Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services Andrew Wilkinson has released a video that highlights SIGGRAPH 2014, the world’s foremost computer graphics and art conference coming to the Vancouver Convention Centre August 10-14, 2014.

Over 15,000 artists, programmers, filmmakers, computer scientists, animators, game designers and others involved in computer graphics, film making, video games and hardware will be in Vancouver over the four days of the conference.

Vancouver first hosted SIGGRAPH in 2011 and is the only location outside the USA that has ever been selected for the North American conference. SIGGRAPH 2011 broke previous convention attendance records for the city, generating an estimated $38.5 million in direct spending for the local economy.

SIGGRAPH is another example how B.C. has become a major player in digital media. Over the past five years there has been significant growth in visual effects and digital animation production in the province. Many international companies (Sony Pictures Imageworks, MPC, Industrial Light + Magic) have relocated their head offices or established studios in Vancouver, while a number of domestic companies have experienced significant growth over this period (Nerd Corps, Atomic Cartoon, Image Engine).

The Province of British Columbia will highlight British Columbia’s creative services and digital media industries at its 800 sq. foot theatre-style exhibition booth.

In addition to the presentations at the B.C. booth, local companies will be exhibitors at SIGGRAPH 2014 as well, including Gener8 Digital Media, SIAT (Simon Fraser University, School of Interactive Arts and Technology) and more.

See Minister Wilkinson’s preview here: http://www.ow.ly/zIt5Q

Quick Facts:

Digital media industry in B.C.

• B.C. is home to one of the oldest video games clusters in North America, with more than more than 1,300 companies, employing 22,000 people.
• Over 65 game development studios have 5,150 full-time highly-paid employees and thousands more under contract.
• In 2012, the video game industry in B.C. was responsible for $568 million in gross expenditures, and 40% of companies reported they expected growth of more than 25% in 2014.
• Visual effects companies set up shop in B.C. because of our highly experienced, capable and committed workforce which has earned a reputation for consistently delivering a high quality product on time, and on budget.
• Studios specializing in post-production, animation and special effects for motion pictures continue to flourish in British Columbia:
  • In 2012 Sony Pictures Imageworks in Vancouver produced 75% of the animation in the movie “The Amazing Spider-Man”.
  • In 2013, Image Engine in Vancouver produced 300 visual effects shots for the movie “Zero Dark Thirty”.
  • Currently, Industrial Light + Magic are in the process of setting up its work for the next “Star Wars” movie.

Media Contacts:

Blair Phelps
Ministry of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services
250 889-9726