headed by computer science associate professor Karan Singh of the University of Toronto, created a mathematical formula known as a cord, which is used to represent the physical characteristics of animated curves. The cord was based on a cubic function with uniform parametrization. This cord enables rope-like objects, such as hair, string, or wire, to "behave intuitively" when rendered in animation, preserving "length, elasticity and stiffness". Implemented using Maya, cords could be generated by defining a guide curve, a parametric curve in space, which the software would then follow to create an analytic, continuous shape wrapping around scene geometry. Singh was the software research and development director for the film. The MITACS team also executed all technical scripting and programming for the animation. Characters Although it appears to be live action, all aspects of character movement are rendered animations conceived for the film, and are not based on motion capture. Patrick Louguet and Fabien Maheu state that the characters are brought to life as disembodied, skinned, and broken. The characters have faces that are "dissipated and decimated", representing each individual's personal demons, and temporary protrusions from the head represent emotions. Larkin's character is presented as incomplete and fragile, and is the "most ravaged of all the characters". About half of the facial animation was performed by Landreth, and the other half by the Seneca College students. Character expression and gesture was modelled using straight ahead animation, which was used to avoid the cartoonish style of "one gesture per accent of dialogue" in pose-to-pose animation. Landreth chose this style after having studied anatomy and biomechanics, and a body's expression of emotion, such as finger movements and facial expressions. The expression of Larkin's character changes from nostalgia, joy, anger, anxiety, nervousness, defensiveness, and passivity during the film. The thermos is imbued with character, persistently demanding Larkin's attention, who submits to it compulsively. The settings also exhibit character, morphing at times reflecting the state of mind of the primary characters. Landreth directed the animators to use graph editing rather than the exposure sheets typically used in 2D animation. The latter enable an animator to "break down the individual motions in a character", but Landreth preferred an approach that did not involve characters moving in curves. He wanted the characters to portray realistic motion, which begins with an abrupt twitch for a muscle contraction and must also account for momentum and mass. For example,