A drive through the uncanny valley.

So as I'm sure most of you are aware, there exists a pocket in the creation of cg elements known as the uncanny valley. The best way to describe it is through pictures so take a look at the image below and try to remember what your initial sensory response was.

It's kinda weird isn't it? It's hard to put your finger on what exactly it is about this picture that sets your senses screaming, but whatever it is it's certainly doing a good job. I'm sure others have posted about the uncanny valley before, but seeing as the new fast and furious movie had to have a CG Paul Walker inserted into many of the final film's shots I thought it might be worth it to have a gander at what the modern approach to avoiding the uncanny valley is.
Below are a few shots featuring the Faux Walker:

Fast and Furious 7 was very nearly finished with production before Paul Walker passed away. The studio had already invested too much money in the film so they hired Weta workshop to create a photorealistic CGI duplicate of Paul and use that instead of cutting major scenes. It's a little unsettling knowing that the character you're looking at is not only fake, but also modeled after someone who tragically died during filming.

You can find all of the shots with the Faux Walker in this gallery: http://imgur.com/a/EGj5r also the variety article they linked is a really interesting read if you're at all into VFX. Many of the shots look pretty true to life but there are certainly a few in there that set my uncanny senses off. Have a look and see what you think!

Mark Twain Claymation

Before you watch this video, just know that this is some really creepy claymation. I personally find it really interesting but some people might get kind of bugged out from it. This 5 minute claymation is based off of Mark Twain’s Mysterious Stranger. It’s the story of three characters who meet a strange creature (satan?) who basically points out the flaws of human nature and our society in general. It’s a very dark piece but the animation is amazing. I can’t imagine how long this video took to make. I saw this video one night on adult swim really late at night once, and thought I was dreaming. “Life itself is only a vision, a dream, nothing exists  save empty space and you” is the closing line in this video and directly out of Mark Twains story. Check it out if you're into satan or claymation