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Usenet Posted 18 years ago
Screenwriting
Motion capture and the "uncanny valley"
So I was just watching a short video segment about this concept known as the "Uncanny Valley."
It's something that was proposed some time ago in relation to the development of human-like robots.
The thinking at the time was that robots would develop, eventually from strictly industrial devices, over time, into progressively more anthropomorphic forms until, ultimately, we'd be able to build robots that would be indistinguishable from living human beings and that as our ability to do that progressed, that humans would find robots progressively more acceptable that they be more integrated into human society as they became more human-like in appearance.
But one person said that this would not be the case that robots would reach a certain point, in their physical appearance, when they would approach human beings but would be "not quite human" and when they reached that point, human beings would find that appearance to be disturbing that such things would be creepy-looking and that far from being more acceptable from the less-human-looking robots, they would actually be much less acceptable.
So in charting the "level of social acceptability" of robots, he predicted that they would hit this valley this drop-off point which he described as the "uncanny valley" a point where we would find the appearance of these semi-human robots to be uncanny creepy- looking, and we wouldn't like to have them around that is, until they made the technological leap and became essentially fully human in appearance.
And in listening to this, it suddenly struck me this is exactly true of these "motion capture" video movies like Polar Express and Beowolf that they have brought these on-screen characters close to human but NOT human that they have fallen into that "uncanny valley" that they really just look creepy.
You watch those movies and watch them and it's just like watching some really sophisticated animatronic "thing" like a waxwork brought to life.
Something much less "real" like the style of "The Incredibles" no problem. Live action movie no problem. But those things that are much closer to real than other CGI animated movies and yet not real they seem to just constantly hammer on you something's wrong, it's not natural, it's not right.
And it's exactly that it's the "uncanny valley."
NMS
It's something that was proposed some time ago in relation to the development of human-like robots.
The thinking at the time was that robots would develop, eventually from strictly industrial devices, over time, into progressively more anthropomorphic forms until, ultimately, we'd be able to build robots that would be indistinguishable from living human beings and that as our ability to do that progressed, that humans would find robots progressively more acceptable that they be more integrated into human society as they became more human-like in appearance.
But one person said that this would not be the case that robots would reach a certain point, in their physical appearance, when they would approach human beings but would be "not quite human" and when they reached that point, human beings would find that appearance to be disturbing that such things would be creepy-looking and that far from being more acceptable from the less-human-looking robots, they would actually be much less acceptable.
So in charting the "level of social acceptability" of robots, he predicted that they would hit this valley this drop-off point which he described as the "uncanny valley" a point where we would find the appearance of these semi-human robots to be uncanny creepy- looking, and we wouldn't like to have them around that is, until they made the technological leap and became essentially fully human in appearance.
And in listening to this, it suddenly struck me this is exactly true of these "motion capture" video movies like Polar Express and Beowolf that they have brought these on-screen characters close to human but NOT human that they have fallen into that "uncanny valley" that they really just look creepy.
You watch those movies and watch them and it's just like watching some really sophisticated animatronic "thing" like a waxwork brought to life.
Something much less "real" like the style of "The Incredibles" no problem. Live action movie no problem. But those things that are much closer to real than other CGI animated movies and yet not real they seem to just constantly hammer on you something's wrong, it's not natural, it's not right.
And it's exactly that it's the "uncanny valley."
NMS
Top answer
" It's something that ... you something's wrong, it's not natural, it's not right. " NMS[/nq] I think you're exactly right.
- " It's something that ...
- you something's wrong, it's not natural, it's not right.
- " NMS[/nq] I think you're exactly right.
- A more conspiracy minded person might think that the rampant use of botox among the aging stars might be a subtle way of getting us to except the initial attempts at animating the major stars.
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14 Answers
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[nq:1]So I was just watching a short video segment about this concept known as the "Uncanny Valley." It's something that ... you something's wrong, it's not natural, it's not right. And it's exactly that it's the "uncanny valley." NMS[/nq]
I think you're exactly right.
A more conspiracy minded person might think that the rampant use of botox among the aging stars might be a subtle way of g
I think you're exactly right.
A more conspiracy minded person might think that the rampant use of botox among the aging stars might be a subtle way of g
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[nq:1]And in listening to this, it suddenly struck me this is exactly true of these "motion capture" video movies ... on you something's wrong, it's not natural, it's not right. And it's exactly that it's the "uncanny valley."[/nq]
I love the movie "Monster House", but it must be because it's more 'cartoony' than "The Polar Express" which looks too creepy for words. But, is "Beowulf" motion ca
I love the movie "Monster House", but it must be because it's more 'cartoony' than "The Polar Express" which looks too creepy for words. But, is "Beowulf" motion ca
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[nq:2]And in listening to this, it suddenly struck me ... they have brought these on-screen characters close to human [/nq]
[nq:1]I love the movie "Monster House", but it must be because it's more 'cartoony' than "The Polar Express" which looks ... characters than Gollum, too. The Peripatetic Samurai Robot - Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text -[/nq]
I think that Gollum doesn't trigger
[nq:1]I love the movie "Monster House", but it must be because it's more 'cartoony' than "The Polar Express" which looks ... characters than Gollum, too. The Peripatetic Samurai Robot - Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text -[/nq]
I think that Gollum doesn't trigger
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[nq:1]So I was just watching a short video segment about this concept known as the "Uncanny Valley." It's something that ... capture" video movies like Polar Express and Beowolf that they have brought these on-screen characters close to human [/nq]
It's in the eyes. Or I should say it's not in the eyes.
They're like golems.
Technically, they can get the eyes down perfect, but they
It's in the eyes. Or I should say it's not in the eyes.
They're like golems.
Technically, they can get the eyes down perfect, but they
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[nq:2]So I was just watching a short video segment about ... right. And it's exactly that it's the "uncanny valley."[/nq]
[nq:1]It's in the eyes. Or I should say it's not in the eyes. They're like golems. Technically, they can get the eyes down perfect, but they can't put life into them.[/nq]
In paintings, you put little dots of white onto the pupils to give them the spark of life. And whe
[nq:1]It's in the eyes. Or I should say it's not in the eyes. They're like golems. Technically, they can get the eyes down perfect, but they can't put life into them.[/nq]
In paintings, you put little dots of white onto the pupils to give them the spark of life. And whe
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[nq:1]Something much less "real" like the style of "The Incredibles" no problem. Live action movie no problem. ... on you something's wrong, it's not natural, it's not right. And it's exactly that it's the "uncanny valley."[/nq]
Yep. Same with the "Final Fantasy" movie, although it's not quite as noticeable there because the movie was supposed to be dark and creepy.
RonB
"There's
Yep. Same with the "Final Fantasy" movie, although it's not quite as noticeable there because the movie was supposed to be dark and creepy.
RonB
"There's
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[nq:1]So I was just watching a short video segment about this concept known as the "Uncanny Valley." It's something that ... you something's wrong, it's not natural, it's not right. And it's exactly that it's the "uncanny valley." NMS[/nq]
There's something unsettling about this robot too. Though I do find myself feeling bad for it when it stumbles.
There's something unsettling about this robot too. Though I do find myself feeling bad for it when it stumbles.
00
[nq:2]So I was just watching a short video segment about ... they have brought these on-screen characters close to human [/nq]
[nq:1]There's something unsettling about this robot too. Though I do find myself feeling bad for it when it stumbles.
[nq:1]There's something unsettling about this robot too. Though I do find myself feeling bad for it when it stumbles.
00
[nq:1]It's in the eyes. Or I should say it's not in the eyes. They're like golems. Technically, they can get the eyes down perfect, but they can't put life into them.[/nq]
But that's just it, Gollum's eyes were far more lifelike that the PolExp characters. That's what made him so evocative. You could care that Gollum was a guilt-ridden, raging lunatic, but you just want to puke looking into To
But that's just it, Gollum's eyes were far more lifelike that the PolExp characters. That's what made him so evocative. You could care that Gollum was a guilt-ridden, raging lunatic, but you just want to puke looking into To
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[nq:1]There's something unsettling about this robot too. Though I do find myself feeling bad for it when it stumbles.
That is too eerie.
That is too eerie.
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