Below are examples of research articles from Universities and Medical Organisations around the world that delve into the science and theory behind facial analysis, together with a selection of books, tv and films that you may find interesting.
FACIAL ACTION CODING – FACS
Perhaps the single most influential pioneer in this area is Dr Paul Ekman, who advanced the FACS objective analytical approach.
About Dr Paul Ekman, pioneer of the Facial Action Coding System (FACS). Website Here.
FACS is a systematic method of analysing the muscle movements of the face using objective interpretation to understand emotional reactions. It was developed Carl-Herman Hjortsjö, a Swedish anatomist, and subsequently adopted by Paul Ekman and Wallace V. Friesen, being published in 1978. FACS assesses movement of the 43 individual facial muscles, identifying slight and instant changes in facial appearance. It is a common standard to systematically categorise the physical expression of emotions, and it has proven useful to psychologists and to animators and many businesses where people interaction with prospects and customers is high.
Using FACS, human coders can manually code nearly any anatomically possible facial expression, of which more than 16,500 have been identified. The FACS Manual is over 500 pages in length and analyses facial actions. FACS is used widely in business, in psychology and in situations where gaining insight into people’s true feelings is helpful. FACS has been proposed for use in the analysis of depression, security and the measurement of pain in patients unable to express themselves verbally.
Analysis can be performed through video, assessing frame by frame (15fps) movements to get a detailed understanding. Typically, a one-minute video takes an hour to disassemble and analyse.
Having analysed some 15,000 faces over 10 years, I can generally identify 80% of these movements and their meaning in real-time, which can often be of more practical value.