By: Daniel Glaser | Brain game: bringing Paddington to life on screen | Daniel Glaser | Neuroscience | The Guardian
How computer generation and our brain’s motor empathy, creates a bear we all love
The Paddington sequel, out this weekend, gives us a second helping of the antics of a fully computer generated lead character. In 1982 there was ET, but he was a puppet so physically existed on set. That was difficult enough, but CGI has other technical challenges. Fur is particularly problematic because of the complicated physics of the reflection of light from such irregular organic surfaces (even more difficult if the fur is covered in marmalade).
Giving the actors something to look at – Paddington will only come into the movie once filming has finished – poses even more problems because the actors must interact with something that isn’t there.
