SMILES : For Animators, Less can be More
Notice the gleaming smile on the woman behind the speakers!
Why do stylized expressions work so well? The whole world laughs along with Mickey Mouse, and grins along with Bugs Bunny and Tweety Bird, even though their faces are visually a long ways from their human counterparts. We immediately and unambiguously identify with their emotions, and relate to them as though they were flesh-and-blood actors. Small children "get it," as well as octogenarians.