When: Thursday, January 31, 2013 from 7:00 pm to 9:30pm (7:00-7:30 social networking, 7:30-9:30pm guest speaker – Solomon Jagwe)
Where: US Patent and Trademark Office, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 – (Jefferson Building)
Washington DC ACM SIGGRAPH would like to invite you hear a presentation from Solomon Jagwe an Independent Film Director, VFX Artist, Animator, and 3D Modeler. Currently, Mr. Jagwe is working on an Animated Mountain Gorilla and wildlife conservation film written in his native language Luganda entitled “Galiwango Obulamu Bw’ekisodde” (Translated: The life of a mountain Gorilla.) The 3D animated film is the story of an orphaned mountain Gorilla called Galiwango. The film explores the challenges that Galiwango encounters when he is captured and sold as a baby on the black market by Colonel Kasobeza, a former ranger turned rebel, to an illegal animal trafficking ring leader called Musawo (meaning the Doctor). Mr. Jagwe will discuss his work on the film, his budget and ways he had to improvise and get help in creating the animation.
More information about Solomon Jagwe and links to his work follow:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_emDomru0sY
http://www.sowl.com/african-film-festival/
Before he came to the US in 1996 to finish his Art Degree, Mr. Jagwe spent some time selling his oil paintings and sculptures as well as painting and murals for advertisements around Kampala, Uganda’s Capital City. He attended Ohio Valley University, Montgomery College (where he graduated with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Animation, and George Mason University, where he majored in Art and Visual Technology). After he graduated in 1999, he joined the US defense Industry and worked as an Animator and 3D artist for 3 different Defense Contractors, creating content for military games (RTS & FPS), simulations, and computer based training. Solomon resigned his job in November of 2009 to go full time into Freelancing and to dedicate his time to completing the Galiwango film.
Since he is working on a shoe string budget, he had to improvise and find ways to get help in creating the animation for the Gorilla, Ranger, and Poacher characters for the film. I He received support of Faceware Technologies, ImageMetrics ( http://www.galiwango.com/2012/09/12/galiwango-partner-faceware-technologies-and-imagemetrics/ ) and Mixamo Inc ( http://www.galiwango.com/2012/11/02/video-shoot-and-photos-from-motion-capture-session-at-mixamo-studios-in-ca/ ), with whom he has partnered in an exchange of services, for the Facial and Body Motion capture support.
Some of the improvision includes this homemade head mounted camera rig to record the performances of the Voice actors: http://www.galiwango.com/2012/11/05/custom-head-mounted-camera-rig-for-facial-performance-capture/
Here is a recent Voice Acting Session he did with 3 of Uganda’s leading R&B artists, who happen to be great advocates for the conservation of the endangered great apes: http://www.galiwango.com/2013/01/02/galiwango-film-voice-acting-session-at-fenon-studios-in-uganda/
The aim of this film is to raise awareness to the plight of the Mountain Gorillas and the threats that they are exposed to. Although there are a variety of threats facing gorilla populations today, central threats include degradation and loss of habitat, direct exploitation, diseases, as well as the impact of war and political unrest in various range states. The film also highlights the hard work done by Rangers in the protection of these endangered great apes and their rapidly disappearing forest habitats, plus the impact on local communities like the Batwa.
His goal is not only to raise awareness and educate, but to also appeal on a local level to the younger generation of Ugandan’s, our neighbors in Congo and Rwanda, and to catalyze conservation action on their part. It is for this reason that the film is written in Luganda, Uganda’s most widely spoken language.”
You can see the Production footage and shots of the version set for release here: http://www.sowl.com/2012/02/galiwango-film-reload-3d-model-update/
Here are some more links of the Galiwango film and where it has been featured:
African Film Festival in Stockholm Sweden: http://www.sowl.com/african-film-festival/
World Bank Connect 4 Climate Campaign: http://www.connect4climate.org/blog/ugandas-solomon-jagwe-uses-film-to-teach-conservation-and
UNEP/UNESCO Galiwango Film Endorsement: http://www.yog2009.org/index.php?limitstart=15
Video Games he has worked on include: PRISM (http://www.prismthegame.com) Real War, Real War: Rogue States (http://www.sowl.com/realwar.htm), Guard, Force, Joint Force Employment, and Cultural SimQuest (http://www.teamcamber.com/serious_gaming.html )