May 14, 2007 by Jen Stolzer.

I just wanted to let you all know that I sent our paperwork in today, so hopefully we’ll be official by the end of the week.  Conveniently postage went up today btw.  Letters are 41 cents and packages are 80.  Lucky me I had a dollar stamp lying around.

If anyone wants to help me out building the DVD on Wednesday we’ll be back in 202 Wednesday atfternoon.

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May 14, 2007 by joeljohnson66.

SIGGRAPH (Special Interest Group — Graphic artists, Interactive Media and Animation)–The premier organization for Interactive Media and Animation in the World.

SIGGRAPH conferences work on many levels. SIGGRAPH has a site http://www.siggraph.org/s2007/attendees/registration/value.html explaining why you should go.

My top 10 reasons for attending SIGGRAPH

1. Networking — professionals from every area at every level from students, to freelancers, to Pixar will be there. The atmosphere is very collegial and opportunities to discuss professional and personal issues abound.

2. Panels — discussions with major field representatives (last year I went to several held by lead animators and project managers from Open Season, Chronicles of Narnia, Disney). These are usually centered around the details of major projects.

3. Papers — Academic superstars discuss where the research is leading in the future (last year I went to several about camera arrays aka what you can do if you have 8 cameras in one place instead of 1). These are highly technical, but accessible (most, but some require certain math/science skills to understand).

4. Workshops — “How To” sessions on almost any aspect of the interactive and animation fields.

5. Exhibitors and Exhibitor sessions — Every major company involved in the industry sets up booths where you can test out the latest and greatest, get demos of software and training sessions by the pros who teach the pros. Beyond the commercial aspect, most major schools and training facilities set up as well.

6. Art Gallery — a technology masterpiece. 3D screens, touch technologies, and a lot of really out there uses of technology. Guaranteed to give you many hours of “Wow!”

7. Animation Festival — The best animation you will ever see in the best theater you will ever see. Simply amazing.

8. Guerilla Studio — Open throughout the event these are classes with artists and field pros where you can work with 3D scanners, 3D printers, the latest software and hardware to actually create materials.

9. Job Fair — for graduates this is likely the most important stop of the entire conference. Hundreds of employers in every area of the discipline looking for good employees NOW. Bring a resume, demo reel and/or portfolio.

10. Fjorg! — 32 hour animation contest. Teams of 3 work on a single concept for 32 hours in front of the toughest group of judges in the world. Given the sound and voice-over selections, rigged models, hardware, software, meals and entertainment the challenge is to create the best of the best for the right to call yourselves the Fjorg! Viking Animators.

Expect about 10 of us to be enthusiastic and re-enlivened, smarter, faster and more powerful on return.

How to get to the SIGGRAPH conference.

Sign up to be a student SIGGRAPH member on SIGGRAPH.org $25
Sign up for the conference registration ASAP (prices rise as the conference approaches) — $345 (before June 29)
Book a room — Most of our students are looking at The 500 West hotel that costs $35 per person Apr. $200 for the 5 nights (double occupancy http://www.500westhotel.com/index.html)
Book a flight — from $315 roundtrip (1 stop as of May 14)
Plan to eat something — Apr. $250 for 4-5 days eating out

Total Costs (allowing for $350 incidentals e.g. hotel taxes, bus passes, cab rides, maps, etc.) — Apr. $1500

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