SIGGRAPH Asia 2025 Daily Highlights 3!

Jamie Shotton – Worlds We Make: The Rise of Synthetic Data in AI

Jamie Shotton, Chief Scientist at Wayve, delivered an insightful keynote on “Worlds We Make: The Rise of Synthetic Data in AI.” He emphasized the commoditization of depth sensing and underscored the importance of synthetic training data for successful product development in embodied AI. Jamie noted that learned world models are essential components, while the reward function represents the frontier of innovation in this rapidly evolving field. His session inspired attendees to consider the transformative potential of synthetic data in shaping the future of AI technology.

The 3D Gaussian Splatting + Awards Presentation

The 3D Gaussian Splatting Workshop explored cutting-edge advancements in 3DGS, bringing together experts to exchange perspectives and advance the technology. It featured the 3D Gaussian Splatting Challenge, focused on high-fidelity, ultra-low-latency reconstructions, alongside invited keynote talks highlighting the latest developments in 3D Gaussian Splatting.

Educator’s Forum Education Panel

Beyond the Prompt: Cultivating Intrinsic Motivation in the Generative Renaissance examined how generative AI is reshaping computer graphics education. Bringing together five experts from academia, industry, and policy, the panel explored human-AI synergy, project-based learning, and strategies to foster deep, intrinsic motivation through interdisciplinary, experiential, and industry-linked educational approaches.

Celebrating Richard Chuang: Visionary Lifetime Achievement Award

Richard Chuang has been honored with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement by ACM SIGGRAPH. Proud of his Hong Kong heritage, Richard is a two-time Academy Technical Achievement Award winner and Emmy recipient, known for his pioneering work at Pacific Data Images (PDI). He continues to shape the future of creative education and mentor emerging talent in the industry.

Featured Session by Paul Debevec: Virtual Production: Past, Present, and Future

Paul Debevec, Chief Research Officer at Eyeline and a two-time Academy Award® recipient for Scientific and Technical Achievement, captivated the audience with his session on the evolution of virtual production. Recognized globally for his pioneering contributions to visual effects, he showcased iconic films like Metropolis, Mary Poppins, The Matrix, and The Mandalorian, illustrating how they seamlessly blend real and virtual elements. Paul also explored cutting-edge lighting techniques and emerging machine learning methods, setting the stage for the future of filmmaking.

Alien Abduction! The Truth Behind the Making of Pixar’s Elio

 The Pixar team, including Director of Photography Jordan Rempel, Global Technology Supervisor Renee Tam, Character Supervisor Sajan Skaria, Tailoring & Simulation Supervisor Emron Grover, VFX Supervisor Claudia Chung Sanii, and Sets Supervisor David Luoh, took the audience on a journey through the creation of Elio. They shared insights on how they crafted a vibrant, luminescent universe filled with dynamic alien characters. The team emphasized the importance of combining art, science, and imagination to create a truly immersive experience, stating that traditional animation pipelines could not capture the essence of space exploration.

From Pixels to Physics: How Advancements in Graphics Are Accelerating Physical AI

Shalini De Mello from NVIDIA explored how advancements in computer graphics are accelerating the development of physical AI. She highlighted breakthroughs like neural rendering and world models, enabling the generation of physically-based data for testing autonomous machines and digital twins. Attendees learned about cutting-edge research, including 4D Gaussian splatting and simulation-ready asset creation, driving innovation in robotic embodiments.

Making Of: IN YOUR DREAMS

Alex Woo, Director of the new Netflix animated feature IN YOUR DREAMS, shared the inspiring story behind this comedy adventure. Produced by Kuku Studios and animated by Sony Pictures Imageworks, he detailed the nine-year journey of independent filmmakers who turned their dreams into reality. The film follows siblings Stevie and Elliot as they navigate a whimsical dream landscape, facing challenges like a snarky stuffed giraffe and zombie breakfast foods. Attendees were treated to a poster signing session with Alex following the presentation.

The WiGRAPH Women in Research

This coffee session created a vibrant networking atmosphere for students, faculty, and industry researchers. Speakers Maria Larsson from The University of Tokyo and Ruizhen Hu from Shenzhen University shared their insights, promoting collaboration and connection. Open to all researchers, this event celebrated inclusivity and inspired attendees to expand their professional networks.

Computer Animation Festival Closing & Awards Ceremony

The SIGGRAPH Asia 2025 Computer Animation Festival celebrated exceptional talent, awarding Best in Show to “Windy Day” (directors Martin Chailloux, Ai Kim Crespín, Elise Golfouse, Chloé Lab, Hugo Tallez, and Camille Truding; producer Julien Deparis).

The Best Student Project went to “A Sparrow’s Song” (director and producer Tobias Eckerlin), while Jury’s Choice was awarded to “Son” (director and producer Zhanna Bekmambetova, with producer Timur Asadov).

The newly introduced Audience Choice Award was given to “Amen” (directors Orphée Coutier, Bettina Demarty, Kimié Maingonnat, Laurène Perego, Louise Poulain, and Avril Zundel; producer Julien Deparis). This year featured 488 entries from 39 countries, showcasing creativity and innovation in animation!

Don’t miss these highlights of Day 4!

Don’t miss these key sessions:

Closing Ceremony of SIGGRAPH Asia 2025

by Conference Chair Taku Komura & the Opening of SIGGRAPH Asia 2026 by Conference Chair Frank Guan

9.30 – 10.00am at Hall 3F

Keynote Dr. Chunchao Guo from Tencent

10.00am – 11.00am at Hall 3F

Featured Session

11.15am – 12.15pm at Hall 3F Scott Ross, Co-Founder of Digital Domain and Baoquan Chen, Featured Sessions Chair

Technical Communications & Awards

2.30pm – 3.45pm at S422

Experience Hall Talks at Talk Stage

2.00 – 3.00pm Art Gallery, 10.30am – 11.30am Emerging Technologies, 12.30pm – 1.50pm XR

Technical Papers sessions, Closing and Town Hall

9am-2.40pm: last day of concurrent Technical Papers sessions taking place in S221, S421, S423/S424, and

S426/S427 interactive discussions held in Chancellor Room 1 & 1

2.40pm – 4.15pm: Wrapping up the Technical Papers program with the Closing and Town Hall at S421

Finale: Real-Time Live! Demos & awards

4.00pm – 6.15pm at Hall 3F

For more amazing content, visit:

https://asia.siggraph.org/2025/