Academy at Open Source Days/SIGGRAPH 2025
Open Source Days & SIGGRAPH 2025 Recap
ACES took center stage at the Academy Software Foundation (ASWF) Open Source Days during SIGGRAPH 2025, showcasing exciting developments, new collaborations, and insights from industry leaders.
Please enjoy these videos, photos and overviews of event.
Keynote: State of the Foundation
Open Source Days kicked off on Sunday, August 10, with a keynote from David Morin, ASWF Executive Director, and Meredith Shea, Chief Membership, Impact, and Industry Officer at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
They discussed the recent news that ACES has officially joined the Academy Software Foundation as an incubated project, marking a new chapter in its evolution. A new ACES logo was unveiled, and attendees were updated on key Academy initiatives shaping the future of the industry.
Keynote: ACES – Open Source Innovation for Modern Production Workflows
Production Solutions – EMEA, Netflix
Later in the day, Alex Forsythe, Senior Director of Science and Technology at the Academy, presented the definitive history of ACES—tracing its journey from inception through the release of ACES 2.0 and its integration into ASWF.
The keynote featured insights from three significant ACES users: DreamWorks Animation, Netflix, and ILM.
- Jeff Budsberg, Visual Effects Supervisor at DreamWorks Animation, discussed using ACES on The Wild Robot. He shared how ACES enabled Wide Color Gamut workflows and supported a creative vision previously out of reach, while streamlining data interchange throughout the animation pipeline.
- Francesco Luigi Giardiello, Manager of Imaging Technology Production Solutions at Netflix EMEA, explained how ACES meets all their “must-have” requirements for a color-managed workflow. He noted ACES is now integrated into Netflix’s Content Hub Media Production Suite, and more than half of Netflix productions worldwide (2023–2025) have used ACES.
- Jeroen “J.” Schulte, Global Imaging Supervisor at Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), described the use of ACES on titles including The Mandalorian, Andor, The Book of Boba Fett, and many others.
Display Transformers: The Development of ACES 2.0 and Its Implementation on Transformers One
In another featured session, Alex Fry, Senior Colour & Imaging Engineer at ILM, presented the evolution of ACES 2.0 through the lens of an early-adopting film, Transformers One.
The talk covered:
- The conceptual foundations of ACES 2.0
- Technical challenges during development and rollout
- Improvements over ACES 1.0, including reduced visual artifacts and better SDR/HDR consistency
The session highlighted how ACES 2.0’s advancements are pushing the boundaries of cinematic color management and animation.
ACES Birds of a Feather
On Monday, August 11, the ACES “Birds of a Feather” session brought ACES leaders together with an audience primarily made up of ACES users for an open, interactive discussion.
Participants identified eight to ten potential features for future ACES releases, including:
- Support for film inputs
- Localized documentation
- Expanded support for 2D and stop-motion animation
- Troubleshooting tools
As often happens, audience members also revealed several previously undisclosed ACES-color managed titles—including films and video games.
In summary
From the unveiling of a new logo to the deep technical dive into ACES 2.0, Open Source Days at SIGGRAPH 2025 demonstrated ACES’ growing influence across the industry—and its bright future as part of the Academy Software Foundation.
Mark your calendars! On Sunday, August 10 and Monday, August 11, the Academy will be participating in the following panels as part of Academy Software Foundation (ASWF) Open Source Days during SIGGRAPH 2025, held at the Marriott Pinnacle in Vancouver, Canada.
SUNDAY AUGUST 10
ASWF STATE OF THE FOUNDATION
10-10:20AM | MARRIOTT PINNACLE BALLROOM 1 + 2
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS
David Morin Executive Director, Academy Software Foundation
Meredith Shea Chief Membership, Impact, and Industry Officer, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
ACES: OPEN-SOURCE INNOVATION FOR MODERN PRODUCTION WORKFLOWS
3:20-3:40PM PT | MARRIOTT PINNACLE BALLROOM 1 + 2
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS
Alex Forsythe Senior Director, Science and Technology, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Jeff Budsberg Visual Effects Supervisor, DreamWorks Animation
Francesco Luigi Giardiello Manager, Imaging Technology, Production Solutions, EMEA, Netflix
J Shulte Global Imaging Supervisor, ILM
MONDAY, AUGUST 11
BIRDS OF A FEATHER: ACES TECHNICAL AND PROJECT UPDATE
4-4:50PM PT | MARRIOTT PINNACLE BALLROOM 1
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS
Alex Forsythe Senior Director, Science and Technology, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Kevin Wheatley Head of Imaging, Framestore
Rod Bogart Principal Color Scientist, Epic Games
The Open Source Days track on Sunday will also feature case studies of films that have used ACES:
DISPLAY TRANSFORMERS: THE DEVELOPMENT OF ACES 2.0 AND IT’S IMPLEMENTATION ON TRANSFORMERS ONE – Alex Fry, Industrial Light & Magic
LIFE OF COLOR IN PRODUCTION – Shane Smith, DreamWorks Animation (discussion of color for The Wild Robot)
Open Source Days attendance is free but requires registration for the live or streaming
Birds of a Feather is only in person and requires registration to SIGGRAPH conference.