It's All in the Eyes

Although digital technology is growing more sophisticated, 3D artists still struggle to create believable depth within their characters. As 3d becomes more realistic and complex, do the characters lose their general/universal appeal? Can the problem be fixed by increasing technology and motion capture abilities?

Charlie Brown only has two dots for eyes.


Polar Express and the Uncanny Valley


Adam Baroody , a character animator and technical director, addresses these issues on his webpage. He believes that the eyes are the window to the soul; therefore they need more attention in order to convey life. In the past animators have spent most of their time on gesture and movement but haven't devoted as much time to studying the eyeball and how it moves (when they're sad, how tears form, etc...). Any thoughts?

*UPDATE*
Thomas Kang answers these questions during our panel: