julian@riacs.edu (Julian E Gomez) (05/12/89)
Bay Area ACM/SIGGRAPH May 1989 General Meeting Computer Graphics in Popular Entertainment Graham Walters, Pacific Data Images Todd Rundgren, Utopia Software Of Puppets and Dynamics Graham Walters Waldo, a new Muppet character, is the result of a collaboration between PDI and Jim Henson Productions. Waldo was created by a new process which combines elements of performance art and character animation. This new process involved the development of two important techniques. First, an interactive computer puppetry system used to capture character motion as performed by a Henson puppeteer. And secondly, a dynamics formulation for automatically adding characteristics of squash and stretch, and follow-through to the performed motion. This system has been used to produce minutes of computer character animation for the weekly television series, The Jim Henson Hour. The combination of puppetry and animation has focused attention on how these two art forms complement and conflict. Traditional animation has evolved a number of rules for animating, what are the rules for puppetry? Do the rules of animation apply? What is the future of this new combined art form? The presentation will include: 1) the motivation and history of the project. Examples of live performances and final animation will be shown. 2) Discussion of the technical advances achieved as a result of this project. 3) A comparison of puppetry and animation. The Bronze Age of Computing Todd Rundgren Musings on the primitive state of modern computing, with examples. May 23, 8 PM Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) 3333 Coyote Hill Road, Palo Alto (near Foothill Expressway and Page Mill Road) -- "Have you ever wondered if taxation without representation was cheaper?" Julian "a tribble took it" Gomez julian@riacs.edu