From: bluefire@well.sf.ca.us (Bob Jacobson)
Subject: CONF: Informal reports on Meckler VR 92, held last week
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 92 00:52:13 -0700


Crossposted from the WELL (192.132.30.2)   vr   conference


Topic 109:  The WELL at Meckler 1992
# 47: Daniel R. Duncan (dunc)      Wed, Sep 30, '92  (01:55)      41 lines
 
 "And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
 slouches toward Bethleham to be borne?"
 
 Somehow, it is all happening.  I can't wait for the proceedings to be
 published, I guess sometime in December.  The talks by everyone were great,
 even to the point of supersaturation.  bluefire's talk, Randy Walser's talk,
 and Gilman Louie's talk all were turn ons.  Oh yeah, and Colonel Satava's
 video of a surgical needle being threaded by telepresence brought down the
 house.  Neat stuff.
 
 But to underscore bluefire's critique about "What's it all for?" Gilman
 Louie's talk about using a cinema production model was a good definition
 for VR development.  He said that too much is done from the standpoint of
 neato hardware that enthusiastic programmers hack into pyrotechnics, and
 then someone designs a package and it goes to market.  Louie proposed that
 TEAMS begin to PLAN products for USERS, much as Hollywood uses writers,
 producers and directors as well as camerapersons and film editors to produce
 films.
 
 I reminded me of something that Ted Nelson said at last year's Meckler
 conference, something like the following: "There are actors, producers, and
 directors.  The actor says 'I want to do this scene.'  The producer says, 'I
 want to do this scene with in this way to produce this effect with these
 production values.'  And the director says, 'I want to do this scene with
 whatever tools are available to get it done.'"
 
 After thinking about this off and on for a year, I have come to the
 constatation that ALL THREE voices are necessary AT THE SAME TIME, to
 produce any lasting value.  And furthermore, ALL THREE VOICES ARE IN ME, or
 in whoever takes responsibility in the creative team.  Hopefully, each team
 member will share this vision of the multiplicity of focii needed to move
 ahead.
 
 Kind of like what Randy Walser said about the need for diversity, even the
 need for "diversity of standards." (sic)
 
 In any case, Meckler as producer deserves a lot of credit for supporting
 this conference.  But for my money, it is Sandra Helsel (san@well) who
 deserves kudos for lining up the speakers and topics and setting the tone
 for what has become the premier VR show.
 
 				*     *     *
 
Topic 109:  The WELL at Meckler 1992
# 50: DAVID BLACKBURN (breeder)      Wed, Sep 30, '92  (23:46)      16 lines
 
 Had a great time at the Meckler Show. It probably was the largest collection
 of working head mounts and LCD shutter lenses ever gathered in one place for
 demos. SGI's Reality Engine rendering images modeled with Multi-Gen was thge
 most impressive product displayed.

 Digital Image Design displayed an innovative 3D input device which should
 aid artists in sprucing up Virtual Environments. The product is called the
 Handle and I had a lot of fun playing with it in combination with
 Stereographics LCD Shutter Lenses.

 I was also glad that I finally got to see D'Cuckoo perform at the DNA Lounge
 in SF on Friday Evening. About a dozen people from the Meckler Conference
 were at the show, thanks to great directions from Linda Jacobson. If you
 haven't seen D'Cuckoo perform, they come highly recommended. They are
 pushing the digital envelope for live performances, and they appear to be
 the first band whose most appropriate medium for distribution would be
 CD-ROM.