This document discusses "Baby Pixars", which are small, independent animation studios that serve as a new model in the animation industry. It notes that these studios require employees who can both communicate across technical and artistic disciplines and translate ideas into code. The document also summarizes comments from Norman Badler on the educational mission of the University of Pennsylvania's computer graphics program in training students for these types of studios. It provides examples of recent hires from the program to both large studios like Pixar and Dreamworks as well as smaller, independent studios.

1. Baby Pixars:
The New Model for
Animations Studios

2. Ian Cross, Moderator
CEO, I-SITE
Hilmar Sigurdsson
Managing Director of Icelandic animation studio CAOZ and
producer of Anna and the Moods
Norman Badler
Director, Center for Human Modeling and Simulation,
University of Pennsylvania
Scott Carroll
Animator, Blue Sky Studios

3. Hilmar Sigurdsson
Managing Director of Icelandic
animation studio CAOZ and
producer of Anna and the Moods

4. CG Education and the Special Effects
Industry (especially “Baby Pixars”)
Norm Badler
University of Pennsylvania
“Baby Pixars” Panel at the
Global Creative Economy Convergence Summit
Norm Badler - Global Innovation Summit October 5, 2009

5. Broad Educational Mission of the
SIG Center for Computer Graphics
at the University of Pennsylvania
Engineering degrees:
PhD research (Computer & Information Science
Department)
Masters (MSE) in Computer Graphics and Game
Technology (CGGT)
Bachelors (BSE) in Digital Media Design (DMD)
Summer Academy for Applied Science and Technology in
Computer Graphics (SAAST – High School program)
5 Norm Badler - Global Innovation Summit October 5, 2009

6. UPenn Educational Mission
Engineering emphasis and home
Computer Science
Programming
Mathematics
Computer Graphics and Animation
Modern techniques (Physics-based methods)
Fine Arts
Digital design foundations
3D modeling and animation
Character models
Communication; entrepreneurship
6 Norm Badler - Global Innovation Summit October 5, 2009

7. Academic Observations
• Small studios mean less dependence on a “research and development”
group, but
• Need people who can interpret artistic needs within commercial (or
even proprietary) software products.
• Integrators and generalists, but capable for both communicating across
disciplines and transforming ideas into code.
• Vanguard example
• Education must mix technology (programming) with artistic
vocabulary and skill.
• Learn technology broadly and early, to be adaptable and flexible in an
agile corporate environment.
• Small organization – need to communicate with everyone.
7 Norm Badler - Global Innovation Summit October 5, 2009

8. PhDs Tend Toward Research
Work on “big” (3D) problems: skinning, fluids, faces, hair,
mocap, inverse kinematics, pipeline, non-photorealistic
rendering, etc.
Tend toward places with (research) challenges → Disney,
Sony Pictures, ILM, PDI.
3 Motion Picture Technical Achievement Awards: Cary Phillips
(ILM) (2); Nick Foster (PDI).
8 Norm Badler - Global Innovation Summit October 5, 2009

9. Big Studio Hires (Recent) [UG/MSE]
Paul Kanyuk, Matt Kuruc, Nancy Tsang, Ariela Nurko: →
Pixar
Rebecca Fletcher, Mike Pan, Kevin Chan, Nick Lupinetti,
Jennifer Pan, Mike Brainerd: → Dreamworks
Brian Silva, Evan Goldberg, Aohan Zhou, Ju Hee Kwon: →
Disney
Sunny Teich: Disney → WETA
9 Norm Badler - Global Innovation Summit October 5, 2009

10. Small Studio Hires (Recent UG/MSE)
Mike Lang: EA → Curious Pictures
Ray Forziati: → Curious Pictures → Dreamworks (TD team leader)
Steve Muniz: → Curious Pictures
Eric Shore: → Launch
Erica Ehrlich: → Launch
Priscilla Spencer: → Launch
Beau Roberts: → Vanguard → IDT → Starz → Disney → Framestore CFC
(head of pipeline at 28 years old)
Mark Fickett: → Vanguard → Sony
Kyle McGinnis: → Launch → Sony
Nick Lupinetti: → Vanguard → DreamWorks
Neil Chatterjee: → Vanguard → Guerrilla Games (head of pipeline)
Matt Roberts: → Crystal Dynamics (Eidos) → ng:moco (EA splinter)
Kennedy Behrmann: → Starz Animation → Imagemovers
Gina Chuang: → Rising Sun (New Zealand) [declined offers to move to
Disney, EA]
10 Norm Badler - Global Innovation Summit October 5, 2009

11. Industry Feedback Essential
What skills are needed? What skills are learned on the job?
“Technical Director” is generally the right entry level for
multiply-skilled individuals from our programs, but some go
right into “Software Engineer” and pipeline development.
Career options and success multiply with experience.
Importance of teams and deadlines; develop leadership
potential.
Production requires mix of off-the-shelf, proprietary and
new software plus artistic and client goals.
Grads seem to like the smaller-scale studio experience while
they learn their real passions.
11 Norm Badler - Global Innovation Summit October 5, 2009

12. Scott Carroll
Animator
Blue Sky Studios

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