Pump-Action at Siggraph 2000

(Video evidence to prove to myself I was really there - 1MB)

Siggraph 2000 in New Orleans was a landmark time for myself and Pump-Action. It was my first visit to the king of all computer shows and represented everything I had been working towards with the production of this short film. After all the work in my back room studio, it was sometimes hard to believe I was actually there.

 

(An expectant audience at the Saenger Theatre- 2.5MB)

Pump-Action's participation in the exclusive Electronic Theatre programme proved to be the highlight of the whole project. This year's show was situated away from the Conference Centre in the ornate Saenger Theatre and included 41 films selected from over 650 entries. The combined audience from the 6 performances of the week must have totalled around 18,000 and they were entertained by a wide variety of shorts and clips from individuals like myself through to the likes of Disney's Secret Lab, Framestore, Rhythm & Hues, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Digital Domain, Dreamworks SKG, Industrial Light and Magic and of course Pixar who in my opinion provided the pick of the show with their latest short 'For the Birds'.

Thanks to Joe Takai and all who worked to put on the show this year.

 

(Friendly and approachable. Maxon at Siggraph - 8.7MB)

The main Conference Hall was no disappointment either with a huge amount to see. I spent a fair bit of time at the Maxon booth promoting Cinema 4D, which I had used to make Pump-Action, by pretending to be famous and forcing signed Pump-Action posters on passersby.

This year's show was staffed by Paul Babb, Aaron Matthew, Jason Goldsmith, Harald Egel, Donovan Keith, Chris Broeska, Frank Cords and Jeff Carns and the Maxon stand recieved an enthusiastic response by many who had come over to see if Cinema 4D really is as good as all the current reviews make out - it is.

(Pirocluster coming from a familiar bin - 900k)

Third party developers were also showing their support for Cinema as Piroclusters could be seen billowing smoke and flames from a variety of objects, but one particular scene caught my eye. Someone has been to the download page, I see. Hope they bought the video.

(Doppleganger the myth caught on camera - 2.1 MB)

I also caught a glimpse of the amazing Doppleganger, facial animation system being developed by Jason Goldsmith of Maxon, being set up here by Chris Broeska who modelled the mouth shapes.

(Sony draws a crowd - 1.6 MB)

Sony's booth was a popular place as they ran a free Life Drawing class. You even went away with a T-shirt.

(Everything is big at Siggraph- 2.1 MB)

The scale of the main floor followed through to the main Presentation Hall. I guessed there were around 2000 chairs here, but still some of the talks were standing room only.

 

The week was way too short to take it all in so I will just have to go again next year.