The Digital Pueblo Project as a Model for Economic Development of the Film Industry in New Mexico Ed Angel Departments of Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Media Arts University of New Mexico atc.unm.edu

Background: UNM UNM has research and teaching strengths in graphics –Much of graphics/visualization groups at LANL and SNL are UNM graduates (CS and EECE) –Other grads at Pixar, Dreamworks, Disney,Autodesk –Starting ~1995 animation efforts Jointly listed classes between CS and Media Arts –Graduates would rather be in NM

Dawg Stars Outgrowth of SIGGRAPH efforts Working with Senator Domenici’s office Participation –UNM (CS, Media, ATC, Lodestar) –Aquila, Autumn Light, Muse Tech Projects –Mentoring/TeaPods –NM Video/Animation –Graphics and Animation in NM

Economic Initiatives New Mexico is both rich in culture and art, and a leader in science and technology. However, the state faces several challenges that prevent full development of its communities. –Geographic spread –Lack of access to resources –Lack of job opportunities Challenge is to surmount these barriers without destroying the cultural uniqueness of NM Motivation for Digital Pueblo Project

Our Mission The Digital Pueblo Project is building an art and technology environment in New Mexico that includes animation and computer graphics in film, television, arts, music and dance. The goal of the project is to create an atmosphere that will foster innovation and economic opportunity in New Mexico and reverse the drain of talented and innovative people.

NSF Partnership for Innovation Program “The PFI Program is focused on connections between new knowledge created in the discovery process to learning and innovation. The goals of the program are –to catalyze Partnerships for Innovation that will enable the transformation of knowledge created by the national research and education enterprise into innovations that create new wealth, build strong local, regional and national economies and improve the national well-being;

–broaden the participation of all types of academic institutions and all citizens in NSF activities to more fully meet the broad workforce needs of the national innovation enterprise; and catalyze enabling infrastructure necessary to foster and sustain innovation in the long-term. –To develop a set of ideas for pursuing these goals, this competition will support promising partnerships among academe, government and the private sector; partnerships that will explore new approaches to support and sustain innovation. “

Partners at UNM Arts Technology Center, College of Fine Arts High Performance Computing Center Lodestar Astronomy Center Computer Science Department

Partners in NM National Hispanic Cultural Center of NM Poeh Arts Center, Pojoaque Pueblo of Zuni Bandelier EFX Aquila Group Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute Connect NM NM Trains Sandia National Laboratories Drumfire Conti Films Vizeon Big Byte

National Partners IBM Intel National Indian Telecommunications Institute PIXAR Animation Studios

Key Features Project-based learning –Locally-generated projects –External projects Distributed participants –Technology Pods (T-pods) –Centralized Storage Communication via Access Grid

Connections via AccessGrid High-bandwidth videoconferencing system. All sites are seen and react simultaneously. Used for meetings, workshops, seminars, distance education, and digital arts.

Initial Projects Year One (started 10/1/2002) –Two technology pods created and operational National Hispanic Cultural Center Lodestar Astronomy Center –Other classes National Indian Telecommunications Institute Poeh Arts Center (Pojoaque Pueblo) –Develop real skills and real products

DPP Pod We have a lab at NHCC equipped with three dual display workstations and a file server specifically for the Digital Pueblo Project An identical lab has been set up at the Lodestar Astronomy Center

Large-Format Visualizations LodeStar Astronomy Center

Domed Theater &Planetarium One of the first and finest in the world Opened foot diameter domed screen, 140 seats Full-Dome Video (SkyVision) & 5.1 Sound Feature & Star Shows Lectures & Observing Events Student & Community Screenings Now 50+ theaters internationally

Producing for the LodeStar Dome Complex process involving –Five Virtual Cameras –Scene Design in Maya –Rendering on a large cluster –Stitching images into a single frame –Slicing image sequence for each projector DPP participants have mastered process –Student projects (Computer Science, Media Arts) –Artist projects (Arts Technology Center) Showings –International Planetarium Society –SIGGRAPH 2003 –Flicks on 66 Digital Film Festival

Astronomy for LodeStar

Student Projects

Artist Projects

What’s Next Years Two and Three –Move out of Albuquerque »Santa Fe »Poeh Arts Center »Your Town Self-sustaining projects –Film industry –Startups –Large format productions

Successes Projects are working Interest is high But Have we bitten off too much? –Everybody wants in Connectivity –I2 not really there in rural NM (or parts of Albuquerque) –Alternatives all have problems

Vision UNM can plan a pivotal role in the development of the film industry by –Providing high-level talent that spans the industry –Providing access to under-represented groups –Providing a place where academics, professionals, companies, and government can interact –Providing leadership in a increasingly more technologically based industry