Edwin (Ed) Catmull
Most Recent Affiliation(s):
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Visual Effects Society, Lucasfilm
Other / Past Affiliation(s):
- New York Institute of Technology (NYIT)
- Pixar Animation Studios
- Walt Disney Animation Studios
Location:
- Old Westbury, New York, United States of America
Additional Profile Photos:
Photos by John Fujii
Bio:
SIGGRAPH 2021
Dr. Ed Catmull is a co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios and served as president of Pixar for 33 years, while also serving as president of Walt Disney Animation Studios for 13 of those 33 years. Catmull’s New York Times best-selling book “Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration” published in 2014. Catmull is an ACM Turing Award Laureate, and he has been honored with five Academy Awards, including two Oscars and a Lifetime Achievement Award. Catmull founded three of the leading centers of computer graphics research — including the computer division of Lucasfilm Ltd. and Pixar Animation Studios. Catmull has been a dedicated ACM SIGGRAPH participant for nearly 40 years. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Visual Effects Society. Catmull earned B.S. degrees in physics and computer science and a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Utah. In addition, he has received honorary doctorates from the University of Utah and Johns Hopkins University. In 2019, he retired as president of Pixar and Disney Animation and is active in writing and speaking.
SIGGRAPH 2009
Since the late 1970s, Ed Catmull, a pioneer in the entertainment and film industry and co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios, has played a major role in the invention of some of the most fundamental computer graphics practices used throughout the motion picture industry.
Ed Catmull is one of the original architects of the RenderMan rendering software system, which has been used in 44 of the last 47 films nominated for an Academy Award in the Visual Effects category.
He has founded three of the world’s most renowned computer graphics research centers, including the computer graphics laboratory at the New York Institute of Technology and the computer division of both Lucasfilm, Ltd. and Pixar Animation Studios. He has been honored with four Academy Awards, including a Technical Achievement Award from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, from whom he previously won two Scientific and Engineering Awards, and one Academy Award of Merit for his work. He also received the ACM SIGGRAPH Steven A. Coons Award for his lifetime contributions in the computer graphics field.
SIGGRAPH 1997
Computer Graphics Lab, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, New York, 11568
SIGGRAPH 1982
Ed Catmull received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Utah. He is Director of Research and Development with Lucasfilm Ltd., San Anselmo, California, where he is involved in introducing high technology into the film industry. Dr. Catmull was Director of the Computer Graphics Laboratory at New York Institute of Technology, where he specialized in computer animation.
Course Organizer:
Experience Category: Organizing Committee Member:
Learning Category: Organizing Committee Member:
Experience Category: Jury Member:
Learning Category: Jury Member:
Award(s):
Artwork(s):
Learning Category: Presentation(s):
![Turing Award and Beyond: In Conversation With Ed Cartmull and Pat Hanrahan](https://history.siggraph.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SIGGRAPH2021_Image-Not-Available-150x150.jpg)
Type: [Keynote]
Turing Award and Beyond: In Conversation With Ed Cartmull and Pat Hanrahan Presenter(s): [Catmull] [Hanrahan]
[SIGGRAPH 2021]
![NYIT Computer Graphics Lab Then and Now](https://history.siggraph.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2020-Panels-04-NYIT-Computer-Graphics-Lab-Then-and-Now-150x150.jpg)
Type: [Panels]
NYIT Computer Graphics Lab Then and Now Presenter(s): [Grebe] [Catmull] [Smith] [Hanrahan] [Rygiel] [Hopen]
Entry No.: [04]
[SIGGRAPH 2020]
![CS 292: The Lost Lectures Computer Graphics People and Pixels in the Past 30 Years](https://history.siggraph.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/2009-Panels-03-CS-292-The-Lost-Lectures-150x150.jpg)
Type: [Panels]
CS 292: The Lost Lectures Computer Graphics People and Pixels in the Past 30 Years Presenter(s): [Chuang] [Catmull]
Entry No.: [03]
[SIGGRAPH 2010]
![Educating the Digital Artist for the Entertainment Industry: The Collision of Academia and Business](https://history.siggraph.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/1997-Panels-10-Educating-the-Digital-Artist-for-the-Entertainment-Industry-150x150.jpg)
Type: [Panels]
Educating the Digital Artist for the Entertainment Industry: The Collision of Academia and Business Presenter(s): [Catmull] [King] [Rosendahl] [Veeder] [Weinberg]
Entry No.: [10]
[SIGGRAPH 1997]
![The Reyes image rendering architecture](https://history.siggraph.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1987-Technical-Papers-Cook_The-Reyes-Image-Rendering-Architecture-150x150.jpg)
Type: [Technical Papers]
The Reyes image rendering architecture Presenter(s): [Cook] [Carpenter] [Catmull]
[SIGGRAPH 1987]
![A Retrospective: Six Perennial Issues in Computer Graphics](https://history.siggraph.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/1984-Panel-03-A-Retrospect-Six-Perennial-Issues-in-Computer-Graphics-150x150.jpg)
Type: [Panels]
A Retrospective: Six Perennial Issues in Computer Graphics Presenter(s): [Catmull] [Foley] [Forrest] [Kay] [Machover] [Sproull]
Entry No.: [03]
[SIGGRAPH 1984]
![Advanced Computer Graphics Animation](https://history.siggraph.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/1984-9-Course-Cover-Advanced-Computer-Graphics-Animation-150x150.jpg)
Type: [Courses]
Advanced Computer Graphics Animation Organizer(s): [Rosebush]
Presenter(s): [Catmull] [Fleischer] [Hoffman] [Kovacs] [Miller] [Rosebush] [Vickers]
Entry No.: [09]
[SIGGRAPH 1984]
![An analytic visible surface algorithm for independent pixel processing](https://history.siggraph.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/1984-Technical-Papers-Catmull_An-Analytic-Visible-Surface-Algorithm-for-Independent-Pixel-Processing-150x150.jpg)
Type: [Technical Papers]
An analytic visible surface algorithm for independent pixel processing Presenter(s): [Catmull]
[SIGGRAPH 1984]
![State-of-the-Art in Image Synthesis](https://history.siggraph.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/1982-13-Course-Cover-State-of-the-Art-in-Images-Synthesis-150x150.jpg)
Type: [Courses]
State-of-the-Art in Image Synthesis Organizer(s): [Catmull]
Presenter(s): [Catmull] [Blinn] [Cook] [Carpenter] [Stock]
Entry No.: [13]
[SIGGRAPH 1982]
![Two-Dimensional Computer Animation](https://history.siggraph.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/1982-09_Course-Cover-Two-Dimensional-Computer-Animation-150x150.jpg)
Type: [Courses]
Two-Dimensional Computer Animation Organizer(s): [Levoy]
Presenter(s): [Levoy] [Odgers] [Wallace] [Smith] [Catmull] [Stock] [Palyka]
Entry No.: [09]
[SIGGRAPH 1982]
![Two-Dimensional Computer Animation](https://history.siggraph.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/1981-G-Course-Cover-Two-Dimensional-Computer-Animation-150x150.jpg)
Type: [Courses]
Two-Dimensional Computer Animation Organizer(s): [Levoy]
Presenter(s): [Smith] [Catmull] [Odgers] [Wallace] [Levoy]
Entry No.: [G]
[SIGGRAPH 1981]
![3-D transformations of images in scanline order](https://history.siggraph.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/1980-Technical-Papers-Catmull_3-D-TRANSFORMATIONS-OF-IMAGES-IN-SCANLINE-ORDER-150x150.jpg)
Type: [Technical Papers]
3-D transformations of images in scanline order Presenter(s): [Catmull] [Smith]
[SIGGRAPH 1980]
![Advanced (3D) Raster Graphics](https://history.siggraph.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/1980-06-Cover-Advanced-3D-Raster-Graphics-150x150.jpg)
Type: [Courses]
Advanced (3D) Raster Graphics Organizer(s): [Whitted]
Presenter(s): [Crow] [Blinn] [Catmull] [Fuchs] [Clark] [Whitted] [Smith] [Williams]
Entry No.: [06]
[SIGGRAPH 1980]
![Computer Animation Techniques](https://history.siggraph.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/1979-B-Course-Cover-Computer-Animation-Techniques-150x150.jpg)
Type: [Courses]
Computer Animation Techniques Organizer(s): [Catmull]
Presenter(s): [Catmull] [Demos] [Diment] [Harrison] [Levoy] [Smith] [Stern] [Wein] [Williams]
Entry No.: [05]
[SIGGRAPH 1979]
![A hidden-surface algorithm with anti-aliasing](https://history.siggraph.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/1978-Technical-Papers-Catmull_A-HIDDEN-SURFACE-AIGORITHM-WITH-ANrI-ALIASING-150x150.jpg)
Type: [Technical Papers]
A hidden-surface algorithm with anti-aliasing Presenter(s): [Catmull]
[SIGGRAPH 1978]
![The problems of computer-assisted animation](https://history.siggraph.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/1978-Technical-Papers-Catmull_THE-PROBLEMS-OF-COMPUTER-ASSISTED-ANIMATION-150x150.jpg)
Type: [Technical Papers]
The problems of computer-assisted animation Presenter(s): [Catmull]
[SIGGRAPH 1978]
Learning Category: Moderator:
![A language for shading and lighting calculations](https://history.siggraph.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/1990-Technical-Papers-Hanrahan_A-Language-for-Shading-and-Lighting-Calculations-150x150.jpg)
Type: [Technical Papers]
A language for shading and lighting calculations Presenter(s): [Hanrahan] [Lawson]
[SIGGRAPH 1990]
![A model for anisotropic reflection](https://history.siggraph.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/1990-Technical-Papers-Poulin_A-Model-for-Anisotropic-Reflection-150x150.jpg)
Type: [Technical Papers]
A model for anisotropic reflection Presenter(s): [Poulin] [Fournier]
[SIGGRAPH 1990]
Role(s):
- Art Show Artist
- Awardee
- Computer Animation Jury Member
- Course Organizer
- Course Presenter
- Emerging Technologies Organizing Committee Member
- Keynote Speaker
- Panel Presenter
- Technical Paper Presenter
- Technical Papers Jury Member
- Technical Papers Organizing Committee Chair/Co-Chair