Conference to present special event with an Industrial Light & Magic 40th Anniversary Production

SIGGRAPH 2015 has announced the complete lineup for this year’s Production Sessions program. As part of its Computer Animation Festival, SIGGRAPH 2015 will hold Production Sessions, which allow the world’s most talented and elite computer graphics experts to go through the processes and techniques used to create the compelling content featured in blockbuster films from the past year. The 42nd annual SIGGRAPH Conference will take place 9-13 August 2015 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA.

The conference will also present a special production event to celebrate Industrial Light & Magic’s (ILM) 40th anniversary on Monday, 10 August. ILM has set the standard for visual effects, creating some of the most memorable and even iconic images in the history of modern filmmaking. The company’s pioneering efforts in computer graphics, digital compositing, morphing, and character animation, among a long list of other advances, have changed the way visual effects are utilized in film, television, and other forms of entertainment.

“The 2015 Production Sessions are not to be missed,” said Roy C. Anthony, Production Sessions program chair for SIGGRAPH 2015. “In addition to our amazing program, we’re celebrating ILM’s 40th anniversary with a special presentation. ILM has had such a massive impact on people around the world, and especially in production roles, and we wanted to commemorate their work. As always, the production sessions feature the creative masterminds behind some of the best special effects, computer graphics, and animation in film this past year. Many of these experts have broken new ground with new methods and practices to produce things that have never been seen before. We’re excited to have them join us to talk about their work and share what they do with attendees.”

The complete 2015 Production Session lineup includes*:

• Building San Fransokyo: Creating the World of Disney’s “Big Hero 6”
  Cinematography and technical supervisors from Walt Disney Animation Studios will be on the panel to explain the creation of the rich and vibrant metropolis of San Fransokyo. From art direction to final frames, the discussion will be around the new approaches to rendering to bring the detailed world in “Big Hero 6” to life.

• Disney-Pixar’s “Lava”: Moving Mountains
  Pixar Animation Studios will lead the panel discussion on “Lava.” A love letter to volcanoes and the beauty of tropical islands, “Lava” is a unique collaboration among Pixar’s artists. From designing the main character to integrating new lighting tools, the panelists will explain how “Lava” came to life and how each member was inspired to create this vision.

• Weta Digital Presents: Over 20 Years of Creativity and Innovation
  From the visual effects team behind “The Hobbit” trilogy, Weta Digital will examine the extraordinary undertaking of ground-breaking CG character development to battle sequences to fire and water effects. For more than 20 years, Weta Digital used creativity and innovation to achieve a new era of digital filmmaking.

• Double Negative Presents: The Visual Effects of “Interstellar”
  The epic science-fiction film “Interstellar” was a true collaboration of art and science. Double Negative will talk about all aspects of the visual effects work on the film, from the use of traditional, practical techniques to the role of how theoretical physics played in the design of the visual effects. Professor Emeritus Kip Thorne will be on-hand to explain how he and Double Negative developed a new renderer to work on the project where gravitationally warped space, a 4,000-foot wave and a virtual environment to represent higher spatial dimensions were created.

• Inside the Mind: The Making of Disney-Pixar’s “Inside Out”
  From concept art to the bright and vibrant animated world, this session will have Pixar Animation Studios describe the process of designing, building and bringing the world from inside a young girl’s mind to life. They will discuss the challenges of “Inside Out,” including turning emotions into characters and translating the mind into a set where adventure unfolds.

• From Post-it to Post Production, The Uncompromising Journey of “The Book of Life”
  Award-winning director Jorge Gutierrez and the art, animation, CG and VFX leads behind the Golden Globe™-nominated feature “The Book of Life” present a behind-the-scenes look at this visually inspiring film. From working with the Gutierrez’s unique artistic vision and translating it into 3D, the team at Reel FX Creative Studios will talk about the ideas behind the designs, innovative rigging and animation techniques, lighting and texture challenges, and maintaining the director’s vision.

• Image Engine Presents: Breathing Life Into “CHAPPiE”
  The team behind director Neill Blomkamp’s sci-fi comedy, “CHAPPiE,” will discuss how a small production team brought “CHAPPiE,” a digitally created childlike robot, to life. Image Engine Design will present a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges, from concept design to final integration.

• DreamWorks Animation Presents: “HOME”: Just Another Post-Apocalyptic-Alien-Invasion-Buddy-Road-Movie?
  Director Tim Johnson and the creative team from the animated feature “HOME” explains the complexity behind “simple” alien characters and the challenges behind a character who constantly changes hairstyles. The DreamWorks Animation SKG team will discuss their research, the technology and techniques behind this feature film.

• The Park is Open: Journey to “Jurassic World” with Industrial Light & Magic
  The Industrial Light & Magic team behind the worldwide blockbuster hit “Jurassic World” shares the on-set visualization tools used during production, as well as the new visual effects techniques developed for modeling and texturing, environment creation and advanced motion capture.

• Fix the Future: Industrial Light & Magic and Visual Effects of “Tomorrowland”
  The Industrial Light & Magic team behind the visual effects of “Tomorrowland” will talk about methodologies, the architecture behind the CG city. They will also open up about the production challenges and workflow solutions that were developed to deliver this first-ever, 4K release.

• “The Peanuts Movie”: From Comic Strip to Feature Film
  Bringing the iconic characters of the beloved comic strip “Peanuts” to life was an exciting and unprecedented prospect for the team at Blue Sky Studios. The Blue Sky Studios team will share insight of their design and animation style, and how artistic and technical challenges brought the classic pen lines of “Peanuts” creator Charles Schulz to the big screen.

• The Making of Marvel’s “Ant-Man”
  The creative minds from Marvel Entertainment, Double Negative, Luma Pictures and Method Studios will be on hand for a behind-the-scenes session that explores the visual effects in the making of “Ant-Man.”

• The Making of the Characters of Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron”
  For the making of “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” the teams from Marvel Entertainment, Industrial Light & Magic and Lola VFX will discuss what went on behind-the-scenes, from animation to visual effects teams and the technologies and processes.

For more information about this year’s Production Sessions or other SIGGRAPH 2015 programs, follow the conference on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Instagram, or the ACM SIGGRAPH blog.