Reflecting on a Journey Through Computer Graphics: Curiosity and Fun

As I recently browsed the exceptional papers presented at Siggraph 2023 https://kesen.realtimerendering.com/sig2023.html – ranging from "3D Gaussian Splatting for Real-time Radiance Field Rendering" to "GestureDiffuCLIP: Gesture Diffusion Model With CLIP Latents" – a wave of nostalgia hit me, taking me back to my PhD days at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics.

Those years were a paradise for someone like me, driven by curiosity. A PhD is more than a degree; it's a journey of creation, of delving into the unknown and, hopefully pushing the envelope a bit. My mission was to tread paths not taken, to innovate in unexplored territories. Projects like MovieReshape https://resources.mpi-inf.mpg.de/MovieReshape/ and www.stencilcreator.org were more than academic tasks; they were my playgrounds, where I combined serious research with the sheer fun of creation.

And now, as I gear up to try the Animated Drawings https://github.com/facebookresearch/AnimatedDrawings project with my kids' artwork, I'm reminded of the importance of that fun, creative spirit. It’s projects like these that illustrate how our field is not just about technical prowess but also about enjoying the journey, about bringing smiles and wonder through technology.

Looking back, I realize that the fusion of challenge, innovation, and fun during my PhD didn't just lay the foundation for my career; it also led to some of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

To all my mentors, colleagues, and the dynamic world of Graphics and Vision: Thank you for not just shaping my career but for instilling in me the joy of discovery and the pleasure of having fun while pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

Stay tuned for an exciting showcase of what happens when Animated Drawings meets the imagination of a child!