Mr. Magoo, John Slater, and the Minneapolis/St. Paul SIGGRAPH Chapter Mary K. Javener D e m o Productions Imagine having a live conversation with the Pillsbury Doughboy, a talking teapot or even Fred Flintstone! Interactive Personalities, Inc. (IPI) has made this a reality. Interactive AniMates are three-dimensional computer images which can see and hear as if they~e alive. John Slater has been involved in computer graphics since 1987, when he first started e x p l o r i n g the brand new Amiga at the University of Minnesota. His background is computer animation and modeling on the PC and Silicon Graphics platforms. He worked independently for a while, sharing his expertise with a variety of major corporations. John Slater But now he is busy developing Interactive AniMates, animated characters for use in a r e a l - t i m e a n i m a t i o n system. Tracing Interactive AniMates to their 3D beginnings, there you find John. Working from an illustrator's conceptual sk-~cches, he uses computer modeling techniques to bring life to IPrs characters. "My lob gives me incredible creative freedom" says John. Eyes, ears and hands are born from his imagination. When the NutraSweet Company launched an ad campaign t o promote its sweetener, they "hired" well-known cartoon character Mr. Magoo t o be the company's celebrity spokesperson. Burson-Marsteller, a New York P.R. firm, wished to execute a first-ever satellite media tour during which Mr. Magoo would talk live with news affiliates across the country. Before they could do this, however, they needed to create a cartoon character capable of live interaction. Using its breakthrough computer animation technology, Interactive Personalities created just such a 3D Hagoo. From a satellite uplink studio in NYC, Gramercy Broadcasting beamed his image to more than 20 cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston. Mr. Hagoo chatted with news people about his life, career and his role for the NutraSweet Company. "Oh yes, indeed, when my agent - he's a lovely man - brought me this opportunity, I knew it was the perfect way to get back in f r o n t of the cameras and do w h a t I love most," the character said. IPI used a C A D program to transform a 2D image of Magoo into a 3D model. Multiple versions of the model were created to illustrate various facial features and body positions; a smile, frown or raised eyebrows. The model was then i m p o r t e d into a Silicon Graphics Indigo Extreme, where, using proprietary software, John attached to the character "electronic handles" that enable a trained performer, an AniMateer, to manipulate the character's movements. Much like a puppeteer working the strings of a marionette, an AniHateer manipulates an AniMate's movements with an array of customized hand control devices. The AniMate's computer image is then projected o n t o a video screen o r monitor. With hidden cameras and mikes the AniHateer can spy on the audience and interact directly. Usually the character's movements and m o u t h i n g are manipulated by one highly trained performer. However, in the case of Mr. Hagoo the official voice for Hagoo, Greg Burson, p e r f o r m e d his voice. M i l l i o n s watched as Mr. Hagoo made history as the first cartoon character ever t o be interviewed on live television. John Slater, amazing animation specialist, is acting as our co-chair of the Minneapolis/St. Paul SIGGRAPH Professional Chapter. According to John, "The computer graphics community in the Twin Cities has grown rapidly over the past five years. The interest has been fueled by Hollywood productions such as T2 and Jurassic Park, and by the increasing use of computer animation in broadcast television and corporate video productions. "In addition, digital photography and digital pre-press have been overtaking more traditional forms of print production. All this growth has attracted hundreds of computer graphics professionals m the area, and created opportunities for hundreds more" To counter a job that requires him to stay put, he spends weekends far afield on his mountain bike. He describes himself as a creative, well-adjusted, animated character. C r e a t i v e ? N o q u e s t i o n . W e l l adjusted? Seems so. Animatedt Perhaps he takes his w o r k too seriously. Mary K. Javener 4411 Wentworth Ave. Minneapolis,MN 55409 Tel: + 1-612-822-1824 Email: sr.arykay~birstream.nec Cornputmr Griphics February1996 2.7

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