On November 22, the important extension activity of the world's top animation event, the "SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival" — Vision Mergence Film & Television Special Effects Innovation Symposium and SIGGRAPH 2024 Animation Festival Award - Winning Screening (hereinafter referred to as the Symposium and Screening) — was held at Jilin Animation Institute. The event was organized by Jilin Animation Institute and the ACM SIGGRAPH Shenzhen Chapter, and co-hosted by the China Cultural Chamber of Commerce for the Private Sector, Animation, Comic and Game Association of Jilin Province, School of Virtual Reality and Film Technology, and the Modern Animation Technology Engineering Center of Higher Education. 

      SIGGRAPH is the English abbreviation for Special Interest Group on GRAPHics and Interactive Techniques, and the SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival is one of its most prominent events, with its award-winning works representing the latest technological and artistic standards in computer graphics and interactive technology. This Symposium and Screening featured three segments: keynote speeches, round-table discussions, and screenings of SIGGRAPH 2024 Animation Festival Award - Winning works, bringing together industry elites from home and abroad to explore the application and development trends of computer graphics and interactive technology in film and TV special effects.

      Participants included Anthony Wong, animation director of Pixar Animation Studios (attending online), Carlos Donis Lemus, CEO and Production Director of SAME SAME CREATIVE and former VFX Technology Director of Weta Workshop, Dawn Fidrick, American film producer and production team manager at DNEG Vancouver, and Karina Borkiewicz, director of the Visualization Program and Advanced Visualization Laboratory at the National Center for Super-computing Applications at the University of Illinois. Luo Jun, CEO of PIXELAND Digital, Xu Mingjun, Member of the SIGGRAPH International Organizing Committee, President of the SIGGRAPH Shenzhen Chapter, Zhan Bowen, General Manager of ZEN7 DIGITAL Chengdu Branch and alumnus of Jilin Animation Institute, and Liu Xin, vice chairman of Jilin Animation Institute, jointly attended the opening ceremony. Over 1,000 people, including relevant school leaders, deans of various schools, and faculty and student representatives from Jilin Animation Institute, also participated in the opening ceremony. Liu Xin and Xu Mingjun delivered speeches. Vice President Wang Chunli presided over the opening ceremony.

Liu Xin's Speech

      Liu Xin stated that Jilin Animation Institute, as a school dedicated to nurturing professionals in animation, comics, games, film, and design, consistently adheres to the educational philosophy of "Openness and International Orientation, Integration of Education, Research and Industry; Technicalization of Creative Products." In the process of talent cultivation, the university emphasizes the deep integration of industry and education. The faculty, with industry backgrounds, collaborates with students on various projects, including animated films, web films, video games, short video production, and film special effects, driving the continuous improvement of educational quality.

      Liu Xin added that in the era of artificial intelligence, Jilin Animation Institute seizes development opportunities and focuses on cultivating interdisciplinary talents who combine art and technology. The university has established new majors based on the entire film special effects industry chain, forming School of Virtual Reality and Film Technology and School of Future Intelligent Image. These schools create a new professional landscape that integrates image art and digital intelligence technology, aiming to nurture talents who can meet future industrial demands in intelligent imaging and special effects creation. The university has carefully developed original IPs, with four Frog Kingdom animated series movies already released to the market. The original animated film Zap’s Last Stand successfully held its global premiere at the 2024 MIPCOM.

Xu Mingjun's Speech

      Xu Mingjun stated that Jilin Animation Institute is a shining star in China's animation education and a vital platform for international animation exchange. Jilin Animation Institute has cultivated numerous outstanding talents with a global perspective and innovative spirit, achieving remarkable success in the field of film and animation. From the works of Jilin Animation Institute, we see the school's unwavering pursuit of art and continuous innovation in technology; from its graduates, we see the significant support the school provides to the industry and its boundless vision for the future. This Vision Mergence Film & Television Special Effects Innovation Symposium and SIGGRAPH 2024 Animation Festival Award - Winning Screening event is not only a grand occasion to showcase Jilin Animation Institute's latest achievements in film special effects and animation but also a significant opportunity to promote international exchange and cooperation. Through the successful hosting of this event, we can not only deepen our mutual understanding and friendship but also collectively drive the innovation and development of film special effects technology, contributing to the prosperity and advancement of film art.

Play highlights of the award-winning works on site

      At the opening ceremony, a selection of winning pieces from the SIGGRAPH 2024 Animation Festival was screened, allowing attendees to experience the cutting-edge technology and creativity at the forefront of the industry. These outstanding animations will be officially showcased on November 23. The screening will feature 18 works, including short films, visual previews, commercials, and cinematic game cut scenes. These works excel in technical execution and showcase innovative creativity, storytelling, and visuals.

      Following the opening ceremony, industry experts including Xu Mingjun, Carlos Donis Lemos, Luo Jun, Karina Borkiewicz, Dawn Fidrick, Zhan Bowen, and Anthony Wong delivered keynote speeches on three major professional topics: animation, visual effects, and virtual reality technology. The titles of their presentations were Introduction to SIGGRAPH and its Driving Force in the CG Industry, VFX Efficiency & Real Time Technology for Story Telling, The Entanglement Between the New and the Old, More than Just Entertainment, Production Life, Give Animation a New Brush with AI and Changes in the American Animation Market and Technology. Jilin Animation Institute appointed these experts as guest professors and entrepreneurship mentors, and Executive President Liu Zhenhua presented them with certificates. Tomorrow, these experts will engage in a round-table discussion with faculty representatives from our institute on the topic of Innovative Development in Film and Visual Effects Technology.

      This event brought together top scholars and experts in the field of international computer graphics and interactive techniques, collectively exploring the application and development trends of new technologies in film and visual effects. It provided a window for all participants to gain insights into cutting-edge industry technologies and creativity, fostering in-depth exchanges and collaborations among experts and scholars. Together, they are driving continuous innovation and development in film and visual effects technology across higher art education, film animation, and the gaming industry.