Working on J.D. Shields’ Blue Hour, our primary mission was to pull a baby doll out of the “uncanny valley”. We added life through micro-animations — subtle chest rises to simulate breathing and delicate mouth movements. To move past the doll’s inherent plastic look, we re-worked the specular highlights to match the film’s organic texture and added some “digital love” to the nostrils and skin surfaces. The goal was for the audience to stop seeing a prop and start seeing a character.