 |
Platinum Sponsor
Gold Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors
|
|
|
|
Droidmaker: George Lucas and the Digital Revolution
April 16, 2008
Please join Michael Rubin, author of Droidmaker: George Lucas and the Digital Revolution,
and Dr. Alvy Ray Smith, former Director of Computer Graphics Research at Lucasfilm and co-founder of Pixar, for the inside story of George Lucas, his intensely private company, and their work to revolutionize filmmaking. In the process, they made computer graphics history. Discover the story of the birth of Pixar, digital video editing, videogame avatars, THX sound, and a host of other icons of the media age. Lucas played a central role in the universe of entertainment technologies we see every day.
On-line sales are now closed.
SPEAKER SESSION
Wednesday - April 16, 7:30 PM
Droidmaker: The Evening Session
with Dr. Alvy Ray Smith & Michael Rubin
Sponsored by
SPEAKERS BIOS
Michael Rubin
Michael Rubin does many things, some of them well.
After graduating from Brown University with a degree in neuroscience, he began his career at Lucasfilm's Droid Works. From 1985-1994 he designed editing equipment
and edited feature films and television shows in Hollywood, including The Twilight Zone, Lonesome Dove and The Sheltering Sky. In 1991, Rubin wrote and published the original textbook on nonlinear editing for professional filmmakers. At about this time, Rubin co-founded a chain of contemporary ceramics studios called Petroglyph Ceramic Lounge, which he continues to run as CEO. In 1999, Rubin returned
to editing tools, but solely focused on consumer education. Between 1999 and 2004, Rubin wrote four books on digital video for Peachpit Press, designed an online curriculum for Columbia University and the American Film Institute, and on occasion consulted for Sony and Apple regarding video literacy. Following the release
of Droidmaker in 2005, Rubin joined Netflix as a Director of the Netflix website, specializing in social network effects.
Website
Dr. Alvy Ray Smith
(Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, Tin Toy)
Dr. Alvy Ray Smith cofounded or was present at the beginning of four centers of computer graphics excellence: Altamira, Pixar, Lucasfilm and New York Tech. He then joined Microsoft as its first Graphics Fellow, and is now president of his own company, Ars Longa. With his collaborators, Smith has twice been recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for his scientific and engineering contributions, to digital image compositing (1995 award) and to digital paint systems (1997 award). Smith invented, directed, originated, or was otherwise instrumental in the following developments: the first full-color paint program, the HSV color model, the concept of the alpha channel and image sprites, Genesis Demo in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Tin Toy, the first Academy-Award winning computer animated short, Toy Story, the first computer animated feature film, the Academy-Award winning
Disney animation production system CAPS, and the Visible Human Project. Smith was a star witness in a trial that successfully invalidated five patents that had been plaguing the digital imaging business. He served on the Microsoft Art Committee,
has a PhD from Stanford University, an honorary doctorate from New Mexico State University, and is a member of the National Academy of Engineering. In 2000, Smith retired to devote time to the emerging artform of digital photography and to scholarly genealogy, to which he has contributed two books and several learned journal papers. He is a Trustee of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston. Smith writes and speaks extensively.
Website
© 2008 · Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH · info@siggraph.ca
|
|
