In Week 9, I started drafting my research report on the Uncanny Valley and how it impacts animators when creating characters. I focused on the key aspects I wanted to explore: character design, stylisation, technological tools, and balancing creative vision with audience expectations. The first challenge I encountered was narrowing down the vast amount of information available on the topic. There are many examples in film and animation, but it was difficult to decide which ones best illustrated the Uncanny Valley effect.
I tackled this by organizing my findings into sections that addressed specific areas: first, the technical aspects of character design, then the role of stylisation, and finally, how animators balance creativity with realism. This helped me break down the overwhelming amount of information into manageable parts.
Another difficulty I faced was ensuring that I presented my ideas clearly while explaining complex concepts like motion capture and AI in animation. To overcome this, I used simpler language and visual examples to help illustrate my points. I also began to collect case studies from animated films, such as “The Polar Express” and “Avatar,” which clearly demonstrated both successful and unsuccessful uses of hyper-realism in character design.