UNCANNY VALLEY [short film]

3DAR’s latest short film explores the frightening potential of our next technological revolution — virtual reality; its ramifications and exploitation of fantasies and behaviour.

In the slums of the future, virtual reality junkies satisfy their violent impulses in online entertainment. An expert player discovers that the line between games and reality is starting to fade away.

Interesting concept. Well executed. Good twist. Great title too, as ‘uncanny valley’ is a term used to describe computer generated humanoid characters that although they may resemble people, they just look intuitively wrong. The concept was identified by the robotics professor Masahiro Mori as Bukimi no Tani Genshō (不気味の谷現象) in 1970.

used in reference to the phenomenon whereby a computer-generated figure or humanoid robot bearing a near-identical resemblance to a human being arouses a sense of unease or revulsion in the person viewing it. “anyone attempting to build a believable human facsimile also has to beware of the uncanny valley.”

Uncanny Valley director Federico Heller is already shopping a feature version of the idea which will be part of a massive multi-media experience including a VR game on Oculus Rift, with the help of INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE writer Carter Blanchard who took it under his wing after it blew him away.

If you liked that you may be interested to hear about an upcoming feature film THE CALL UP that takes on a similar premise, whereby gamers are faced with real-world life or death consequences within a virtual space:

A group of online gamers are invited to trial a state-of-the-art virtual reality simulation.