Uncanny Valley - Building Fear, Part 1

        The uncanny valley is a concept first introduced in the 1970s by Masahiro Mori at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Mori realized that as robots appear more humanlike, they become more appealing—but only up to a certain point. When the robots look very nearly human, they enter the "uncanny valley".

        Affinity descends into a feeling of strangeness, a sense of unease, and a tendency to be scared or freaked out.

        This isn't just applicable to robots though.  Ever see the dead-eyed zombies populating The Polar Express movie from 2004? Those kids reside firmly at the bottom of the uncanny valley.

            Anything that is almost but not quite real might make people feel uncomfortable.  I think that's why stone-faced children are so creepy.  We expect them to be more vivacious.  When they act solemn and "adult", it seems just not...right.

            This seems exactly the place to keep our haunt visitors!  Creeped out by things that are familiar but Not. Quite.  Right.

            

Happy Halloween!