Cap College
shows off
new tech

Friday, June 12, 1998 - North Shore News - 3

Michael Becker

News Editor
michael@nsnews.com

WHAT do a doomed ship, a large, ill-tem­
pered lizard and a futuristic family adrift in
the vastness of space have in common?

NEWS photo Mike Wakefield

WALTER Stewart, market development manager, education R&D, Silicon Graphics
Canada, was on hand Monday to explain some of the computer technology aboard
the Silicon Graphics bus at Capilano College.

They all came to life on the big screen with tech­
nology developed by Silicon Graphics.
The special effects for recent Hollywood movies
Titanic, Godzilla and Lost In Space were created with
Silicon Graphics computer systems.
Earlier this week the company brought a bus
bristling with the latest in high-powered computer
technology to Capilano College.
Silicon Graphics is teaming up with the college to
open a $2.5 million animation lab in September.
Sixteen computer animation students will have 24hour, seven-day-a week access to a lab equipped with
RlOOOO 02s, high-powered animation computers.
The lab will also include an Origin server to pro­
vide back up and further rendering capacity. The col­
lege is deciding which software packages to use.
The experience won't come cheap. The per-stu­
dent price will be in the neighborhood of $7,000 to
$10,000 for a 16-week program.
The session will appeal to those already active in
the film visual effects field.
Said Walter Stewart, market development manag,­
er, education R&D, Silicon Graphics Canada, "Our
practice across Canada is to work with institutions
that have a sound vision for the kind of programming
they want to do and particularly institutions that have
a strong history in creative programming.
"Capilano has a history in creative endeavors, par­
ticularly in television, lnfotech and the creative visual
arts. It's just a logical partnership for us. We have
made a co-investment with Capilano because it is
good business for us. It builds up the capacity of the
area to support our core business in visualization for
film."
Said Capilano College president Greg Lee of the
partnership, "What it does is establish the college at
the forefront of training for visuals, that's animation,
special effects, those sorts of things the film industry
is going to require if it's going to grow in B.C."