SIGGRAPH 2021 reveals its roster of Real-Time Live! and Games programming for the upcoming virtual conference, covering everything from innovations in motion capture to education on real-time game engines. Virtual conference live events will run 9–13 August, with content available online and on-demand from 2 August through 29 October.
Real-Time Live! is an attendee-favorite, one-night-only event that spotlights the most innovative real-time projects of the past year. For 2021, the event will once-again be broadcast from multiple locations on Tuesday, 10 August at 4:30 pm PDT, and will feature seven, jury-selected projects. The event concludes with both the audience and jury voting live for the Best in Show and Audience Choice awards.
“The astonishing, interactive projects chosen for this year’s show offer an electrifying sample of the latest in real-time computer graphics,” said SIGGRAPH 2021 Real-Time Live! Chair Chris Evans, of Epic Games. “We’re excited to host the program once again and hope you tune in live to watch the magic unfold.”
Unlike Real-Time Live!, SIGGRAPH 2021 Games programming crosses many days and spaces of the virtual conference, including Production Sessions, Talks, and Courses, among others. In collaboration with the rest of the committee, the Games Focus Area Chair works to elevate the most cutting-edge projects from the world’s leading studios. Similar to 2020, this year’s content will be presented through both on-demand and live sessions.
“Game engine technology continues to be one of the most innovative areas of computer graphics,” shared SIGGRAPH 2021 Games Focus Area Chair Carlos Gonzalez-Ochoa. “SIGGRAPH 2021 participants can expect to learn about the newest innovations in gaming from titles like CD Projekt Red’s ‘Cyberpunk 2077’, among others, and the most sought-after techniques for developers, and much, much more.”
Highlights from Real-Time Live! and Games programming include:
I am AI: AI-driven Digital Avatar Made Easy | Real-Time Live!
Tuesday, 10 August, 4:30 pm PDT
An NVIDIA team will demonstrate how its deep learning-based system can generate, in real-time, lip-synced talking digital avatars from one picture. Details.
Joji ‘777’: Animated Multi-character Paintings With a Single Performer | Talks
On-demand: 2 August–29 October; Live Q&A: Wednesday, 11 August, 9 am PDT
For the music video “777”, Director Saad Moosajee and team used motion capture and a game engine to create a unique style. In their Talk, they will describe their animation, asset creation, and very particular lighting processes. Full description.
Project LiViCi: Real-time Immersive Circus Performance | Real-Time Live!
Tuesday, 10 August, 4:30 pm PDT
Broadcasting live from a stage at Animatrik Film Design, Shocap Entertainment, Lifelike & Believable Animation Design, and The 7 Fingers will present a real-time digital circus performance combining the complex, death-defying motion of live acrobats with real-time performance capture and rendering. Details.
The Right Foot in the Wrong Place – Character Locomotion in ‘Half-Life:ALYX’ | Talks
On-demand: 2 August–29 October; Live Q&A: Thursday, 12 August, 2:30 pm PDT
In this Talk, team members from Valve will describe the non-player character locomotion system developed for the VR game “Half-Life: ALYX”. Full description.
Advances in Real-Time Rendering in Games, Parts 1 and 2 | Courses
Part 1: Tuesday, 10 August, 9 am PDT; Part 2: Wednesday, 11 August, 9 am PDT
In this two-part Course, experts from Unity, Epic Games, and Activision Blizzard will bring state-of-the-art and production-proven rendering techniques for fast, interactive rendering of complex and engaging virtual worlds of video games to SIGGRAPH. Details.
For even more real-time and games content from the SIGGRAPH conference, catch the complimentary webinar “Did You Hear That? Designing Jeff With Sound and Silence in ‘Half-Life: ALYX'” on Wednesday, 21 July, at noon PDT.
Jury-selected Games programming and the Real-Time Live! session will be available to participants with Ultimate registration. Learn more and register for SIGGRAPH 2021, the 48th international conference and exhibition on computer graphics and interactive techniques, at s2021.SIGGRAPH.org/register.
