Welcome to CGI Friday, where I feature cool projects heavily reliant on computer generated imagery. This week, I'm very pleased to present a true gem of a sci-fi short film!
I have to admit, I wasn't very impressed with the title at first... "Uncanny Valley"? WTF?! Is someone trying to make a bad rhyme...? But then, I looked into what it actually means, and it makes perfect sense.
Wikipedia defines it as: "The uncanny valley is a hypothesis in the field of aesthetics which holds that when features look and move almost, but not exactly, like natural beings, it causes a response of revulsion among some observers. The "valley" refers to the dip in a graph of the comfort level of beings as subjects move toward a healthy, natural likeness described in a function of a subject's aesthetic acceptability. Examples can be found in the fields of robotics and 3D computer animation, among others".
There's actually a really good video that explains the concept HERE, if you're interested...
So, how does this relate to the film? In a tech addicted world where peoples' reality can be totally consumed by computer generated make-believe, how easy would it be to manipulate them? So close to reality... but when it's distinguishable from the real thing, how repulsive it becomes! This film is not only packed with great CGI and a captivating plot, it also makes a social commentary that is extremely relevant. After all, kids can fly drones like they're playing a video game, right?
Cool Ass™ TV is proud to present "Uncanny Valley" as the feature this week. Check it out - I promise you'll enjoy every second of it. CGIF!!