Siggraph 2007 - Monday

Monday is a day for the exhibitors to unpack the trucks and vans, and get their booths put up. However, there are various panels and papers going on, as well. This installment won't have any floor pix really...just a lot of drinking, socializing and debauchery.

BTW, if you work for a software company...they have 8 am meetings every day. Yeah, you go out and have fun with your buds into the wee hours of the night and then have to roll downstairs for a staff meeting.

My roomie from SESI was Leyla who actually conducted these meetings, so I couldn't escape. I was having a slumber party with mom. Well, with Mom who goes out and drinks with you the night before, but can get up and get her act together a lot faster than I could ever try.

Leyla = Moma Bird

On Monday, I had a panel to participate in talking about
Emerging Production Demands
but that wasn't until 1 pm.
So, I went back to the room and took a nap...of course.

Houdini Expert Panel: Judith Crow, Mike Kalshalk,
Craig Zerouni, Jason Iversen and myself...
I look bored and Jason is sleeping
oh look, Craig's talking :)

Wow they either look bored or serious,
Craig must be the one talking for this picture.

I was actually a bit nervous for this panel. I don't usually get nervous, but this is a room full of hardcore fx peeps who do lots of math and write scripts and I am just a lil character animator who tried to get some new tools built in H9. But, as we went, I found my way through it.

As soon as SESI has uploaded the recording of the panel...
I will post an .mpg here for yall.

After the panel, I caught up with my co-author Jamie Oliff. Jamie is currently working for Reel FX developing original story content for their new feature films. This is his dream come true, finally he is creating original content and having too much fun doing it!

Jamie with his signature drink in front of
his face for every pic I take...

Reel FX recently acquired Radium and they have location in Dallas, San Franciso and Santa Monica. Reel FX/ Radium rented a boat in the harbor to meet and greet prospective client and employees. Jamie and I joined them for some martinis in the sun.

The Reel FX/ Radium Boat

I took this pic with my new iphone and it feels like the cam has a fish eye lens... funny, because that is how I felt on the boat at first. I have never been on a boat in the water. When I told Jamie this he looked at me like I was nuts..."So, you have only been on a boat on land?"

Please let me explain...

I used to live across the street from sea urchin divers when I lived in San Diego and would hang out on the boat while they worked on it and just talk. So, yes, I have only sat on a boat on land in their driveway.

This pic made me laugh so hard I had to post it.

Tim from Reel FX joined Jamie and I for a while.

All of the boat's down there had really fun names...

So after a couple martinis with the Reel FX/Ra peeps, we decided to see what was up at the hotel Tiki Bar. My girlfriend Lori Frietag - Freelance Compositor Extraordinaire joined us. BTW, if my eyes get squint-ier, it usually means either Jamie is making me laugh really hard or the drinks are strong.

Jamie explains his dissatisfaction with the alcohol to mixer ratio in his drink...keep in mind if he were back there mixing we would all be asleep, falling down or sick right now. Last time I drank Jamie's Mai Tais, I fell on a cactus...true story.

The bartender put the run bottle dangerously close to Jamie and he grabbed it and fixed his Mai tai...of course, then, the bartender decided to join us.

Phillip is pondering what to drink and Darin just looks confused...or maybe he has a upset tummy.

So, I had to leave Lori and Jamie to go have dinner with the SESI folks, until the Maya/Autodesk party that night. SESI was having their company dinner at Bella Luna and I had to get moving.

SESI Dinner table...

Peter and Ron, two of SESI's instructors. Ron never smiles, but I am gonna try and get at least one pic of him tonight where he doesn't look like he is gonna mess you up. Ron was my favorite teacher at SESI. He even got me to build a spoon in Houdini. Yes, I modeled something - Holy Cow. My old modeling buddies from Oddworld - Marvin Kim and Jane Mullaney - I know are laughing now...right?

Janet and Erick decide what to eat...

Paul (CTO) and Graham (Calin's slave, Jr. Character TD)

Jeff Wagner always knows what I like to eat and how to order for me. You see, I always have ordering envy...I never order the right thing. Anyways...David Robert, in the middle...you might remember from my posting about his SEED project and finally, Mark Tucker who made a great impression on me my first day trying to learn the software...he was very kind and understanding. Thanks Mark.

Told ya I would get at least one snap where he didn't look like he was gonna kill you.

So, it was time for me to leave and get ready for the Maya/Autodesk party. I had a special party dress to change into, so I caught up with Jamie and Lori back at the hotel changed and we caught a cab to the Aircraft Carrier.

We were still early enough for the free bar and there wasn't really a line. We walked up a bunch of stairs to the very top where all the planes were. Drinks were scarce. There had to be 3 thousand people up there and only two bars. It was pretty ridiculous. A friend of mine had figured out the method of coming at the bar from the side to get drinks and did so for us. I understand a venue of this size is hard to manage but two bars with only a couple bartenders each?

We did walk around and look at the planes because as you might remember Jamie is building one in his garage.

Not quite the same as these planes huh?

I was kind of worried about the guy inside this plane and wondered if we should try and get him a cocktail?

I have no idea what this is - but it's kewl...

And that's is a missle I think... :)

Jamie explains something about the plane and now I feel like I am at the museum with my Dad.

Lori poses...

So, we got tired of planes and wanted to try and go downstairs where the dancing was. There were two choices. You could take the very narrow stairs where it seemed like 2 thousand people were waiting in line to go some where you could actually have some fun...or you could take the elevator where only about a thousand people were waiting in line to get downstairs. You think I am exaggerating, but seriously...there was no control over how many people were trying to navigate this venue.

We had maybe 30 people in the elevator. Lori and I were the only females, of course, and I started to panic that the elevator would break or stop on our way down with us crammed in there like sardines. Turns out, we got out fine...on the second floor to meet up with some crazy old man with a flash light telling us to "move along!!"

We tried to get past him, but he was like the caretaker on Scooby Doo and we were the meddling kids on his boat. He sent the entire elevator packing. Who knows how many other folks spent about 10 mins on the roof only to be ushered away afterwards? If the elevator was your path to leave the party for good, there should have been a sign and someone standing there to tell you so...like they do at the standard hotel downtown. Sad, Sad, pathetic party. I will be doing a "Best and Worst of Siggraph" posting soon, but I can tell you this was the Worst party.

We caught a cab and hit downtown San Diego for some real fun...at a Tequila Bar.

See the smiles - that's tequila!

So, that was Monday. More to come on Tuesdays fun on the floor and the Houdini party!