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SIGGRAPH 2018, the world’s leading annual interdisciplinary educational event showcasing the latest in computer graphics and interactive techniques, has announced that Rob Bredow, senior vice president, executive creative director, and head of Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), will deliver the keynote address during this year’s conference. In its 45th year, SIGGRAPH 2018 will take place 12–16 August at the Vancouver Convention Centre. To register for the conference, visit s2018.SIGGRAPH.org.

ILM, a Lucasfilm company based in San Francisco, recently announced the promotion of industry veteran and longtime SIGGRAPH conference contributor Rob Bredow to SVP, Executive Creative Director, and Head of ILM, after serving as CTO of Lucasfilm since 2016. Bredow joined ILM as a visual effects supervisor in 2014, and soon afterward was named vice president of new media and head of Lucasfilm’s Advanced Development Group. During his time with Lucasfilm and ILM, Bredow also helped launch its ILMxLAB division in 2015. ILMxLAB combines the talent of Lucasfilm, ILM, and Skywalker Sound to create next-generation  immersive entertainment experiences.

"I have been attending SIGGRAPH since before dinosaurs were a commonplace occurrence,” noted Bredow. “The chance to see the latest innovations and meet up with colleagues is an opportunity I look forward to each year. I've been personally so inspired by so many of the keynote addresses at SIGGRAPH — it's an honor to be asked to give the keynote for this year's theme, ‘Generations.’ I hope to do my part to inspire the next generation of artists, researchers, engineers, educators, and storytellers to take innovative leaps on this creative journey we are on together.”

He adds, “In some ways, I can trace the start of my job here at ILM back to a meeting I had with John Knoll in 2006 while organizing the SIGGRAPH panel, 'Great Failed Idea's in Production,' in which he graciously shared the challenges he faced on ‘Pirates of the Caribbean.’ The spirit of learning from our successes and failures while openly contributing to the advancement of the industry is one of the tenets of SIGGRAPH that means the most to me."

SIGGRAPH 2018 Conference Chair Roy C. Anthony said, “Rob is all about innovation — pushing through scary new directions while maintaining the leadership of artists and technologists, together stretching the boundaries of the practitioner’s space. His proven expertise and brilliance led him to his new role as head of ILM, so, obviously, he’s got some serious chops.”  

“Rob is the ultimate modern-day practitioner, a digital VFX supervisor who has been disrupting ‘the way it’s always been done’ to move to NEW ways,” added Anthony. “He truly reflects the spirit of ILM, which was founded in 1975 and is just one year younger than SIGGRAPH. His story is a great example of how SIGGRAPH, since 1974, has always stood at the ‘bleeding edge’ in its desire to pursue excellence and integrate new experiences, technologies, and artistic expression. We’re thrilled to have him as our 2018 keynote speaker.”

Bredow is a strategic and visionary leader with a unique understanding of how media and innovation can join forces to tell great stories and create groundbreaking experiences. In his new role, Bredow is responsible for ILM’s creative direction, strategic initiatives, and global operations. Most recently, Bredow was the visual effects supervisor and co-producer on “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” and served as a creative partner to the filmmakers throughout production — from early story meetings to the final frames of visual effects. He leveraged his background in innovative technology to help tell the story of the film, creating grounded images with a unique shooting style.

Bredow’s other credits include VR experiment “Trials on Tatooine” and films such as “Independence Day,” “Godzilla,” “Stuart Little,” “Cast Away,” “Surf’s Up,” “Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs,” and others. Bredow is a member of the VFX branch of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences (AMPAS) and the AMPAS Scientific and Technical Council.

Admission into the keynote session is only available to Business Symposium, Select Conference, Full Conference Platinum, and Full Conference registration levels.

About ACM, ACM SIGGRAPH and SIGGRAPH 2018
ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery, is the world's largest educational and scientific computing society, uniting educators, researchers, and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources, and address the field's challenges. ACM SIGGRAPH is a special interest group within ACM that serves as an interdisciplinary community for members in research, technology, and applications in computer graphics and interactive techniques. SIGGRAPH is the world’s leading annual interdisciplinary educational experience showcasing the latest in computer graphics and interactive techniques. SIGGRAPH 2018, marking the 45th annual conference hosted by ACM SIGGRAPH, will take place from 12–16 August at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, B.C.