Slides (PDF 1.7 Mb)
Through the example of still photography, video, and 3D interactive graphics, this talk explores what characterize a medium and what ingredients are necessary to create a compelling depiction. In particular, I discuss the limitations that define a medium as well as the technological limitations that make it challenging to create compelling pictures. Much effort has been dedicated to enhancing the completeness and interactivity of visual media. Digital media seek to increase the viewer’s freedom via continuous exploration of time and space, and to make the experience more complete through increased dynamic range, depth cues and field of view. In contrast, I will argue that a more limited medium sometimes offer a more compelling experience by focusing the viewer’s attention and calling to their imagination.
Frédo Durand is an assistant professor in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a member of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. He received his PhD from Grenoble University (France) in 1999. He worked with Claude Puech and George Drettakis on both theoretical and practical aspects of 3D visibility. From 1999 till 2002, he has been a post-doc in the MIT Computer Graphics Group with Julie Dorsey, where he is now an assistant professor.
His research interests span most aspects of picture generation and creation. This includes realistic graphics, real-time rendering , non-photorealistic rendering, as well as computational photography. His recent emphasis is on the use of tools from signal processing and inspiration from perceptual sciences. He received a Eurographics Young Researcher Award in 2004 and an NSF CAREER award in 2005.