15-462 Computer Graphics I
Abstract: While computer graphics has come to
dominate special effects production over the past 10 years, artists
still rely on essentially manual processes to complete many of their
shots. As manual approaches prove too expensive, time-consuming, or
inexact to meet directors' escalating demands, studios are reaching
deeper into current technical research to achieve their artistic goals.
In this talk, we discuss how computer vision techniques are impacting
feature film production. Using shots from "Star Wars", "The Mummy",
"Pearl Harbor", "A.I." and "Minority Report", we consider the impact
of existing techniques on tasks such as matchmove, modeling,
rendering, and motion capture, as well as identify areas of future
research interesting to the effects community.
Bio: Steve Sullivan joined Industrial Light + Magic
in 1998 to develop computer vision algorithms and applications for film
and video production. As principal engineer, he heads a computer vision
team within ILM's R&D group, developing systems for matchmoving,
photogrammetry, image-based rendering, and motion capture. His work has
been used on over 25 feature films including Star Wars Episodes I & II,
The Mummy, The Perfect Storm, Pearl Harbor, A.I., and Harry Potter. In
2002, he received an Academy Award for Technical Achievement for his
team's first project, the MARS motion and structure recovery system.
In 1996, Sullivan received his PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering
from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with an emphasis on
automatic object modeling, recognition, and surface representations. After
graduation, he spent two years with Rhythm & Hues Studios developing
3D animation and tracking software before joining ILM.