For those attending the final four days of SIGGRAPH at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA, the following press release details the major presence DreamWorks Animation will have at the world renowned computer graphics conference:

MAJOR DREAMWORKS ANIMATION PRESENCE AT SIGGRAPH 2007

After the successful worldwide launch of this summer’s, Shrek the Third, DreamWorks Animation will assert a major presence at SIGGRAPH 2007, the world’s largest computer graphics conference, held from August 5th to August 9th at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA.

New this year, DreamWorks Animation will serve as one of the official sponsors of FJORG!—a new and unique computer graphics animation competition. The studio will also send more than 130 artists and executives for SIGGRAPH, many of whom are participating in various forums, including courses, posters, sketch, and a special session. DreamWorks will also host the SIGGRAPH Educator’s Luncheon symposium, for the fourth consecutive year in a row.

In the conference’s spirit of sharing knowledge and information with the community, the studio will showcase the technology and creativity behind films such as Shrek the Third and the upcoming “Bee Movie” by focusing on specific breakthroughs ranging from CG honey to strand and hair simulation. The following are more details on each presentation:

* Shrek-a-logy: The History of An Ogre (Special Session Presented by Philippe Gluckman, Matt Baer, Raman Hui, Dave Smith and Tom Hester): Unique insights into how the Shrek world evolved over the life of the franchise, both technically and creatively. The speakers, who have held key roles on all the Shrek films, share stylistic conceits, technical overviews, production tips, and anecdotes, illustrated by abundant behind-the-scenes material and visual breakdowns.
* Evolution of a CG Animated Character (Course Presented by Philippe Gluckman, David Doepp, Scott Peterson & Jason Waltman, Larry Cutler & Lucia Modesto, and Bill Seneshen): Speakers will discuss the choices that helped keep the Shrek franchise unique, as well as the challenges of constantly adapting to new technical and creative demands.
* Poseable Dynamics for Merlin’s Beard (Poster Presented by Daniel Dawson): In Shrek the Third, Merlin’s beard was simulated using a dynamics system for long strands that could be influenced by hand animation.
* 3000+ Variations of the Voronoi Diagram (Poster Presented by Saty Raghavachary): A simple observation regarding triangle centers in a Delaunay triangulation leads to diverse variations of the well-known Voronoi diagram, useful for novel image warping, surface deformations and realistic fracture synthesis.
* Tiled Cracked Networks (Poster Presented by Saty Raghavachary): A simple technique that uses a single ‘crack prototile’ triangle to create seamless crack networks over a polymesh. Realistic-looking crack contours and fragments can then be derived from the network.
* Creating Realistic CG Honey for Bee Movie (Poster Presented by Allen Ruilova): An examination, from the perspective of lighting, rendering & fluid simulation, of how to create realistic looking CG honey.
* Artistic Direction of Foliage (Sketch Presented by Amaury Aubel & David Allen): Generating and art directing for trees.

DreamWorks Animation, along with HP, and AMD, will sponsor FJORG! (pronounced FORGE), in which sixteen pre-qualified three-member teams will be challenged to create a character-driven animated sequence (of at least 15 seconds in length) based on a specific theme provided by the judges, during a 32-hour competition held before a live audience, as they compete for the coveted title of “FJORG! Champion, SIGGRAPH 2007.” The teams will not only be tested on their animation skills, but must also withstand multiple staged distractions in a test of skill, talent, creativity, and passion for the art form. The winning team will be chosen by an elite panel of judges from throughout the entertainment industry based on judging criteria set forth in FJORG! Official Rules at http://www.siggraph.org/s2007/presenters/fjorg/rules.html. Winners will be announced at a Special Session Wednesday night, August 8th at 6pm during SIGGRAPH 2007, and will receive various prizes including a full conference registration for the remainder of SIGGRAPH 2007 as well as tickets to the Electronic Theater.

During the Educators’ Luncheon Symposium, a forum for college and university level educators, there will be a lively discussion and debate as to the future direction and strategies for Digital Media education. It will also be an opportunity to share solutions for the challenges faced in identifying, educating and matriculating students in this rapidly evolving field of study.

As in past years, applicants are invited to drop off reels and/or resumes for interview consideration at the San Diego Convention & Exhibition Center Meeting Room 23A, Tuesday through Thursday, during Exhibition hours. DreamWorks Animation is currently looking to fill numerous positions by year end for several upcoming projects including: “Kung Fu Panda,” “Madagascar: The Crate Escape,” “Monsters vs. Aliens” and “How to Train Your Dragon.” A complete list of current openings can be found in the “Careers” section of the studio’s website at www.dreamworksanimation.com.

About DreamWorks Animation SKG, INC
DreamWorks Animation SKG (NYSE: DWA) is devoted to producing high-quality family entertainment through the use of computer-generated (CG) animation. Utilizing world-class creative talent and state-of-the-art technological capabilities, the company is committed to making two computer-animated feature films a year that appeal to a broad movie-going audience.