ABOUT THE COVER Playing the Game: Preparing for a Career in Computer Graphics Hans Westman Computer Graphics Cover Editor As this issue is being put together at the same time the World Series is in full swing, the image provided for the cover by Martin Talbot is fully appropriate in more ways than one. Today ™s gaming industry is gigantic, and computer graphics is a huge part if it. Baseball is a game that many of us in America played in our youth, which through the advancement of interactive technologies has also transitioned to a virtual playing field where the colors and bright lights of professional sports venues has crossed over from the experience of outdoor sports arenas to the touching of game play through a controller, a console and a monitor. As consumers, it is easy to get into the game. But for those on the teams creating titles such as Electronic Arts ™ MVP Baseball 2005, the game becomes much more competitive and the goal that much harder to attain. Talbot ™s article gives an overview of what he has done, both as a student and a professional, before ending up at EA Canada where he currently works as a Technical Art Director. In contrast, there is another kind of game play that is nonetheless compelling as well as rewarding, even if at the outcome there can be no official scoreboard winner. Anna Ursyn ™s image pictured on the back cover portrays a young girl posing next to her digital counterpart, role playing her warrior character in a world of make believe. Its simple expression of a common experience and the sense of capturing the satisfaction of playing the game “ for the sake of the game “ are the elements that attracted me to this image. This is a quality that often becomes hidden under multiple layers when the stakes get higher as we move into adulthood, which is reflected by Ursyn ™s other pieces that can be seen in this issue. Ursyn is currently a Professor in the Department of Visual Arts, University of Northern Colorado. I would like to thank Talbot and Ursyn for their contributions, showing examples of how they play the game in their careers in computer graphics. Front Cover Credit Electronic Arts Canada Back Cover Credit Anna Ursyn, University of Northern Colorado About the Cover Editor Hans Westman has been active as an artist and educator in both Sweden and the U.S. since 1976. He discovered animation as an art form in the late ˜70s, which resulted in an experimental film entitled Unitism. In 1987 he was exposed to computer manipulated imagery and has been working professionally with the medium ever since. He is currently the Academic Department Director for Media Arts & Animation at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Hans Westman Academic Department Director Media Arts & Animation The Art Institute of Pittsburgh 420 Boulevard of the Allies Pittsburgh, PA 15219-1328 Tel: +1-412-291-6409 Email: hans.westman@gte.net Martin Talbot at SIGGRAPH 2004. November 2004

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