The MPEG-4 standard specifies a set of low-level animation parameters for body animation, but does not provide any high-level functionality for the control of avatars or embodied agents. In this paper, we discuss the required features for a script format allowing designers to easily specify complex bodily behaviors, and describe a system and its associated syntax Body Animation Script (BAS) whi...

Several works on film theory and screenwriting practice take up the question of repetition within narrative. However, few if any, have articulated theories about the relationship between the repetition of the words that comprise the screenplay itself and repetition of the themes that lend coherence to the narrative. In this study we address this gap in the screenwriting and film literature. Spe...

In this paper, we present a virtual shadow puppet play application that allows real-time play of the puppet and gives the user the impression of being a storyteller or a shadow play puppeteer. Through this tool, everybody can be a puppeteer digitally regardless of the ability to perform the traditional art.

Image coding standards usually focus on storing and transmitting signals efficiently, in a frame based approach. The coming MPEG-4 standard [1] adds a new challenge, namely bringing new services to image communication users. It moves towards representing a scene as a composition of audiovisual objects rather than "just" a collection of pixels. MPEG-4 objects can be captured naturally by one (or...

We present a facial deformation system that adapts a generic facial rig into different face models. The deformation is based on labels and allows transferring specific facial features between the generic rig and face models. High quality physics-based animation is achieved by combining different deformation methods with our labeling system, which adapts muscles and skeletons from a generic rig ...

Infants' memories are highly specific to their training stimuli; they rarely transfer learned responding. In two experiments, we asked whether sensory preconditioning facilitates the transfer of deferred imitation. In Experiments 1A and 1B, 6-month-olds were simultaneously preexposed to Puppets A and B and then saw target actions modeled on Puppet A. The infants associated the paired puppets an...