ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the capacity for animated fantasy films to elicit emotions as a key way of engaging with the relationship between medium and genre. It focuses on the role of the animated face as a key vessel that illustrates animation's ability to blur the borders between realism and artificiality to elicit empathic reactions in viewers. The chapter also examines the different manifestations of the baby schemata in the faces and facial expressions of animated fantasy characters. It examines the potential effects of the different manifestations of faces and facial expressions for the character – spectator relationship using a cognitive studies approach that discusses perceived (emotional) proximity to, and empathy for, film characters. The chapter discusses the representation and effects of baby schemata in animated fantasy films.
