ENGINEERING
LSU Center for Computation & Technology to Display Digital Media Research at SIGGRAPH 2010
The LSU Center for Computation & Technology, or CCT, will host a booth at SIGGRAPH 2010, the premier conference on computer graphics and interactive technologies, during the conference exhibition July 27-29 in Los Angeles.
"SIGGRAPH provides the center with a significant opportunity to demonstrate that LSU is leading novel research in scientific visualization, digital media, touch and interactive computing applications, tangible devices and related areas," said Stephen David Beck, CCT Interim Director.
This year, SIGGRAPH's focus is "The People Behind the Pixels," and the conference is seeking exhibit materials and demonstrations that highlight the researchers and their efforts in these areas, focusing on the person rather than just showing the finished product.
CCT will exhibit in Booth 1019 during SIGGRAPH, providing information about ongoing research in digital media and interactive systems. One topic CCT will display prominently is information about the Arts, Visualization, Advanced Technologies and Research, or AVATAR, Initiative in digital media at LSU.
This fall, AVATAR will launch the University's first minor curriculum in digital media, training students for careers in animation, video game design, electronic music composition and more. At SIGGRAPH, visitors can learn more about the upcoming minor and related AVATAR research programs, lecture series and courses.
One AVATAR course CCT will highlight at SIGGRAPH is the video game design course, which LSU has offered in partnership with the University of Illinois-Chicago since 2007. This course, which students attend via high-definition video streamed live between the two universities, teaches participants how to script, design, code and ultimately produce an original video game. For the past two years, the course has especially focused on games that involve touch and interactive technology, which are current trends in the gaming industry.
Another AVATAR project that CCT will feature at SIGGRAPH is the Laptop Orchestra of Louisiana, a group of musicians who compose, conduct and play music using ordinary office laptop computers, sometimes using Nintendo “Wii Mote” controllers as virtual musical instruments. The Laptop Orchestra of Louisiana, called the LOLs, debuted in April 2010, and will host more performances in the coming year. Beck, Derryl & Helen Haymon Professor in the LSU School of Music, is the orchestra’s director.
While at SIGGRAPH, CCT will seek entries for the Best of the Fest competition, part of the sixth annual Red Stick International Animation Festival, which will take place Nov. 10-13, 2010 in downtown Baton Rouge. The festival is taking entries in eight categories – animated short film (student and professional), music video, scientific visualization, animation for commercials, animation for games, animation for young audiences, experimental animation/visual music (student and professional), and storyboard competition – through Aug. 6, 2010. The Red Stick film jury will announce the Best of the Fest awards during the festival, presenting a “Red Baton” award to the top entry in each category, and this year introducing a special “Golden Baton” for the best overall entry.
“Last year, we received a record-breaking 435 entries from 45 countries for Best of the Fest, which made our film competition very diverse and exciting,” said CCT Associate Director for Economic Development Stacey Simmons, who also is the Red Stick International Animation Festival Director. “This year, we hope to receive even more entries from more countries, and we look forward to engaging new participants at SIGGRAPH.”
For more information about SIGGRAPH 2010, please visit http://www.siggraph.org/s2010 .
"SIGGRAPH provides the center with a significant opportunity to demonstrate that LSU is leading novel research in scientific visualization, digital media, touch and interactive computing applications, tangible devices and related areas," said Stephen David Beck, CCT Interim Director.
This year, SIGGRAPH's focus is "The People Behind the Pixels," and the conference is seeking exhibit materials and demonstrations that highlight the researchers and their efforts in these areas, focusing on the person rather than just showing the finished product.
CCT will exhibit in Booth 1019 during SIGGRAPH, providing information about ongoing research in digital media and interactive systems. One topic CCT will display prominently is information about the Arts, Visualization, Advanced Technologies and Research, or AVATAR, Initiative in digital media at LSU.
This fall, AVATAR will launch the University's first minor curriculum in digital media, training students for careers in animation, video game design, electronic music composition and more. At SIGGRAPH, visitors can learn more about the upcoming minor and related AVATAR research programs, lecture series and courses.
One AVATAR course CCT will highlight at SIGGRAPH is the video game design course, which LSU has offered in partnership with the University of Illinois-Chicago since 2007. This course, which students attend via high-definition video streamed live between the two universities, teaches participants how to script, design, code and ultimately produce an original video game. For the past two years, the course has especially focused on games that involve touch and interactive technology, which are current trends in the gaming industry.
Another AVATAR project that CCT will feature at SIGGRAPH is the Laptop Orchestra of Louisiana, a group of musicians who compose, conduct and play music using ordinary office laptop computers, sometimes using Nintendo “Wii Mote” controllers as virtual musical instruments. The Laptop Orchestra of Louisiana, called the LOLs, debuted in April 2010, and will host more performances in the coming year. Beck, Derryl & Helen Haymon Professor in the LSU School of Music, is the orchestra’s director.
While at SIGGRAPH, CCT will seek entries for the Best of the Fest competition, part of the sixth annual Red Stick International Animation Festival, which will take place Nov. 10-13, 2010 in downtown Baton Rouge. The festival is taking entries in eight categories – animated short film (student and professional), music video, scientific visualization, animation for commercials, animation for games, animation for young audiences, experimental animation/visual music (student and professional), and storyboard competition – through Aug. 6, 2010. The Red Stick film jury will announce the Best of the Fest awards during the festival, presenting a “Red Baton” award to the top entry in each category, and this year introducing a special “Golden Baton” for the best overall entry.
“Last year, we received a record-breaking 435 entries from 45 countries for Best of the Fest, which made our film competition very diverse and exciting,” said CCT Associate Director for Economic Development Stacey Simmons, who also is the Red Stick International Animation Festival Director. “This year, we hope to receive even more entries from more countries, and we look forward to engaging new participants at SIGGRAPH.”
For more information about SIGGRAPH 2010, please visit http://www.siggraph.org/s2010 .