Siggraph 2024!!!
A Dive Into The Key Takeaways From This Year's Conference
Siggraph 2024 is in the books! Let’s take a look at what went down.
NVIDIA Dominated the Scene
On the last day of Siggraph, I asked my longtime friend Aditi Kapoor about her main takeaway from the conference. She quickly responded, “NVIDIA. They are everywhere. It’s like this has become their conference.”
She was absolutely right. NVIDIA was everywhere. From presentations to signage, lanyards around attendees' necks, and numerous people hired to direct attendees to various NVIDIA events, they were omnipresent.
For the second straight year, Jensen Huang took center stage as the main keynote speaker. I have tremendous respect for him. He founded NVIDIA, a revolutionary company that has forever changed computing. He’s led it for 30 years, elevating it to one of the few trillion-dollar businesses. The graphics cards his company created allow me to create so much more and type up this newsletter at lightning speed!
NVIDIA’s significant presence at Siggraph signals their belief in the growth and profit potential in the 3D space, whether in entertainment, marketing, or other future applications. They clearly see value in becoming more involved in the 3D sector beyond just graphics cards.
Zuck Was There Too!
Yep. Mark Zuckerberg was there, sporting his new style: a baggy shirt, curly hair, and a gold chain. He joined Jensen Huang on stage, with Huang introducing him as “his guest.” (Apparently he thinks NVIDIA owns Siggraph now, too :)
They mostly discussed AI, touching on 3D/AR/VR and promoting their platforms like Meta’s Horizons. Honestly, there wasn’t much to glean from their conversations but it was just most notable that they were in attendance.
The Billionaire Takeaway
Why was their appearance notable? Because both clearly see the value in cultivating 3D talent and generating interest in their platforms, tools, and hardware.
However, there was a disconnect between this group and the conference attendees. Take the video Jensen Huang showed during his presentation. While it might impress at tech conferences and to the general public, to an audience of skilled 3D artists, it felt like a demonstration that their bosses might see, leading to contract renewals not being given.
This crowd consists of highly accomplished professionals. They want to see how they can go from creating great work to being revolutionary and groundbreaking. Show them how to enhance their already incredible work and do it faster. To convince someone to change or adopt something new, you must demonstrate understanding of their current workflows and pain points, and show how your solution addresses real issues. This wasn’t achieved here.
Job Fair Woes
The job fair this year was bleak, a physical manifestation of the industry's current state. Many talented people were looking for work, but few companies were hiring.
Anecdotally, I heard multiple complaints: “There were only two companies hiring, and one was only looking for people willing to move to Australia or India.” Not ideal.
(Side note: If you’re a non-entertainment company looking to hire 3D artists, sign up now for Siggraph 2025! Hopefully, the industry will be in a better spot, but it’s still an excellent place to find some of the best artists.)
USD! USD!! USD!!!
The hype around USD is full steam ahead! There were numerous demonstrations of new workflows and functionality within USD from major studios. More working sessions and technical talks focused on utilizing this technology. My prediction for next year is a wave of existing software promoting their new features for better utilizing and maximizing workflows with USD.
The 3D Artist Meetup
About a month before Siggraph, I impulsively applied for a Birds of a Feather meetup for The 3D Artist Community. I thought it would be a nice way for readers of this newsletter or members of the online community to hang out in person.
My expectations were low, especially when I saw the 8 AM time slot I was assigned. I prepared for three scenarios: less than 10 people, 10-25 people, and over 25 people.
I was so glad I did because the turnout was bigger than I ever imagined, and I was completely floored.
I met so many amazing people and made wonderful connections. It was a definite highlight of Siggraph for me, and I’m still beaming about it as I type this.I had the opportunity to meet so many amazing people and make some wonderful connections. It was such a joy and feel so grateful for everyone that came out. A definite Siggraph highlight for me and I’m still beeming about it as I type this.
Meeting Dylan Sisson
One of my favorite aspects of Siggraph is occasionally meeting your heroes. This year, I met Dylan Sisson, a brilliant artist and illustrator who has worked at Pixar for ages. He’s known for designing the Renderman Walking Teapots for the last 20 years.
On a personal note, Dylan inspired me to give a talk a few months ago at Animation Mentor on the Role of AI in Animation and VFX. I was initially reluctant due to the strong opinions in the 3D artist community on GenAI.
While I was debating, I saw Dylan give a talk at Gnomon on the same topic, and he received significant blowback online. However, he handled it with sincerity, grace, and class, conducting a heartfelt session. Seeing him navigate that terrain gave me the courage to move forward with my talk, and I’m so happy I did. The feedback and messages I received were uplifting, and I wouldn’t have done it without Dylan leading the way.
When I saw him at a party, I introduced myself and thanked him. He was a wonderful person to chat with, and it was a joy to tell him the impact he had on me.
Amazing People
For this last point, I know this is going to come of as hokey and cheesy however…
Every time I attend Siggraph, I feel incredibly lucky to be part of this industry. There are so many brilliant, kind, and wonderful people. From old friends to new connections, I’m always amazed by the incredible 3D community and proud of all that we do.
Siggraph reminds of that every time I attend.
The 3D Artist Community Updates!
Last week, we hosted a live Zoom AMA with Iain Finch, the Senior Manager of 3D & 2D Digital Visualization and Product Creation at Patagonia!
Iain is a brilliant, kind, and wonderful human being, and we can't wait to discuss his transition to 3D apparel workflows. If you want to watch the recording and join the conversation with other industry professionals, sign up for The 3D Artist Community today!
3D News of the Week
The new Logitech MX Ink - LinkedIn
Launching HP Z Captis: First Digital Material Capture System - Medium
Nvidia stock jumps 11% after SIGGRAPH unveil: ‘next wave of AI is robotics’ - Coin Telegraph
Growing Plants With Unreal Engine 5.4's Motion Design Tools - 80.lv
CLO’s Updated Avatars - LinkedIn
3D Merch is here!
3D Tutorials
3D Job Spreadsheet
Link to Google Doc With A TON of Jobs in Animation (not operated by me)
Hello! Michael Tanzillo here. I am the Head of Technical Artists with the Substance 3D Growth team at Adobe. Previously, I was a Senior Artist on animated films at Blue Sky Studios/Disney with credits including three Ice Age movies, two Rios, Peanuts, Ferdinand, Spies in Disguise, and Epic.
In addition to his work as an artist, I am the Co-Author of the book Lighting for Animation: The Visual Art of Storytelling and the Co-Founder of The Academy of Animated Art, an online school that has helped hundreds of artists around the world begin careers in Animation, Visual Effects, and Digital Imaging. I also created The 3D Artist Community on Skool and this newsletter.
www.michaeltanzillo.com
Free 3D Tutorials on the Michael Tanzillo YouTube Channel
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