Art Studio: the SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival, Part II.

Each year, the SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival serves as a mirror of what is possible today and as a window into what might be achieved in the future. "The festival is defined by one word--vision," says chair Darin Grant from Digital Domain. "Through a unique blend of art and technology, it has helped display the vision and achievement of the pioneering efforts of our industry during the past 30 years."

This year, the Animation Theater projects were shown collectively in one large venue, rather than in multiple rooms. As a result, the festival jury had to limit the number of selections, presenting 52 projects compared to 66 last year. Of these, 28 are international submissions, and 14 are student productions, Moreover, only 25 pieces were presented in the prestigious Electronic Theater, compared to 35 during the previous year.

"Whether the piece is a fascinating story that has been captured and told through the use of computer-generated images, a creatively edited breakdown of the visual effects work from a professional studio, or a scientific showcase that gives us a glimpse at the edge of our ever-expanding technological horizons, it always represents the best that our industry has to offer each year," says Grant.

A selection of images from the Computer Animation Festival appears on these two pages.

Clockwise from top left:

Influencing Bone Remodeling in Osteoporosis, directed by Jane Hurd and produced by Amalia Delicari, illustrates how the drug actonel suppresses bone loss

Mekarate, directed and produced by Hiroyasu Shimo, focuses on an inept ...