Monday Spotlight Series: Digital Innovation: What You Dream Is What You Get

Spotlight Series:  Digital Innovation: What You Dream Is What You Get
Monday, April 14, 2:30

The HP/Dreamworks session was a don't miss for me.  This is because I attended a similar topic at a CES keynote two years ago and saw a mind blowing animation sequence of secret agent penguins prior to the release of Madagascar.  I had assumed a similar treat was in store for us and I was not disappointed.  This time the sequence was a 3D experiment based upon a new Kung Fu Panda hero who will be subject of a forthcoming animated movie.  We all got 3D glasses and were treated to a wild action sequence ride up to high standards expected from Dream Works.

Beyond the demo, the actual session content was a tag team presentation by Jeff Katzenberg (CEO and Director of DreamWorks Animation who appearing pre-recorded via video-monitor),  Roger Enrico (Broad Chairman DreamWorks Animation), and Todd Bradley (EVP of the Personal Systems Group at HP).  It was somewhat of a love fest by Dream Works for HP but I guess HP paid the bill so they got to call the shot.  The basic idea presented in the session was that HP was the provider of the enabling technology that made Dream Works possible.

I don't doubt that HP has technology suitable for the need, but doubt that their contribution is so unique that it is unmatched by other HP competitors.  Non-the-less the session did drive home the point that the state of art of CGI is at an amazing level, and further than CGI animation is now the leading driver of computing power.  This is far cry from years ago when it was scientific computations that drove the need for faster computers.  Even more recently it was computer aided design and solids modeling that needed MIPS and all these previous applications are duck soup compared to the needs of today's CGI animation.

Stu