Sydney ACM SIGGRAPH » Bios

Debra Symons

sydgraph — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 02:10:42 +0000

I have over 10 years experience in web design and development and I have acquired a broad knowledge of web technologies during this time. I am experienced in the following: EMC Documentum platform particularly the Web Publisher module, Flash platform, XHTML, CSS, Photoshop, Sharepoint Designer, Dreamweaver, Javascript, Coldfusion.

Present position is Regional Project Lead, Web Design and Development, Application Services, Alcatel-Lucent Account.

I provide technical and design support for the Alcatel-Lucent portal overseeing internet and intranet sites for Australasia and the Asia Pacific region. I design, develop and integrate custom interactive web applications.
I design and build community websites in Sharepoint.

Outside of work, I am interested in digital media and the broadband technologies that deliver digital content. I was VP of AIMIA NSW – The Australian Interactive Media Industry Association, for 3 years 2005-2008.

I initiated the “AIMIA NSW Intimates” series of events in 2004. Each year since, I co-ordinated the events. My goal was to build the reputation of the event series, by having the best local and international industry experts on the panel, to converse with AIMIA members on challenging topics. The last event I organised was on Augmented Reality focusing on mobile applications.

Innovation is my passion and I have a special interest in technology and education.

I have a keen interest in photography.

Education

University of Sydney Bachelor of Visual Arts (Honours)
University of Technology, Sydney – UTS short courses in web programming.
Certificate in French Language and Culture (Le Cours de Civilisation Francaise) from La Sorbonne, Paris

Groups and Associations

The Australian Interactive Media Industry Association – AIMIA
ACM – Association for Computing Machinery
AIT (Athens Information Technology) Executive Education Alumni Club
The Australian Centre for Photography – http://www.acp.org.au
HP Innovations in Education http://www.hpiie.org/

Richard Cass

sydgraph — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 07:42:20 +0000

Richard Cass is a designer with over 10 years professional experience in graphic design, web design and illustration working for companies in Canada before returning to start his own creative services studio in Sydney in 2000. Throughout that time, Richard has developed a wide range of skills in the field of visual media design and production including graphic design and pre-press; web design, coding and development; Flash animation and scripting; corporate identity and advertising design; and art and illustration.

Richard holds an Advanced Diploma of Graphic Design from Design Centre Enmore (DCE) and a Bachelor of Adult Education from UTS. He has been at DCE since 2005 as a teacher and head Teacher of Graphic Design & Digital Media and most recently as the Manager of the 3D Animation and Digital Effects courses.

Bethany Bruce

sydgraph — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 01:31:14 +0000

As Learning and Development Manager at Metro Screen, a Sydney based film school, Bethany Bruce is dedicated the professional development and skills building of emerging independent storytellers across screen platforms.

Within skills development Bethany is interested in delivering cutting edge training at Metro Screen across a broad range of interactive graphics programs to up skill existing screen practitioners and train up new ones. In terms of personal interests Bethany is passionate about the Australian screen industry and the renewal of the industry by the discovery and nurturing of new talent.

Complementary to this interest, Bethany has skills in traditional film production, editing, graphic design and online producing, with First Class Honours in Media Arts and Production from the University of Technology, Sydney.

Omar Dabbagh

sydgraph — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 04:32:37 +0000

Omar is a keen technologist who works for a specialist management consultancy which focuses on climate change. He holds degrees and certification in multimedia, IT and is currently completing a diploma in Screen and Vfx.

He regularly attends events held by Sydney ACM SIGGRAPH and other organisations that provide support for emerging digital artists, producing content for film and video games.

He is passionately pursuing a career change from Business Information Analysis and software design into the world of 3D graphics.

Steve Weymouth

sydgraph — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 03:27:08 +0000

Steve Weymouth, Lecturer at CoFA’s School of Media Arts builds on his professional industry experience at Sony PlayStation to focus his research on various aspects of 3D animation development, including techniques, software (mechanics), historical precedents (traditions and principles) and contemporary products.

Kit Devine

sydgraph — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 03:26:37 +0000

Kit Devine has 20 years experience as a 3D animator using packages including Softimage, Alias Power Animator and Maya. She has worked on film and TV projects in both the UK and Australia at companies incuding Photon, Rushes, GMD and Animal Logic. Her movie credits include Super Mario Brothers and Inspector Gadget 2. Her commercial work has won a large number of awards at festivals including The New York Festivals, BDA Promax Asia Hong Kong, Australian Television Awards, The Australian Effects and Animation Festival and the New York CLIO Awards. Kit has trained as a graphic designer and has completed post graduate study in Computer Science. Her short film Womb with a View was screened at the 1992 London Film Festival. Kit is currently working as a lecturer in 3D at the Australian, Film, TV and Radio School (AFTRS). She is also working on a Phd at the College of Fine Arts (COFA) in collaboration with the iCinema.

Valerie Allerton

sydgraph — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 03:26:09 +0000

Valerie Allerton coordinates the New South Wales Film & Television Office’s Emerging Filmmakers Fund and Digital Visual Effects Scheme. She has been working in the Development and Investment Branch of the FTO since 2004. Prior to working in Australia, Valerie worked with the Aspen Music Festival and School (AMFS), a world-renowned classical music training and performing institution. A classically trained musician herself, Valerie has expertise in grant development and fundraising and has worked with Board Trustees and National Council level management in these areas. She also has worked in journalism and silkscreen and textile design.

Andrew Taylor

sydgraph — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 03:51:25 +0000

Andrew Taylor is a student at Qantm College in Surry Hills, where he is currently completing a Bachelor of Interactive Entertainment. He is due to complete his studies in November 2008. Andrew has recently been accepted to start an internship at Fuel VFX’s starting in September.

Andrew is passionate about 3D animation and all things computers. In his spare time Andrew is a keen Archer and Clay Target Shooter. He has been working with Murray Odyssey, a charity supporting Medecins san frontieres, assisting them with their web presence for an upcoming charity expedition down the Murray River.

Andrew has been a member of Sydney ACM Siggraph since March 2007 and is keen to expand his participation in the visual effects industry

Paul Debevec

sydgraph — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:39:22 +0000

Paul Debevec is the associate director of graphics research at the University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technologies (USC ICT) and a research associate professor in USC’s Department of Computer Science. His Ph.D. thesis at UC Berkeley presented FaÃ§ade, an image-based modeling and rendering system for creating photoreal virtual cinematography of architectural scenes from photographs. Using FaÃ§ade he led the creation of a photoreal animation of the Berkeley campus for his 1997 film “The Campanile Movie” whose techniques were later used to create virtual backgrounds for the “The Matrix”; he went on to demonstrate new image-based lighting techniques in his animations “Rendering with Natural Light”, “Fiat Lux”, and “The Parthenon”. Debevec led the design of HDR Shop, the first widely used high dynamic range image editing program and co-authored the recent book “High Dynamic Range Imaging. Debevec received ACM SIGGRAPH’s Significant New Researcher Award in 2001 and recently chaired the SIGGRAPH 2007 ComputerAnimation Festival.

Paul led the design of HDR Shop, the first widely used high dynamic range image editing program and co-authored the recent book High Dynamic Range Imaging. He received ACM SIGGRAPH’s Significant New Researcher Award in 2001 and recently chaired the SIGGRAPH 2007 Computer Animation Festival. He is also involved in the inaugural SIGGRAPH Asia 2008 conference as one of the Computer Animation Festival jury members. More information on SIGGRAPH Asia 2008 can be found here: www.siggraph.org/asia2008.

http://www.debevec.org/Bio/bio-short.html (Bio)

http://www.debevec.org/

Ruth Saunders

sydgraph — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 02:14:30 +0000

Ruth Saunders has a BA (Hons), a Postgraduate Certificate in Education and a Graduate Diploma in Library Science. None of these qualifications have been much help in her career as a plastic pipe salesperson, travel booker or film distributor. She started working at AFTRS in the Film Library then moved into distribution and marketing, honing her skills in film festival entry form completion while learning about incompatible video formats, copyright, royalties, music licenses, accounting and how to wrap parcels that will stand up to international transportation.