Computer Graphics Career Handbook Ed Ferguson University of Maine Laura Carey Halas Innovative Software Solutions Catherine Shadden Keith Design Department, Alameda County Stephan R. Keith Sterling Software Bob Powell Island Graphics Corporation acm ii iii ACM SIGGRAPH Education Committee The Association for Computing Machinery, Inc. 11 West 42nd Street New York, New York 10036 Copyright © 1991 and 1988 by the Association for Computing Machinery, Inc. Copying without fee is permitted provided that the copies are not made or distributed for direct commercial advantage and credit to the source is given. Abstracting with credit is permitted. For permission to republish write to: Director of Publications, Association for Computing Machinery. To copy otherwise, or republish, requires a fee and/or specific permission. The SIGGRAPH Education Committee is sponsored by the Association for Computing Machinery's Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics. ORDERING INFORMATION To request price information and order copies, contact: ACM Order Department P.O. Box 64145 Baltimore, Maryland 21264 (301) 528-4261 SIGGRAPH member price: Non-member price: ACM Order Number: 429-891 For SIGGRAPH membership information, contact: ACM 11 West 42nd Street New York, New York 10036 (212) 869-7440 For SIGGRAPH annual conference information, contact: SIGGRAPH Conference Office 111 East Wacker Drive Chicago, Illinois 60601 (312) 644-6610 ACM ISBN 0-89791-313-2 ACM ISSN 0097-8930 iv Disclaimer The Selected Readings presented throughout this document are representative examples of many publications addressing the various elements of computer graphics and career issues. These publications are listed alphabetically by title in each section of the handbook. Listing of any specific publication does not imply ACM or SIGGRAPH endorsement. The information presented in Section 5, "Company Statistics", was compiled from a questionnaire mailed to all of the SIGGRAPH '89 conference exhibitors and prior contributors. Listing any specific company does not imply ACM SIGGRAPH endorsement. ACM SIGGRAPH is not responsible for the accuracy of the information provided by respondents to the questionnaire. The opinions expressed in this handbook are not necessarily those of ACM or SIGGRAPH. v Acknowledgements This material is based upon work supported by ACM SIGGRAPH. We would like to thank Maxine Brown and Sara Bly, former SIGGRAPH Vice Chairs for Operations, and Tom DeFanti, former SIGGRAPH Chair, for their very early, active support of this project, and Richard J. Beach, ACM SIGGRAPH, Editor-in-Chief. We would also like to thank all of the SIGGRAPH Executive Committee members, especially Judith R. Brown, SIGGRAPH Vice Chair for Operations and former Computer Graphics Career Handbook Chair, Dr. Steve Cunningham, former Education Committee Chair, and Scott Owen, Education Committee Chair, for their enthusiastic support of this and other Education Committee activities. vi CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv INTRODUCTION ix CAREERS IN COMPUTER GRAPHICS 6 NO "COMPUTER GRAPHICS" JOBS IN THE CLASSIFIEDS 12 CATEGORIES 2.0 INTRODUCTION 18 2.1 ART/ANIMATION 23 2.2 CAD/CAM/CAE 27 2.3 PRESENTATION GRAPHICS 31 2.4 SIMULATION 35 2.5 IMAGE PROCESSING 39 2.6 SYSTEMS DESIGN, SYSTEMS HARDWARE, AND SYSTEMS SOFTWARE 43 2.7 SCIENTIFIC VISUALIZATION 49 CAREER PROFILES 3.0 CHRISTINE BARTON 54 Computer Graphics Project Manager 3.1 KEVIN BJORKE 56 Technical Director for Animation 3.2 KELLOGG S. BOOTH 58 Academic 3.3 JUDITH R. BROWN 61 Visualization Consultant CONTENTS CAREER PROFILES 3.4 ANNETTE BURR COAN 63 Employer Needs: Computer Graphics in Advertising and Design 3.5 STEVE CUNNINGHAM 69 Undergraduate Computer Graphics Instructor in Computer Science 3.6 LARRY ELIN 71 Computer Graphics Management in Advertising 3.7 GEOFFREY Y. GARDNER 73 Computer Image Generation in Aerospace 3.8 HANK GREBE 75 "A Bridge Between Two Worlds" 3.9 D.E. HEARD 78 Technical Training Manager 3.10 HOLLIDAY R. HORTON 80 An Artist in a Science Environment 3.11 STEPHAN R. KEITH 83 Scientific Visualization 3.12 CARL MACHOVER 87 Computer Graphics Consultant 3.13 AARON MARCUS 89 Independent Computer Graphics Consultant 3.14 MIKE MC CULLEY 92 Art Director 3.15 THERESA-MARIE RHYNE 95 Portrait of a Computer Artist 3.16 TIM SKELLY 97 Art Director 3.17 STEPHEN R. SPENCER 100 Supercomputer Graphics Research Specialist 3.18 JAMES J. THOMAS 102 Lead Scientist CONTENTS CAREER PROFILES 3.19 KATHY WOLFINGER 105 Technical Writer 3.20 THOMAS WRIGHT 108 Graphics Systems Software Professional COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES 4.0 USING THE DIRECTORY 112 4.1 COMPUTER GRAPHICS CONCEPTS AND SYSTEMS 114 4.2 COMPUTER GRAPHICS IN ENGINEERING, CAD/CAM AND DRAFTING 152 4.3 COMPUTER GRAPHICS IN THE ARTS, ARCHITECTURE, AND DESIGN 161 4.4 COMPUTER GRAPHICS IN GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY 181 4.5 OTHER COMPUTER GRAPHICS APPLICATIONS 185 4.6 COMPUTER GRAPHICS BIBLIOGRAPHY 186 COMPANY STATISTICS 189 THE JOB SEARCH PROCESS 6.0 INTRODUCTION 225 6.1 EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES 225 College Placement Centers Classified Ads Networking Job Fairs Placement Agencies Conferences 6.2 LETTERS OF INTRODUCTION AND RESUMES 227 Letters of Introduction Resumes References CONTENTS THE JOB SEARCH PROCESS 6.3 PORTFOLIOS 228 6.4 INTERVIEWS 228 Peparing for the Interview Following Up 6.5 IN CLOSING 229 6.6 SELECTED READINGS 229 APPENDICES A.O IMAGE CREDITS 230 B.0 HANDBOOK CREDITS 236 INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION This handbook provides computer graphics career data for those individuals who wish to begin a career in one of the many computer graphics career categories. It is targeted for students who wish to enter the field, educators who need to answer career guidance questions, and professionals wishing to make a career change. It should answer the three basic questions asked by those who are interested in computer graphics careers: • What are the career opportunities in computer graphics? • What kind of training is needed to qualify for these careers? • Where can I get the training for these careers? The handbook presents an overview of computer graphics, adapted from an earlier article in the SIGGRAPH publication, Computer Graphics, and the results of two Education Committee surveys. These surveys have provided us with some insights into Computer Graphics careers and trends within the various career categories. One survey examined the skills necessary for a career in the various categories of computer graphics. The other identified computer graphics companies and the kinds of opportunities in each. A Computer Graphics Education Directory provides a listing of colleges and universities offering courses in computer graphics. This directory outlines classes, subjects and institution contact data. The directory is regularly updated and published in the SIGGRAPH publication, Computer Graphics. A brief overview of the job search process is presented. It is intended as an introduction to the job search process for the novice, and as a review for the professional. CAREERS IN COMPUTER GRAPHICS SECTION 1 CAREERS IN COMPUTER GRAPHICS WHAT IS COMPUTER GRAPHICS 6 NO "COMPUTER GRAPHICS" JOBS IN THE CLASSIFIEDS 12 SIGGRAPH CAREER HANDBOOK page 6 CAREERS IN COMPUTER GRAPHICS Judith R. Brown ACM SIGGRAPH Vice-Chair for Operations What Is Computer Graphics? For something to be considered “computer graphics", the image must be created on, or enhanced with, a computer. From this point, the definition is vague, somewhat on the order of “What is, or is not, art?” In general, you think of the computer graphic as being a picture rather than text. However, the quickly growing field of desktop publishing relies on the computer for page design and layout of predominantly textual information. Also, text can be used very creatively in graphic design. The computer graphic is created through the use of a computer, but how the computer is used differs widely. The image may be entirely created through mathematical formulas. Or, it might be created through a traditional means, such as photography, and enhanced with the computer. Fields of image processing and multi-media art rely on such combinations of techniques. Computer graphics are not created “by” the computer, however. The computer is merely a tool, and the creativity comes from the programmer or user. Careers in Computer Graphics Information is unquestionably today’s most important commodity. Computer graphics, as a means of expressing that information, now appears in virtually every application area, no matter how seemingly obscure. For example, techniques similar to those used a few years ago to chart the surface of the moon are now being used in a Skin Imaging Computer to select cosmetic supplies. The most important distinction in computer graphics careers is between working in the computer graphics industry and using computer graphics as a tool in an occupation whose main focus is not computer graphics. By “working in the computer graphics industry,” we mean the jobs of researching, designing and marketing graphics equipment, researching and writing graphics languages, libraries, and application software, preparing documentation, consulting on graphics hardware and software, and teaching graphics courses. Careers in these areas require more extensive knowledge of computers in general and computer graphics in particular than do careers involving applications which use graphics work stations. In both cases, however, some specialty is required in addition to computer graphics experience. The Graphics Industry As we suggest above, the facets of