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Editor’sNote Pixel Perfect A t any moment, the doors will open to the annual SIGGRAPH Conference and Exhibi- tion—a virtual (pun intended) extravaganza for computer graphics and interactive technol- ogy professionals from around the globe. For 37 years, SIGGRAPH has been the place to see the latest digital techniques and technologies. As this year’s confer- ence chair Terrence Mason (Northeastern University) points out, it is a chance for those working with pixels to meet others who are pushing pixels to the extreme. “SIGGRAPH 2010 is the best place in the world to experience the ‘People Behind the Pixels,’ ” he says. “I encourage everyone to attend to meet the personalities, hear the stories, and learn the history behind the most unique and excellent content in CG and interactive techniques.” Mason himself is a prime example of one of these “People Behind the Pixels” who have influenced the industry. Director of Creative Industries at Northeastern University, he is also author of CG101: A Computer Graphics Industry Reference (now in its second edition) and a Hollywood veteran with 20-plus years of production in feature films (Star Wars, Fantastic Four), games (SimCity4), short animated films (Bunkie & Booboo), and broadcast (he single-handedly developed the CG pipeline for South Park). He attended his first SIGGRAPH in 1988 (Atlanta), though his first volunteer role wasn’t until 1995 (Los Angeles) as interactive entertainment technical director. In 2004, Mason organized a Special Session on Puppetry and Computer Graphics with none other than Gonzo the Great. For 2006, he chaired the Computer Animation Festival in Boston, “which still is one of the most fun and rewarding experiences of my career,” he says. “The jury, the content, and the ‘World’s Largest Etch-A-Sketch’ preshow was incredibly satisfying to put together.” It was on the heels of that role that he accepted the invitation to be the conference chair for 2010, “which is a three-year planning process,” he notes. In the meantime, he created and hosted 35 Years of SIGGRAPH: the Game Show! in 2008, which featured video clips from the SIGGRAPH Video Review archives and rare behind-the-scenes trivia. What does Mason have planned for this year’s conference? Plenty. Below he shares his thoughts about the show. What mark will you make on SIGGRAPH as chair? For SIGGRAPH 2010, I chose the theme ‘The People Behind The Pixels,’ which I’m happy to say has resonated with folks across all our varied art and technology communities. You have some idea of what to expect from a SIGGRAPH conference every year in terms of the content, but I wanted to especially focus on those people who make it happen. You can access so much incredible art and technology on the Web these days, but you have to actually go in person to SIGGRAPH to physically bump into and talk face-to-face with the amazing folks who actu- ally make the stuff. Was there anything in particular you wanted to bring to the show as chair? It’s going to be fun! The word ‘wonder’ is what I tried to inspire everyone with in the early stages of planning the conference—the sense that I had back in the ’80s of running up the steps every year, just dying to see what was inside the next SIGGRAPH. Who is the “average” attendee? Will that differ because the show is in LA? You know, there really isn’t an average SIGGRAPH attendee (all our attendees are above aver- age), unless it’s that personality of ‘seeking wonder’ that we’ve tried to tap into. There are so many flavors of researchers, artists, educators, students, and old-timers; it’s what makes our community so unique and exciting. LA and San Diego are always our biggest shows, with such a huge local population, so that raises the visual effects and animation component of attendees a bit, but our core programs never change. continued on page 80 2 July 2010 Computer Graphics World Magazine is published by Computer Graphics World, a COP Communications company. Computer Graphics World does not verify any claims or other information appearing in any of the advertisements contained in the publication, and cannot take any responsibility for any losses or other damages incurred by readers in reliance on such content. Computer Graphics World cannot be held responsible for the safekeeping or return of unsolicited articles, manuscripts, photographs, illustrations or other materials. 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