Silicon Graphics, Inc., today announced that it is a major sponsor of the International Artists Rights Symposium, being held this week in the Hotel Nikko in Los Angeles.
The Symposium will encourage discussion and awareness in the issues relating to technological advancements in the film industry. Specifically, the forum will address legal, moral and ethical concerns surrounding the protection of original motion picture work and historic preservation.
Techniques that allow artists to preserve, create and manipulate film images by computer have been largely created on Silicon Graphics' computer systems. The systems' unique combination of computing power and industry-leading graphics technology provides artists with an unparalleled ability to produce brilliantly detailed and realistic images.
"As we grow more capable of fostering the creation of virtual characters and enhanced realities, serious consideration must be paid to protecting the integrity of original work," said Harry Pforzheimer, director of corporate communications at Silicon Graphics. "Silicon Graphics is firmly committed to developing more sophisticated tools for creative professionals, which over time makes forums such as the International Artists Rights Symposium increasingly vital. We must recognize the collective interest in preserving what has come before us, with a similar enthusiasm for what can conceivably be created in the future."
Silicon Graphics' industry partners such as Industrial Light & Magic, which created the dinosaurs for Steven Speilberg's Jurassic Park on Silicon Graphics workstations, and Cinesite, which used the powerful computers to restore the animated classic Snow White to Disney's original specifications, have compelled technological advancements that can be applied in other markets.
"The entertainment industry now drives technological advancements in the 1990s in much the same way that the military provided impetus for technological developments in the 1960s," said Gary Lauer, senior vice president of North American field operations for Silicon Graphics and a featured speaker at the Symposium. "As more creative work is performed digitally, and a broader range of industries adopt computer-aided and collaborative design methods, issues of the original creators' rights will become ever more complex and important. The International Artists Rights Symposium is an important first step in the evolution of common standards and practices."
Silicon Graphics, Inc. is the leading manufacturer of high-performance visual computing systems. The company delivers interactive three-dimensional graphics, digital media and multiprocessing supercomputing technologies to technical, scientific and creative professionals. It subsidiary, MIPS Technologies, Inc., designs and licenses the industry's leading RISC processor technology for the computer systems and embedded control markets. Silicon Graphics has offices worldwide and headquarters in Mountain View, California.
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