NeRFs were a prominent topic at SIGGRAPH this year, drawing attention through multiple panels focused on them. A notable discussion led by Matt Tancik is now accessible online for the public.

It struck me as amusing that Matt title was a Ph.D. graduate working at Luma, rather than as one of the original creators of NeRF.

Matt delves into the evolution of creation, transitioning from depicting the world through painting to the advancements in 3D technology, which now require approximately 30 seconds. He provides a comprehensive breakdown of NeRFs' functionality and the underlying mathematics. If you find the workings of NeRF perplexing, this discussion is highly recommended.

If you're interested in seeing other talks given by Matt Tancik, take a look at his lecture at MIT earlier this year. It's fascinating!

vETC is a virtual conference of significant presentations around emerging technologies (e.g., OSVP and ICVFX) and their impact on the M&E industry. Programmed by the Entertainment Technology Center at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and recorded live, speakers present concepts, workflows, business models, and case studies in showcasing disruptive and enabling technologies.

The concept of the vETC series came about in 2015 to fulfill the desire to populate an independent conference for the emerging tech topics while implementing the virtual capabilities by expanding beyond traditional physical conference attendees. It has advanced to cover a wide breadth of mainstream topics providing great insight into early-stage technologies in a TED-talk-style platform. Unlike unrecorded conferences, there is no single audience for this video series - anyone who wishes to catch up can hear from experts right at their personal computers.