Brian Knep

Brian Knep
Biography and photo from ILM

Knep combines art and design with extensive technical skills and production experience. He has worked on a wide range of projects, from large, high-tech interactive environments, to small low-tech toys, and high-end special effects. His work has been shown in the Lowry Centre in Manchester, England, the Haus der Musik in Vienna, Austria, and the M.I.T. Media Lab. Knep was a founder of Nearlife, Inc., where he was lead architect of core technologies. He has also worked as a Senior Software Engineer at Industrial Light & Magic and has been recognized with two Scientific and Technical Academy Awards. For the last several years, Knep has studied at the Radcliffe Ceramics Studio and Avon Glassworks. He has published in academic journals, and graduated with honors from Brown University, where he received his B.S. and M.S. As a Software Developer, his film credits include JURASSIC PARK (1993), THE INDIAN IN THE CUPBOARD (1995) and the 1997 special edition of STAR WARS (1977).

ViewPaint Steven Speilberg's 1993 film, JURASSIC PARK, demanded dinosaurs that looked and moved realistically. A whole new set of tools was required for this level of complexity. Two of these tools, ViewPaint and the Dinosaur Input Device (DID), became workhorses on many other films, and were honored with Academy Awards. ViewPaint lets artists paint color and texture directly onto the surface of computer models. Artists used to do this indirectly, by working on an abstract, flattened version of the model, or by using complex mathematical functions. These techniques often work for simple rigid objects, but ViewPaint is especially suited for creature models with large, highly complex colors and textures. By creating a direct link between the artists' painting and the final results, ViewPaint allowed ILM to create highly realistic models.
ViewPaint is fully integrated into ILM's creature animation system, and has been used on nearly every production at ILM since its premier.

Dinausaur Input Device (DID)
The Dinosaur, or Direct, Input Device (DID) was developed for JURASSIC PARK so that traditional animators could work with computer models without learning the arcana of computer animation software. At the time, it was uncertain whether there were enough well-trained computer animators to produce the complex and subtle animation required to make the dinosaurs move realistically. There were, however, many extremely talented, highly experienced animators working with traditional tools. The DID was designed to bridge these two worlds.
Stop-motion animators often work with an armature that they pose for each frame of animation. The DID uses a slightly larger version of this traditional armature, but the angle of each joint is monitored with sensors. The data from these sensors is used to animate an on-screen, computer model.
Originally developed for a single production, the system has become a workhorse in the production of many motion pictures, including STARSHIP TROOPERS and THREE WISHES, and its tracking abilities used in other applications, such as accurate surface digitization and robust capture of full-body motion performances.
Scientific and Engineering Award (Plaque) 1996: For the development of the Viewpaint 3D Paint System for film production work. (w. John Schlag, Zoran Kacic-Alesic and Thomas Williams)
Technical Achievement Award (Certificate) 1996: For the creation and development of the Direct Input Device. (w. Craig Hayes, Rick Sayre & Thomas Williams)
2 Scientific/Technical Awards

	Knep combines art and design with extensive technical skills and production experience. He has worked on a wide range of projects, from large, high-tech interactive environments, to small low-tech toys, and high-end special effects. His work has been shown in the Lowry Centre in Manchester, England, the Haus der Musik in Vienna, Austria, and the M.I.T. Media Lab. Knep was a founder of Nearlife, Inc., where he was lead architect of core technologies. He has also worked as a Senior Software Engineer at Industrial Light & Magic and has been recognized with two Scientific and Technical Academy Awards. For the last several years, Knep has studied at the Radcliffe Ceramics Studio and Avon Glassworks. He has published in academic journals, and graduated with honors from Brown University, where he received his B.S. and M.S. As a Software Developer, his film credits include JURASSIC PARK (1993), THE INDIAN IN THE CUPBOARD (1995) and the 1997 special edition of STAR WARS (1977).
ViewPaint	Steven Speilberg's 1993 film, JURASSIC PARK, demanded dinosaurs that looked and moved realistically. A whole new set of tools was required for this level of complexity. Two of these tools, ViewPaint and the Dinosaur Input Device (DID), became workhorses on many other films, and were honored with Academy Awards. ViewPaint lets artists paint color and texture directly onto the surface of computer models. Artists used to do this indirectly, by working on an abstract, flattened version of the model, or by using complex mathematical functions. These techniques often work for simple rigid objects, but ViewPaint is especially suited for creature models with large, highly complex colors and textures. By creating a direct link between the artists' painting and the final results, ViewPaint allowed ILM to create highly realistic models. ViewPaint is fully integrated into ILM's creature animation system, and has been used on nearly every production at ILM since its premier.
Dinausaur Input Device (DID)	The Dinosaur, or Direct, Input Device (DID) was developed for JURASSIC PARK so that traditional animators could work with computer models without learning the arcana of computer animation software. At the time, it was uncertain whether there were enough well-trained computer animators to produce the complex and subtle animation required to make the dinosaurs move realistically. There were, however, many extremely talented, highly experienced animators working with traditional tools. The DID was designed to bridge these two worlds. Stop-motion animators often work with an armature that they pose for each frame of animation. The DID uses a slightly larger version of this traditional armature, but the angle of each joint is monitored with sensors. The data from these sensors is used to animate an on-screen, computer model. Originally developed for a single production, the system has become a workhorse in the production of many motion pictures, including STARSHIP TROOPERS and THREE WISHES, and its tracking abilities used in other applications, such as accurate surface digitization and robust capture of full-body motion performances. Scientific and Engineering Award (Plaque) 1996: For the development of the Viewpaint 3D Paint System for film production work. (w. John Schlag, Zoran Kacic-Alesic and Thomas Williams) Technical Achievement Award (Certificate) 1996: For the creation and development of the Direct Input Device. (w. Craig Hayes, Rick Sayre & Thomas Williams) 2 Scientific/Technical Awards