Siggraph 2009

[prakritisk]

I just read my mail on how to join the Sv forum and get an ACM membership. But there is no ACM membership number displayed for me to join the student volunteer forum. Does anybody know wat to do?? I am new to CG society and its registration techniques.

Prakriti SK

[sig223]

I agree. There is a lack of info on the volunteer system. I too am quite excited as this is my first time attending.

[BladeRunner09]

I'm an ACM Professional member in my third year as a member. Also a member of SIGCHI, SIGGRAPH, and SIGMM. I received the notice as well and it had my ACM member number displayed. However, I'm not sure if this was due to me being a member already. In any case I am calling my representative to see if he can assist.

Any questions you guys have let me know and I will do what I can to get some assistance.

I was a student volunteer at SIGGRAPH 1998 in Orlando Florida. It was a simple process back then.

鉄雄 (Darold)

[sig223]

You can find it at the submission system under the user preferences now....wasn't working a couple hours ago but now it's there so yay.

[KintaroTheBrave]

I'm an ACM Professional member in my third year as a member. Also a member of SIGCHI, SIGGRAPH, and SIGMM. I received the notice as well and it had my ACM member number displayed. However, I'm not sure if this was due to me being a member already. In any case I am calling my representative to see if he can assist.

Any questions you guys have let me know and I will do what I can to get some assistance.

I was a student volunteer at SIGGRAPH 1998 in Orlando Florida. It was a simple process back then.

鉄雄 (Darold)

K then.. I'm a student and I actually live only about an hour away from the confrence site. Would it be worth my while to go there to learn about potential Art colleges and stuff, what else would I see..? I here all this stuff about how awesome siggraph is but I'm never sure entirely what it is other then it being a huge animation festival. You can just google these questions but It's easier to get a precise answer from people who have firsthand expirence here...

[LolaToonHead]

I'm also a student volunteer for the first time this year and it'll be my first time attending the conference.
I could use some advice on how to make the best of it, as I heard the experience can be pretty overwhelming.

[J583]

Hello everyone, I'm also a first timer for SIGGRAPH's events and I'm excited to meet all of you in August. Like few of you I also have the problem of trying to find my ACM number. I received an email but it didn't come with a number. I'll try to send an email to SIGGRAPH staff to see what can we do.

[khendar]

The distribution of ACM numbers is not part of CGSociety's responsibilities for the SV program. All we have provided is the method to link your CGSociety accounts with your ACM accounts:

http://www.cgsociety.org/siggraph/s3/

I suggest that you contact the SV administration to get your numbers.

[Fess]

Hello everyone,

SV here, and looking forward to meeting you guys/gals as well as enjoying so New Orleans cuisine ;)

The blank/missing ACM number per email also occurred with me, I sent out a email requesting a solution by have not recieved a response. Undoubtably, they're extreamly busy, but I'm hopeful it will be resolved.

Safe travels to all..

EDIT: ( Jason's suggestion about it being under the submission system was correct, I found it!!!) :applause:

-J

[studiomiguel]

It will be nice to be in NO again. My first SG was in New Orleans, in 2000, I think. Still, mid-continent may provide a smaller showing, especially combined with the economy. This is the first time in 8 years that I've had to pay my own way. If a lot of companies are going that route, we'll see a diminished attendance for sure. One thing that surprised me was that when I registered today, there were still plenty of rooms at the premier hotels... they are almost always gone by the first of June.

Still, one way or another, it will be a great experience.

[BladeRunner09]

I haven't reserved any room yet and was wondering if any one else is looking
for roommates. Please contact me.

ルームメイトはまだ決まりませんから、興味がある人は居ませんか？

鉄雄

[Animechx]

K then.. I'm a student and I actually live only about an hour away from the confrence site. Would it be worth my while to go there to learn about potential Art colleges and stuff, what else would I see..? I here all this stuff about how awesome siggraph is but I'm never sure entirely what it is other then it being a huge animation festival. You can just google these questions but It's easier to get a precise answer from people who have firsthand expirence here...

Actually KtB, there is a lot more involved and to see than you have heard. I attended in 2005 and was to go last year (finance troubles), and I still recall the whole experience with great delight! Economic complications notwithstanding, you will find yourself surrounded by technologies never before seen, very new/modified/upgraded and some old favs to indulge in. Also there will be an international array of Exhibitors, companies and access to opps (opportunities) you simply would not get or be hard to get outside of being an SV.

I am a self-proclaimed otaku, and I have been to many Comic Cons and Anime-themed Conferences; please believe me when I say that SIG Conference is far more than an Anime Festival!! Anime will be there, but anything and everything in CGAnimation and other digital Media is the very substance of their Conferences! Plus, there will be deep behind-the-scenes info and theoretical discussions and plans for technologies not publicly known, sometimes for the next 3 years or more, just for Attendees. The special thing for SV's are the provisions, special parties, Viewings, Memberships galore and unique job interviews with major hard-hitters in the Industry. Not to mention face-to-face social times with CEO's, Art Directors, Producers and more, free software, mags, subscriptions, trials, training and networking on a scale you wouldn't believe-!

And we can all geek-out with no shame :drool:and at a substantially reduced cost......:beer:

So that's a taste of what you can expect and look forward to, KtB. I hope this has helped any and all who are First-Timers here.

[Animechx]

Hello, Everyone! My name is Joe, and I am so looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible @ the Conf.

It seems that there are a lot of errors occurring as this thing comes together; not surprising when you consider its size and technologies involved. Little things will always get over-looked, right? My Registration and Membership went surprisingly smoothly online; I do hope things get better for the rest of you. I would like to see a Thread with SIGGRAPH 2000-NINE listed instead of 2000-eight to avoid confusion.

I attended the 2005 Conference and was supposed to have gotten there 2008, but that's another story. And I have to pay a lot out this time too. Like all other people, businesses and Organizations in the world victimized by corporate greed and dirty politics, ACM and SIGGRAPH are hurting financially one way or another. So we'll have to grin and bear a lot of our own burdens this time around. For me, takes a lot of prayer, sacrifice, patience (who has any of that??) and endurance. And we gotta encourage each other. There may be diminshed attendance across the board, but the value in the experience, networking opps and technological exposure is worth all the trouble, believe me! :drool:

Well, that is, if no hurricanes or major floodings hit us that week...(gotta be positive, but realistic :shrug:). So, here's hopin' to see you all there!

[LolaToonHead]

I also didn't get the membership number in my first e-mail, but it came later in a separate e-mail and I was able to attach it to my CG Talk membership with no problems.

[Animechx]

has things gone entirely south with this Forum as i see no real participation or much activity going on at all?? have Membership emails been screwed up that badly???

hmmph.

[Womball]

I'm planning on buying round trip plane tickets and hotel tickets today or tomorrow. Any suggestions on what is the best hotels and what commercial airline to take? Siggraph give a long list of hotels, so I was wondeirng if anybody has been to any of them in the past.

Will I need a car? And do people bring there laptops to the convention, or just CD's and flashdrives?

[LolaToonHead]

Delta airlines has a great deal from Philly to N.O. for well under $200. I snagged it. You're in Delaware, so that would be a good option for you.
I got the hotel cheap too through the SIGGRAPH travel desk. Most of the hotels have a good description of the rooms and tell you whether you get free internet access and how far from the convention center it is and whether there's a shuttle available. You also get a discount if you book through the travel desk. I've also had a lot of luck with Hotels.com in the past.
I picked a hotel in the French Quarter, 10 blocks from the convention center, but there's a shuttle. I made sure to read reviews of the hotel I picked online just to make sure it's not a total dump. The whole trip (hotel and flight) will run me about $500, but I'm sure you can get it even cheaper if you do some research.
I jumped the gun a little bit. I had heard through the forums that you should get travel plans finalized by June because hotel rooms go fast and prices go up. I went ahead and booked it before I had heard anything about schedules or times volunteers are supposed to get there. As a result, my flight doesn't arrive until Sunday night and I can't change it.
Now I'm trying to find an alternate way to get there, so I can be there earlier.
Any ideas would be awesome.

[Womball]

I almost went to your school. I ended up going to University of the Arts 3 blocks away.

I will check that out later today after work. Under 200 sounds good.

[LolaToonHead]

That's funny! I almost went to your school! I decided against it because the Art Institute is on a quarterly system and that works better with my work schedule. We have a lot of the same teachers then. I know at least four of my teachers also teach at UArts. I also hired one of the instructors there to do some roto work for an indie film I'm working on.

[overEZ]

Hi all! I would be coming from San Diego, but since I just spent a chunk of money on car repairs I am heavily reconsidering...

This will be my 3rd SIGGRAPH but I've never done more than just walk around on the floor - Exhibits only.

Any advice on whether you think paying $350 for full conference will be worth it? Thanks in advance!

[Gwi]

Hey all,

I'll be flying in to NYC a few days in advance and I plan on driving my way down to NO. Anyone care to join and share in the fun along the way? :)

Also sharing a hotelroom would be awesome as well.

Dieter the Belgian

[Womball]

I'd rent a room with someone. I haven't paid for my flight. Yet been lazy delaying that.

[malducin]

This will be my 3rd SIGGRAPH but I've never done more than just walk around on the floor - Exhibits only.

Any advice on whether you think paying $350 for full conference will be worth it? Thanks in advance!

Well it would be $400 now (I'm guessing you'rea student), since the deadline for early registration just passed.

I think the full conference is worth it but YMMV. To me the exhibition floor is the most boring part except for the customer presentations.

What I would advice is check the program see if the content interests you. It seems this year the animation festival presentations are the most interesting part this year.

[Womball]

For reserving a hotel, do you have to pay the entire amount at first? Or just one day? This wasn't very clear to me from Siggraph's site.

[malducin]

For reserving a hotel, do you have to pay the entire amount at first? Or just one day? This wasn't very clear to me from Siggraph's site.

Just one night stay.

[taz2478]

can't believe I haven't been on in 4yrs... anyway

I've been to the '98 and 2k N.O. Siggraphs, so nice for it to finally come back. Also been to ATL and Cali.

As far as hotels go, anything on the list is basic walking distance and some have shuttles as said. If you can't get in those and either don't mind a cab ride or drove down, look for hotels in Kenner, Metairie or Gretna.

OverEZ, it's good to get the full experience at least once. I'm mainly an exhibits person, but my 1st yr I kind of sneaked around and found the other areas to be very interesting.

So welcome to New Orleans people, be ready for hot humid weather.

[Womball]

Are the Siggraph 2009 video review, and Sandbox: ACM SIGGRAPH on Video Games worth the extra money?

[malducin]

Are the Siggraph 2009 video review, and Sandbox: ACM SIGGRAPH on Video Games worth the extra money?

Never bought the Sandbox DVD. Sandbox is a fairly recent addition to SIGGRAPH, not even sure if they sold a CD-ROM last year. I guess if you're interested in the Game Papers it would be worth it.

On the other hand I would definately would recommend the video review, which include lots of the animations from the Computer Animation Festival. If you're unsure you can always wait: they have a specific booth where the video reviews are sold, with TV monitors playing the year's reviews. That way you can check it out and decide then.

[Womball]

The hotel is the most expensive part. I priced one for 6 days (8/2- 8/8) and it was about 1000. The flight can cost up to 400 something for roundtrip. 1-stop is 100 dollars cheaper. I was thinking I'd just go for the basic convention pass, at 125? I'm not sure if I should shell out another 200 for the animation festival.

Also how expensive is food around there?

[malducin]

The hotel is the most expensive part. I priced one for 6 days (8/2- 8/8) and it was about 1000. The flight can cost up to 400 something for roundtrip. 1-stop is 100 dollars cheaper. I was thinking I'd just go for the basic convention pass, at 125? I'm not sure if I should shell out another 200 for the animation festival.

Also how expensive is food around there?

Yeah 1 stop is usually cheaper, and most travel I take is usualy with 1 stop (though this year I found a cheap direct flight).

For the hotel room, share with some and slice that cost at least in half. If there's no one you know who's going, check this thread:

SIGGRAPH 2009 share a room (http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=293&t=774799)

Every year people are looking for others to share the room, especially students. Some even get 4 people to share a room to make it really cheap. When my buddy couldn't go to Boston, I found a someone to share with through the forums here, a great location and sharing the price was right. No problems whatsoever, the guy was very cool. You should be able to easily find at least one person to share with.

As far as food, well convention center are what you expect, a bit on the expensive side but very convenient. But this is New Orleans! Share your room, save the money and eat well every night! Thie food is simply fantastic in the French Quarter.

One trick I did in my younger years wasto buy a couple of boxes of those granola/cereal bars and munch on those for lunch. That way I saved on lunch and could get a good dinner after SIGGRAPH. A couple of years I even bought and carried on my suitcase thse individual serves of orange juice. That way I could also save on breakfasts (and even avoid things like MacDonalds). Although I would recommend at least going to breakfast to Cafe du Monde at least once in the French Quarter (at one corner of Jackson Square). There are plenty of fast food joints around the convention center, and lots of people go to the Riverwalk Marketplace for lunch. At night people go to party and eat good around the French Quarter.

If you're missing the Animation Festival pass you're missing big time at SIGGRAPH. You could always combine them, say get the Basic pass and also get a one day Full Day Animation pass (just check which days has the most talks you're interested in) and that way have something cheaper but having a more complete experience. I would recommend save on the some of the food, airplane and hotel and get at least a CAF one day pass along with your basic pass to better enjoy SIGGRAPH.

[Titus]

Ok, SIGGRAPH is getting more expensive every year. For the student pass you now need to be an ACM member and pay $42 extra.

[Womball]

How many films do they show a day? I will consider the 1 stop flight. I will have to check out that thread later tonight.

[malducin]

How many films do they show a day? I will consider the 1 stop flight. I will have to check out that thread later tonight.

Difficult to say since they changed the format last year, and there were a ton of complaints but not sure if they fixed it. But each evening show lasts 2 hours, and it seems they'll follow the same format from last year. So each evening show will have between 30-40 clips and animations in 2 hours. Problem is that there are 135 accepted juried films and who know how much from the curated works.

Seems they've done away with the animation theatres (and those afternoon screenings are not a real substitute).

[ijenwang]

K then.. I'm a student and I actually live only about an hour away from the confrence site. Would it be worth my while to go there to learn about potential Art colleges and stuff, what else would I see..? I here all this stuff about how awesome siggraph is but I'm never sure entirely what it is other then it being a huge animation festival. You can just google these questions but It's easier to get a precise answer from people who have firsthand expirence here...

I got all the answer you want about art and stuff but in the end its your choice to pick what road you gonna pick either be like :arteest: or :deal:

[Womball]

WHen I ordered the non stop was only about 20 bucks more. SO I went for that. I believe I will be at New Orleans at 8/2 at 12 pm noon.

[JCork]

This is just a reminder for everyone who still needs to register. From our good friend Paul Hellard in his coverage in the SIGGRAPH 2009 Diary:

If you’re still deciding to make the trek to the Gulf state, remember the Early Bird period will expire on July 24. Check out the prices and the differences.
You still have time to register online and save. After 24 July, the cost of Full Conference Access, Full Conference One Day, and Basic Access passes will be full price.

Full Conference Access Pass on or before the 24 July for an ACM member will be US$1,025, for a non-member US$1,050 or for a student US$400.
You might choose to register on-site in New Orleans when you arrive, go to Hall F of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The Full Conference Access Pass will be US$1,125 for ACM members, US$1,175 for non-members or US$450 for students, a rise of US$50.

Full Conference One Day Pass will be US$295 for members, US$345 for non-members and US$150 for Students. After 24 July, they go u to US$395 for ACM members, US$445 for non-members, and US$200 for students.

[marceylee]

This is such an awesome bar in New Orleans:

http://www.snakeandjakes.com/

My girlfriends and I use to go here a lot after a night of partying. Drinks are cheap, and I think they still make their own "moonshine." :beer:

[Fess]

This is such an awesome bar in New Orleans:

http://www.snakeandjakes.com/

My girlfriends and I use to go here a lot after a night of partying. Drinks are cheap, and I think they still make their own "moonshine." :beer:


hmmm....
The exterior of that "bar" looks unnerving to say the least.

You sure about that location marcey? :surprised

[JCork]

hmmm....
The exterior of that "bar" looks unnerving to say the least.

You sure about that location marcey? :surprised

Um, yeah, I'll have to agree. Is this a joke? Haha!

And let me also say, it hurt my eyes to look at that website!

[malducin]

Don't care what it looks like, a few spots in the French Quarter look that way anyway. It's way too far by Tulane University , I guess most people will stay around the French Quarter and the Warehouse District (even if the Charles St. trolley takes you relatively close).

[marceylee]

well, I guess I'm the seedy bar type. lololl!! Well...there are closer bars That's right Malduchin a lot of places in New Orleans kinda look like that--kinda seedy and run down. I think it adds a unique new orleans flavor. but you're right it's uptown not downtown. I think then you guys might like dba.

http://www.drinkgoodstuff.com/no/default.asp

the website is better...but to me it's a little New York instead of New Orleans....but that area has a lot of local flavor. I mean if you guys are just looking for Bourbon St. typical run of the mill experience, then there's plenty of bars to get lost in Bourbon St.--Johnny White's etc...

[malducin]

well, I guess I'm the seedy bar type. lololl!! Well...there are closer bars That's right Malduchin a lot of places in New Orleans kinda look like that--kinda seedy and run down. I think it adds a unique new orleans flavor.

I don't mind the apperance or distance that much, during Boston I went to one of the oldest pubs (Doyle's Cafe) for lunch before takeing the trolley to see the Boston Museum of Art. But that was during the weekend. Something like Snake and Jakes might be possible before/ater the conference (still deciding if I'll have enough time during the weekend to walk around Tulane/Loyola). But during the week if your schedule is full there might not be enough time.

Yeah I agree there are too many option around the French Quarter. Something like Lafitte's Workshop don't look like much from outside (have to try it this time around).

[marceylee]

yep, I've been in there too...I mean most people just get to Bourbon St. and go into every bar and check it out. Also, there is no last call. I don't know if you guys knew that. I mean the party just goes on and on. And there's plenty of time to go down Bourbon if you guys start the night at 8pm. It's really how long you can last. Also, checking id's is ummm....shall I say a little loose. So be careful of underage girls...or boys if you're gay. And there's all sorts of drinks to try like the hurricane etc....

[malducin]

Yeah last time it looked like mini Mardi Gras every night, and everyone on the streets had hurricanes. It's party all night. Last time I went early (maybe 8am) to Cafe Du Monde and stubled upon 3 kids on the sidewalks with their last of their drinks and wanted me to take a picture of them, LOL. That's a little too much for my old bones!

I would also say just be a bit careful since there are some pickpocketers around, almost had my wallet stollen (forutanetely felt his fingers in my tight jeans). On the other hand security in Bourbon St is impressive, saw a catfight broke out in the street once and the police was there in no time to break it off.

[Fess]

yep, I've been in there too...I mean most people just get to Bourbon St. and go into every bar and check it out. Also, there is no last call. I don't know if you guys knew that. I mean the party just goes on and on. And there's plenty of time to go down Bourbon if you guys start the night at 8pm. It's really how long you can last. Also, checking id's is ummm....shall I say a little loose. So be careful of underage girls...or boys if you're gay. And there's all sorts of drinks to try like the hurricane etc....


seems marcey is just a wealth of information regarding the nightlife....
valuable, since i have a somewhat low tolorance with the drinks :blush:

[marceylee]

thx Fess for the props :) yeah me too...I was usually the person doing the designated driving when I went out with my friends.

[Womball]

Unfortunately my tolerance has dropped since college for alchol. Found that out the hard way.

[marceylee]

I wanted to ask you guys. This is my first time at Siggraph. In your opinion, what events are the must go to, and what should I bring...or do you have any general advice for a first timer?

[malducin]

I wanted to ask you guys. This is my first time at Siggraph. In your opinion, what events are the must go to, and what should I bring...or do you have any general advice for a first timer?

It depends on a lot of factors, your registration category (full, basic, caf, one day) and your interests. The must see thing is the Evening Theatre (the new version of the Electronic Theatre), two hours of the best animation and CG from the past year. On the other hand I find the Exhibition Floor mostly boring (must stuff is announced online a few days before anyways), except for the customer presentations. Oh and watch out for the Pixar booth stampedes!

For example I mostly interested in highend VFX, so I attend many of the Talks and CAF Production Sessions listed here:

Production/VFX (http://www.siggraph.org/s2009/focus/production/index.php)

Which by the way, is not exhaustive.

I also recommend the Fast Forward Papers Preview, a summary of all the papers presented at the conference, sometime presented in very funny ways I got some video of that here:

SIGGRAPH 2008 (http://vimeo.com/1894311)

Courses and Papers tend to be very technical, so if looking at code and equations gives you headaches it's better to avoid. I still go to some Papers, even if I don't understand you have pretty pictures and video of cutting edge research.

Of and if you have the Full registration don't miss the Reception, one night to relax with free food.

About what to bring besides comfortable shoes and clothes? Not much. Maybe a notepad and/or laptop to take notes, check email, etc. If you have a demo reel you can show it on portable laptop or DVD player.

[Fess]

malducin was thorough..

you may also want to:

bring nice clothes, resume, reel, a smile.....then proceed to the Job Fair :)

[JohNLA]

Emerging Technologies is always on my must do list.

[marceylee]

I bought the all week basic package. I would like to get the full, but I really don't have the cash for it. Thank you malducin for being so thorough.

[Titus]

I wanted to ask you guys. This is my first time at Siggraph. In your opinion, what events are the must go to, and what should I bring...or do you have any general advice for a first timer?

This year the conference is more oriented towards videogames (10 years ago was internet), but there are still some courses about animation. I like to attend the papers fast forward, keynote speakers, fjorg!, the festival, check out the BoF, and don't forget to go from time to time to the international resources.

[JCork]

Emerging Technologies is always on my must do list.

This is also a MUST in my opinion. Emerging Technologies is one of the most fascinating parts of SIGGRAPH just because of how new everything on that floor is. Mind-boggling indeed.

But, the most important thing you need to figure out is what you want to learn more about and what your passion is for. That will mostly determine the presentations you go to.

[malducin]

I bought the all week basic package. I would like to get the full, but I really don't have the cash for it. Thank you malducin for being so thorough.

Ahhh ok, not many options there. Just be sure to buy at least a one day CAF pass ($50), so you can attend an Evening Theatre and some of the CAF Talks and Production Sessions.

Emerging Technologies schools though sometimesa bit too crowded.

[JCork]

Like I promised, my mom used to live in New Orleans and told me she would send me her suggestions on some places to make sure to see (if they are still there). Here is what she said (Edited because she's my mom and threw in some I love you's and be careful of your allergies):

"New Orleans is a rough city to begin with. Lots of con artists and pocket pickers. Anything illegal can happen in N.O. so, don't accept anything from a stranger. Night time is very dangerous in N.O. especially in the French Quarter. This is no joke, you need to be aware of things that are happening around you so you don't get hurt.

The best place to go in the french Quarter is Bourbon Street. It is the main drag through the quarter. Pat O'Brians is the place to go on Bourbon Street. It's a bar with live music. When I lived there i was only 17 and I got in. The drink to have is a Rainbow. They are great, but watch out because they sneak up on you. Ask the waiter how to drink it since it's tricky. Along Bourbon Street, if you just walk it, there is live entertainment if you don't want to go into a bar. Further down the way is Jackson Square. Here you will find artists, St. Patricks Cathedral, the canal, horse and buggies, and the infamous "Morning Call" Here they sell beignets and coffee. Awesome and really cheap. Several vendors line the canal.

Up town is just as the name is. Here you will find the beautiful Tulane University and the Audubon Zoo. Audubon Park is awesome at night, but be careful. I use to play soccer there at night. You may want to take a trolley ride to go through uptown.

Some things you need to check out and try are: Popeyes Chicken, the best chicken in the world, drive through daiquiris stores, the Catfish Shack (the chicken here is good too). Miasons is a very good restaurant but very, very expensive. The lake front is fun to see. It's right off of Robert E. Lee Street and the levees line the bayous if they're still there. You will also see the millionaire houses in this area. Beautiful houses, but only a block south are the projects. This is mostly very rough. Don't go through there."

I hope this helps all of us with our adventures. Sorry, but she just wants to make sure everyone is safe. Maybe the area has gotten better, but she's old school. Haha!

I can ask her for details about anything here, if you want extra information on it. I'm also sure the locals here on CGTalk can help us out with some of this.

[marceylee]

I think all moms will say to be careful. I mean it's just as dangerous as any urban area. I think after Katrina, they've beefed up the police force, but I find New Orleans much less dangerous than Oakland. The thing is there are lots of drunk visitors coming here, and since the drinks keeps on flowing all throughout the night, there's a lot of opportunity for thieves and the like. If this was the situation in any other cities (Vegas I think is the same way), there's just going to be a lot of pic pocketers. I know some guys actually put their money in places other than their pockets (you can use your imagination) also there's these inner (covert) money straps sold in travel stores. The thing is I rarely ever gotten drunk on Bourbon. For a lot of visitors, the thought of getting drive thu daiquiris and all night drink availability is so amazing to them coming from their own cities that they go ALL out here. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, but if someone's drunk anywhere in a city environment, they're more likely to get jumped etc....

I think your mom is thinking of Cafe du Monde. Morning call is in Metairie. Cafe du monde is def a must see spot.

[Fess]

Like I promised, my mom used to live in New Orleans and told me she would send me her suggestions on some places to make sure to see (if they are still there). Here is what she said (Edited because she's my mom and threw in some I love you's and be careful of your allergies):

"New Orleans is a rough city to begin with. Lots of con artists and pocket pickers. Anything illegal can happen in N.O. so, don't accept anything from a stranger. Night time is very dangerous in N.O. especially in the French Quarter. This is no joke, you need to be aware of things that are happening around you so you don't get hurt.

The best place to go in the french Quarter is Bourbon Street. It is the main drag through the quarter. Pat O'Brians is the place to go on Bourbon Street. It's a bar with live music. When I lived there i was only 17 and I got in. The drink to have is a Rainbow. They are great, but watch out because they sneak up on you. Ask the waiter how to drink it since it's tricky. Along Bourbon Street, if you just walk it, there is live entertainment if you don't want to go into a bar. Further down the way is Jackson Square. Here you will find artists, St. Patricks Cathedral, the canal, horse and buggies, and the infamous "Morning Call" Here they sell beignets and coffee. Awesome and really cheap. Several vendors line the canal.

Up town is just as the name is. Here you will find the beautiful Tulane University and the Audubon Zoo. Audubon Park is awesome at night, but be careful. I use to play soccer there at night. You may want to take a trolley ride to go through uptown.

Some things you need to check out and try are: Popeyes Chicken, the best chicken in the world, drive through daiquiris stores, the Catfish Shack (the chicken here is good too). Miasons is a very good restaurant but very, very expensive. The lake front is fun to see. It's right off of Robert E. Lee Street and the levees line the bayous if they're still there. You will also see the millionaire houses in this area. Beautiful houses, but only a block south are the projects. This is mostly very rough. Don't go through there."

I hope this helps all of us with our adventures. Sorry, but she just wants to make sure everyone is safe. Maybe the area has gotten better, but she's old school. Haha!

I can ask her for details about anything here, if you want extra information on it. I'm also sure the locals here on CGTalk can help us out with some of this.




Nice work, this is the information I was looking for...

[malducin]

Or much easier, you can find lots of good info at the French Quarter site:

FrenchQuarter.com (http://frenchquarter.com/)

[JCork]

I think your mom is thinking of Cafe du Monde. Morning call is in Metairie. Cafe du monde is def a must see spot.

You're probably right. She hasn't been there in a long long time, so she apologized if she misspelled or got anything incorrect. That's why I was also saying the things she said may not even be in existence because of Katrina.

Thanks for clarifying marceylee!

[GSilv]

Does anyone know when they will show the FJORG! competitions shorts?

I remember last time it was either Wed. or Thurs.

[malducin]

Does anyone know when they will show the FJORG! competitions shorts?

I remember last time it was either Wed. or Thurs.

Judging ceremoy will be Thursday 6-8pm

[JCork]

Judging ceremoy will be Thursday 6-8pm

I think they are combining a few ceremonies together, which isn't a bad idea.

Encounter SIGGRAPH, FJORG and GameJam Awards on Thursday, August 6 at 6pm in Hall E 1-2.

[DataDay]

Hey make sure you guys and gals check out StudioGPU's MachStudio Pro at the ATI/AMD booth.

I had the pleasure of testing it out here in Hollywood, it would be great to see what others think.

For those who are unfamiliar with the upcoming product... MSP lets you work with real time rendering. I am really excited to see how the technology effects the CG industry.