CS Colloquium
April 23, 2009
4:00 p.m., Luce 202

Sign up to meet with speaker.

Speaker: Michael Reed, Blue Sky Studios and Columbia University
Title: Art vs. Science in Feature Animation

Abstract: Advances in computationally-based artist tools have driven the look of animated and effects-based feature film for more than two decades. These tools have greatly expanded the possibilities for artistic expression by supporting the creation of extremely complex animation, scene geometry, and materials, as well as by encouraging the use of special techniques such as fur and physically-based simulation. However, this artistic freedom has brought with it a disproportionately large increase in the computational resources required to process and render the resulting digital assets. In this talk, I will describe how these tools are conceived and the challenges they introduce during the development of a full-length animated film. The talk will follow a tour of Blue Sky Animation Studio's production pipeline using examples from production imagery.

Bio: Michael Reed is a Senior Research Associate at Blue Sky Animation Studios, where he works on geometric issues in modeling and rendering, and is a frequent Adjunct Assistant Professor in Columbia's computer science department, where he teaches Computational Aspects of Geometric Design. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Computer Science from Columbia University, his B.S. in Physics from the State University of New York at Albany, and has held appointments at the research laboratories of IBM, Philips, and Bell Atlantic corporations.

His research interests can be broadly categorized as "geometry + computing" and include the study of techniques for the sensing, modeling, and generation of physical objects and phenomena.