July 31, 2003
SIGGRAPH is generally known as the premier International Conference
on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques. The paper presentation
is the core of this large conference, especially for the research
and academic communities at the conference. As Joe Marks,
the SIGGRAPH 2004 paper chair, says simply, "SIGGRAPH is known
for having the most current research in the field."
SIGGRAPH Paper Presentaions are the core
of the conference and attract large audiences
The SIGGRAPH conference is well known for its tight standards (19%
acceptance rate for 2003) and publication-quality research. Just
as the field of computer graphics is growing in diversity and scope,
the research presented at the conference is especially diverse and
crosses the fields of artificial intelligence, machine learning,
computer vision, robotics, acoustics, and modeling.
This reputation for being the pinnacle of computer graphics research
draws large, diverse audiences, especially in comparison to typical
academic conferences in related fields (e.g., Computer Vision).
This audience includes a wide gamut of members from graduate students
to corporate researchers to artists wanting a more through technical
"The questions are really insightful since there are so many
professionals" says David McKinney, a viewer
at the Perception presentation. In addition to the academic attendees,
the conference is known for drawing people from all parts of the
computer graphics industry ranging from hardware makers, to software
tool development companies, to game and movie studio artists.
paper presentations at SIGGRAPH are about 30 minutes long and
can be quite involved. Many talks encompass several years of research
by multiple doctoral students and researchers. For this reason SIGGRAPH
conference papers are often considered as prestigious as a journal
papers in other fields. The content presented in often at the leading
edge of the computer graphics field.
Presenters are shown on large screen so
that all participants may view the speaker
The paper presentations at SIGGRAPH are just as sophisticated as
the papers themselves. While other conferences in related fields
might have hundreds of papers, SIGGRAPH has 81. However, the attendance
and scope of these presentations is remarkable. The speaker addresses
a large ballroom, which can sit over a thousand attendees. The presentation
slides are projected on three-meter tall projection screen, while
the speaker is videotaped and projected on a large display overhead.
From the back of the ballroom the speaker is barley visible.
Clearly, giving a paper presentation at SIGGRAPH is unlike that
of traditional academic conferences where one speaks to a handful
of people in a small room (most of the attendees are actually listening!).
A paper talk needs a great deal of polish, as it has to be understandable
and captivating to the highly diverse audiences that are characteristic
of SIGGRAPH. Again, SIGGRAPH is unique in the care and attention
it provides for helping speaker’s prepare for this conference.
For example, the paper presentations committee provides sample slides
and backgrounds and suggestions for a successful presentation.
SIGGRAPH provides Speaker Preparation and Practice rooms to aid
its presenters. The Speaker Preparation room is a room with several
computers (PCs and Macintosh), network-equipped docking stations
for laptops, and audio-visual equipment (e.g., VCR and DVD players)
that can be used to practice and refine a talk. Each PC or station
is separated by cloth partition. This gives a quiet, yet open, environment
that allows one to concentrate on their presentation, yet is free
enough to talk with others in their group and practice parts of
their talk. While primarily for speaker preparation, the room is
an ideal place to work (and write this report for instance).
When the slides are done, they are uploaded to a server for quick
access during the presentations. This prevents the need for “laptop
shuffling” that is so common and waists so much time at other
To practice the talk, the SIGGRAPH Practice room can be reserved.
In a nutshell, it is the ballroom without the audience. It provides
the speaker with a projection screen and all of the computer/audio-video
equipment that would be provided during the paper presentation in
the mail ballroom. This allows a speaker to tweak the timing and
verify that all of the effects work flawlessly.
Dr. Wendy Hodges, a researcher at the University
of California (Riverside) speaking on the visualization of CT (Computed
Tomography) data, said that the room was quite beneficial as SIGGRAPH
talks are “more visual” and “more diverse.”
With respect to how the SIGGRAPH talk differed from that at other
conferences she responded, “no equations … and much
This commitment, by both the speakers and the SIGGRAPH conference,
to high-quality paper presentations makes the presentations informative
and is what defines the reputation of this conference. While many
worthwhile papers are not accepted, having a select few that are
polished to perfection is what makes the paper session so valuable
and informative to the many visitors who come to the conference.
The SIGGRAPH Practice Room allows
presenters to polish their talks
It should be noted that unlike other conferences, the paper sessions
do not overlap (with other paper sessions). This is not to say that
the paper presentations do not have to compete to capture attendees’
attention; in addition to the papers are the Exhibition (the feature
that makes SIGGRAPH so large) and the many courses and galleries.
The large audiences and unique format of SIGGRAPH might appear
daunting and sterile, but the papers are captivating, informative,
and unique. Many other conferences could learn from SIGGRAPH’s
example and dedication. To paraphrase the cliché , "less
(papers) are more (confernce)."
In conclusion, the papers section is an interesting and insightful
experience that allows one to be immersed in the latest technologies
available in the graphics community.