SIGGRAPH '21 Panels: Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques Conference

Computer graphics media industries see themselves as forward thinking and inclusive. However, BIPOC (black, Indigenous and people of color) are often not at the table when issues regarding inclusion are discussed. Inclusion requires a plan that reaches not only the candidate, but the educational and home communities a candidate is from. This panel will discuss the experience of BIPOC artists entering a predominantly white male workforce and what change must occur to make the journey a little better for everyone.

Filmmakers, artists, and educators comprise this panel and will represent the barriers experienced by persons of color that occur not just at the interview, but in the educational system and BIPOC community. They will share experiences on production and give honest feedback on how to create positive change.

Virtual reality is a growing platform for live entertainment, offering the feeling of embodiment and immersion that is central to storytelling for both audience and performers. Find out how several different artists are bringing the magic of theater to digital playhouses around the world.

Esports is a growing worldwide phenomenon now rivaling traditional sports, with a deep dependence on real-time graphics technology. Despite this, the SIGGRAPH research community has largely ignored it. This panel brings together esports experts in engineering, medicine as well as cognitive and data science to argue that this must change. Like film, esports is an important problem for computer graphics, and could give rise to technologies and techniques benefitting not only esports, but society more broadly. With a series of moderated and audience questions, this panel will sketch the research challenges and potential benefits of esports, while also considering its risks.

Product designers from Disney, Pixar, Blue Sky, and DreamWorks Animation discuss the challenges of designing proprietary software for feature animation production, why UX design is necessary for studios that build their own tools, and how it has impacted their studios.