juniors and seniors to the scientific, artistic and career possibilities offered by the field of computer graphics. The program, dubbed "Spend a Week at SIGGRAPH," provides a limited number of high school students — aged 16 or over, who live in or near the city that hosts SIGGRAPH — unrestricted access to the conference; a full week of immersion in cutting-edge computer graphics technology, art and research.

Without exception, each year of the program has proven a resounding success. In thank-you letters to mentors, student after student has repeated the words "overwhelming,"  "life-changing" and "amazing." There's little doubt that the "Spend a Week at SIGGRAPH" program has touched the lives of hundreds of young people, opened their eyes to new career paths and, perhaps, even changed the trajectory of their lives.

ACM SIGGRAPH is currently seeking mentors and students for this year's program.

Volunteer as a SIGGRAPH mentor: Mentors spend an average of 30 minutes per day with their student, providing on-site schedule guidance and advice. If you are planning on attending the 2014 SIGGRAPH conference in Vancouver, Canada, and would like to volunteer to serve as a mentor, please contact the chief student mentor by email. 

Nominate a student: If you are a high school educator in the Vancouver area who would like to nominate one or more students for this program, please contact the chief student mentor for more information.

Apply to attend SIGGRAPH: If you are a high school student in the Vancouver area (aged 16 or older) and would like to participate in the program, please contact the chief student mentor for further information and details on how to apply.

Learn more about the "Spend a Week at SIGGRAPH" program and read thank-you letters from past participants.

Find out what you can expect to see and experience at SIGGRAPH 2014.

Watch the video below for interviews with participants in the 2011 "Spend a Week at SIGGRAPH" in Vancouver, Canada.