SIGGRAPH 2022 - Notes

All my meeting minutes from the conference!

I'm in Production! Of course I took notes!

• Day 1 Notes - Aug 8, 2022

  watch it here

  
  ILM Jedi Academy

  - internship program
  - Traditional Pipeline: shoot plate first > apply CG after
  - Virtual Pipeline: render CG+FX first (Unreal) > show on LED screens > shoot plate

  Resource 1: ILM Jedi Academy ( read more )
  Resource 2: Get In the Door ( read more )

  Dept Overview:
  ( see this post to understand the shorthands I use)
  - LDV: works to interact with GRM
  - LAY: works on face match too
  - CDV: lesser known role bec. specialized and more technical
  - ANM: imparts emotion to characters, all about performance
  - GEN: Creates the worlds where it takes place
   - FX: fluid, science based, more physics of things
  - LGT: 2D, 3Dness comes from the way it's lit. Sets the mood
  - CMP: assembles 

  Virtual Production: 
  - augmented production, virtual art dept. will build the set
  - deliverables are decisions, planning the shoots
  - then passed to virtual set construction
  - then passed to virtual Prod realtime TD to make sure that it's renderable in real time
  - then passed to BRAIN BAR or STAGE CRAFT TD (manages scene change requests)
  - motion control monitors cameras and walls
  - color and light operator makes the adjustments
  - pipe and programmers for workarounds
  - on set crew

  On Training - Speaker Notes:
  - "software is the implementation of principles"
  - "tools we use can serve us today but can change tomorrow" so if they understand the why of the process underneath, they will adapt better
  - "it's not about the buttons, not about the software. It's about the artist eye and about collaboration of many artists working together."

  —
  VFX of Dune: Bringing an Iconic Story to Life
  - references: Studio Ghibli’s “The Wind Rises”, Melina/Spider Dance (watch here)
  - Use of SANDSCREEN

  —
  Shaping the Future of Animation
  - storytelling is how you get the audience
  - Chris Ghallagher - Unreal fellowship
  - Problem: Long render time e.x.) Moana rendered at140hr per fr
  - Benefit: quick render, quicker iteration, quicker storytelling
  - challenging because new way of doing
  - faster cleaner
  
  —
  Gamify Learning Maya
  - Presented by Matthew Chen, Autodesk ( YouTube Channel )
  - General attention span within 1:30
  - No to dry content/teaching
  - Problem: Loss of interest, overwhelm
  - Lesson Learned: constant window switching leads to BURNOUT
  - Solution: MayaBot
  - Future: MayaBot + scripts specific to studio on boarding?
  - Retrospect: Gamifying it may not be that interesting to folks who are already familiar with the program (could feel too slow)
  
  —
  Production Session: We Don't Talk About Bruno: An Encanto Musical Unveiled
  - neobrading?
  - Families were color coded in clothing to differentiate between the 3 (blues/purples, green, yellows/oranges)
  - Mirabel needed - hand stitched look - embroidery on skirt
  - Used Maya XGen and (proprietary?) Hyperion for Isabella (hair and chiffon fabric)
  - Tonic = in house groom tool. 2d based. Started in Frozen, used in Moana
  - Rigging allowed for multiple controls to be condensed to just one macro ctrl
  - Enabled POSING OF EYELASHES (change eyelash direction to show diff emotion)

  
  - Technical animation: figure out all the no no's in physics, physical interaction with environment
  - References of Jamal's choreo with Lin Manuel's cover; versions of refs w/ and w/o skirts
  - LAY: digital cinematographers

  NEW PIPE: Layout Finaling
  - Traditional: story > lay > anm > lay finaling > FX / Tech ANM / LGT / etc
  - Encanto: ANM (to recreate ref) no defined cam, free of creative constraints > avg of 80fr per week, but now need 500 > lay final
  - So, it's layout to decide which part to potray and focus or blend
  - LAY simplified choreo and ref first to refine the visual language, then drop off the pre anim
  - ANM to know where to polish coz cam won't change
  - ANM sat with dance choreographers and she would review animation and provide notes on action
  - proof of concept of new way of pipe
  - faster strategy

  BRUNO AND RAT SEQ:
  - asked 2D friends to do 2D shadow of dance ( to get full sized rats in frame )
  - animated by MARK HENN (Belle, Simba)

  RnD: no flights to research due to the pandemic, so relied on local photographers

  —end of Day 1 notes—

• Day 2 Notes - Aug 9, 2022

  watch it here
  
  What I Missed:
  I didn't get to go to these, but it'd be worth checking out if you ever get to go!

  (1) Job Fair! - Didn't know that it was Monday only. :(
  - Check out these links (1 2 3) for your own research.
  (2) Animation Fest / Virtual Theatre - usually features animation shorts recognized in various animation festivals around the world
  (3) Women in Technology luncheon
  (4) Women in Animation ( website )
  (5) 8 AM panels on AI Art, Metaverse, Haptic Tech

  —

  Exhibition Hall
  - Booths from different companies, studios, and schools
  - Lots of mocap stuff
  - Will explore more on Day 3/4
  - Started talking to schools about putting together Production curriculums ( will do a separate vlog on this )

  —

  Pipeline Potpourri

  Visualizing the Production Process of 'Encanto' With the Command Center
  - When things are broken/slow --> 2 Departments: TD or TACTICS
  - IF broken = TD responsibility (repeats issue and then fixes)
  - IF slow = Tactics responsibility (7 people)
  - GOAL: To optimize identifying problem so there is more time for TD to continue and for artists to focus on art
  - command center was created to see data pipeline overall
  - Shots were represented in a 3D timeline
  - Data graphs were interactive and can show render info, BvA, cut, trends, issues, historical data of any shot (SUPER COOL)
  - the value of a holistic monitoring system
  - color coding is intuitive

  Making 'Encanto' With USD: Rebuilding a Production Pipeline Working From Home
  - ??? NOTE TO SELF: Find out what USD file is...

  —

  ILM: Industrial Light & Magic Panels

  AGENDA:
  - Light & Magic docuseries on Netflix
  - virtual production: stagecraft
  - BTS of The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi

  For the GLOSSARY: 
  - motion capture, volume / in the volume, helios = rendering?, brain bar- brain bar = team on the front line
  - virtual sets = load

  PROS of Virtual Production:
  - provides pop up installation of LED panels
  - supes are in the same location making content, to compose shots right, and expedites post processes
  - could add digidouble in volume
  - realtime graphics 
  - awareness can lead to scripts being written FOR the volume
  - live composite on set

  CONS of Virtual Production:
  - upended traditional pipeline
  - confined set means need previs
  - real time comping needed to make it as seamless as possible
  - limitations: high noon or large area (still best done traditionally)

  FEATURE SPEAKER:
  - Sonja Contreras : virtual production supervisor 
  - ILM Jedi academy alumni
  - ROLE: take content and bring it to final and get as many as possible
  - ROLE: problem solve on the spot and on the fly with the resources available the day of
  - calibrate cameras, then go go go env
  - the work is to blend practical and not

  ---end of notes---

• Day 3 Notes - Aug 10, 2022

  watch it here
  
  AWS Infrastructure
  - Software: Nimble Studio Builder, Deadline (render scheduler), UE5 (ltd. compatibility), ALab 2?
  - Will Nimble replace SG?
  - Future of is VR and mocap?

  Innovating for the Artist Experience
  - Scanline/Netflix, Important Looking Pirates (ILP), Preymaker : on the AWS Cloud
  - How to balance work while caring for artists and having fun?
  - Change how we do meetings
  - ILP's Pirate Week: in person with activities, staff sign up for what they want to do instead of being assigned/scheduled by someone else
  - With studio scaling = challenges in onboarding
  - Tools make a difference in artist lives
  - Commodity tools that remove manual work and help them do more of the creative work
  - "maximize revenue by providing a graduating a path for artists"
  - Cloud helps alleviate stress knowing renders will be ready the next day, more iteration, spot errors earlier

  Production Session: Wētā FX Presents The Batman
  - "Detuning" process = makes shot look imperfect (lens smudge, distortion, etc.)
  - Due to time, some Rob Face replacements were 2D CMP paint
  - P.S. Couldn't really see Weta's references on screen --everything was so dark! 😂
  - Can use 2D FX instead of sim if shot is defocused
  - Rain = complex, needed oscillations to be convincing
  - "CLOWN CAR" = car asset rigged to blend shape to any type of car to fill BG
  - caustic flares = filmed own elements
  - ANM for truck skidding/tipping over and bat flights = all real life refs

  Love, Death, and Tim Miller; Lessons from Production
  - refreshing and very down to earth feel panel :)
  - "Tim Miller: frequently wrong, but never in doubt"
  - strong belief in previs
  - Gretchen Libby and Tim Miller banter was pretty funny
  - currently: explosion of content production
  - Tim: less keen on WFH, coz lose the opportunity to be able to work and learn from the most senior artists
  - difficult projects: "team's bonding in mutual suffering"
  - Can increase productivity with faster renders. Other cost: when they get frustrated, they leave, and will need to fill the role again (+cost)
  - "happy artists make better work"
  - FUTURE: Unreal and Unity are something to watch out for
  - FUTURE: being able to tell stories that couldn't be told without the tech before
  - Virtual Production: key, helps with TV budget
  - Nimble Studio, Sync Sketch, Disco Diffusion, Midjourney, UE, Unity
  - AI and Machine Learning: automate, and predict processes
  - Unreal opens the chance to be a generalist because all disciplines can be accessed in just 1 program
  - Real time workflow keeps everyone interested in more than just 1 discipline
  - Layout is the hardest skill set, hardest to find
  - FUTURE of short format: not road to feature film
  - With anthologies = less risk riding on just 1 story
  - balance: you can be edgy but we are here to entertain

  How Cloud Technology Contributed to Creating the Virtual Production on Star Trek and Beyond
  - Pixomondo EP
  - More look into virtual production
  - Consider: Tech Viz, Location Scouting, previs, Virtual Art Dept, In Camera Visual FX
  - Use Unreal Engine by Epic Games
  - Use AWS for cloud and storage

  Empowering Artists
  - Preymaker - really good commercials!
  - Unreal lets you pivot from 1 production to another
  - Cloud Stage : Streaming platform
  - Use AIRSTREAM METAVERSE for virtual communication and making it fun (e.x. everyone's in Mars and are robots...)
  - Crowd Maker : AI system
  - To help with team spirit: 1/3 are in studio but most are WFH

  Building and Maintaining a Strong Culture While Hiring Artists Globally
  - Presented by Bardel, ILP, Preymaker
  - Preymaker's "Cup of Tea at 3:30" = chat but not allowed to talk about work
  - Bi-weekly Show and Tells
  - On sites to have fun at work
  - If multiple sites, have a livestream party of the other side
  - talent retention: diverse content
  - need empathy for artists
  - Need to work a lot harder to keep connections
  - WFH is a trust model
  

  ISSUES:
  - too many forms of communication
  - onboarding and mentoring is a challenge
  - setting up call with someone sr when you're new is intimidating
  

  SOLUTIONS:
  - Zoom Call that is open. No agenda, just open for anyone to ask as they work
  - Invest in technical training: make sure that they commit to that training
  - Invest in training, enablement, and skill improvement

  TIPS:
  - "The Art of Simplicity" - If you're making something that is too difficult, you're doing it wrong
  - Workflow is the most complex
  - Bardel: "Almost anything can be done by technology, but you have to make sure to communicate that and that people understand your vision"
  - Important to hear people's viewpoints
  - Timing is also key. Easy to change workflows with early projects, but late projects won't care (even if change makes things easier)
  - How quickly can you train?
  - You learn things when things don't work out well
  - Don't be afraid to break something
  - If you don't break it, how can you figure out how to make it better?
  - Encourage getting on calls

  —end of notes—

• Day 4 Notes - Aug 11, 2022

  Production Session: Filmmaking Fever Dream: Crafting "Turning Red"
  - seeing the staff's tweens pics in intro was an endearing touch
  - Traditional Pixar requires 2 eyes on screen at all times, but now 1 eye to push 2D graphic look (when in profile)
  - CURVE NET: let's you convert biped to quad instead of having 2 diff assets (SUPER HANDY!)
  - and let's you blend shape to new pandas
  - SOFTWARE? pcf crowd, presto crowd (super scalable crowd)
  - animations done within the rig of the crowd
  - moving in real time to move characters
  - more procedural
  - hair emoting was a look, so heavily relied on sculpts
  - sheen and spec are important to get the appeal for food
  - pigment pooling = was based on anime styles (e.x. Sailor Moon, Ranma 1/2)
  - check out book: Art of Turning Red
  - LGT SUPE's joke was hilarious at the end: "It's kind of just like production, we're short on time so lighting has to rush thru hahaha"
  - Mix of 2D FX sketch and 3D then convert into mesh light
  - Pixar thanked their Prod team too at the end of the presentation (yay prod love! It was almost the only production session who did!)

  —

  Simulation Sampler

  PIXAR: Turning Red:
  - Hair emoting with style guides in Turning Red
  - Presenters were wearing 4*town shirts (that was great!)
  - needed to improve faster viz/inviz toggle to set up scene
  - hair picker 
  - Proprietary Software: Presto
  - Anime physics = required shaping and sculpting

  ILM: Sancho: The Cursed Conquistador In Jungle Cruise
  - rebuilding simulation of  bees wax for limbs were cool

  WETA: 'Eternals': Tackling the Large Scale Water Whirlpools
  - Ref'd Loki: for realistic water
  - open ocean workflow had to be rethought because bounding boxes are just too small to sell
  - CMP projection for more foa
  - Also thanked their prod team :)

  —

  EXHIBITION HALL

  Chat with IATSE
  - Unfortunately, I was passed around a lot; they didn't know with whom to speak
  - Although they had a lot of support for creatives and artists, production support still seemed to be an uncharted territory :(
  - In the end, I did finally speak with someone who had advice for Production Coordinators to set boundaries with their time and to be clear with their employers how much time at work they are willing to work w/ and w/o OT and to check out cag938.ca

  Chat with Ftrack
  - I asked what the major differences were with SG
  - Didn't get much info outside the general spiell of what a data management software is --perhaps my question was too vague?

  Chat with Pixomondo- Virtual Production Academy
  - Currently building a curriculum for Production
  - course will be available online early 2023
  - more on this in my post: "BONUS: Schools/Courses for Production"

  Chat with Scanline
  - also investing in proper on boarding/training education specific to Production (woohoo!)

  Chat with these schools:
  - La Salle, CapU, VFS, VANAS, Vanarts, SCAD, Centre of Entertainment Arts, Drexel, CG Masters, SF Film, Lost Boys, Think Tank 
  - more on this in my post below: "BONUS: Schools/Courses for Production"

• BONUS: Schools/Courses for Production

  I spent the last 2 days of the conference chatting with every school that had a booth at the Exhibition Hall.

  Here’s what I found…

  YES / offers courses for Production Department:

  • SCAD (learn Shotgrid) (website)

  • CG Masters (website)

  
  No courses for Production Department but MAYBE in the future:

  • Capilano University

  • Vancouver Film School

  No courses for Production Department:

  • La Salle College Vancouver

  • Vancouver Animation School

  • VanArts

  • Drexel University

  • Lost Boys

  • Think Thank

  Unknown:

  • Centre of Entertainment Arts

  • SF Film

Check this post to understand the shorthand/abbreviations I use in Notes.