Thursday 31 May 2012

Creature Comforts

Nick Park is famous for his Wallace and Gromit claymation movies.  He also did Chicken Run.  There's a series called "Creature Comforts" which uses the voices of people on the street around which claymation characters are set.

Here's one that includes evolution.


Friday 11 May 2012

The uncanny valley

For human simulations - especially androids - there's a term that's used to describe the creepiness in seeing a mannequin that's recognizably human but falls short:  The Uncanny Valley.  Usually the term describes situations where the automaton is really, really close to being a human and is "wrong" in subtle ways (kind of like that old motion-capture movie, The Polar Express).

This video features original music and the simulation mannequins for medical science students.  I would say they're identifiably "human" and not very close.  But the Uncanny Valley here is going strong.  Suuuuuuper creeeeeepy.


Wednesday 2 May 2012