http://blogs.law.harvard.

edu/preserving/2012/09/24/face-to-face-physiognomy-phrenology/

Facial Action Coding System (FACS) is a system to taxonomy (process of classification or science of
classification) human facial expressions. It is the most widely used and versatile method for measuring and describing
facial behaviors. Paul Ekman and W.V. Friesen developed the original FACS in the 1970s by determining how the
contraction of each facial muscle (singly and in combination with other muscles) changes the appearance of the face. They
examined videotapes of facial behavior to identify the specific changes that occurred with muscular contractions and how
best to differentiate one from another. They associated the appearance changes with the action of muscles that produced
them by studying anatomy, reproducing the appearances, and palpating their faces. Their goal was to create a reliable
means for skilled human scorers to determine the category or categories in which to fit each facial behavior. The FACS
Manual was first published in a loose-leaf version with video or film supplements in 1978. It is a common standard to
systematically categorize the physical expression of emotions, It has proven useful to psychologists, counselors,
government agencies and more.
About PAUL EKMAN ( https://face.paulekman.com/face/default.aspx )

For 32 years, Paul Ekman was a Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California
at San Francisco.
His interests have focused on two separate but related topics. He originally focused on nonverbal behavior, and by the
mid-60s concentrated on the expression and physiology of emotion. His second interest is interpersonal deception.
He did an interview on "face to face" ( http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/people4/Ekman/ekman-con0.html )


Another terminology coming in relation with FACS are Action Units (AUs) and Action Descriptors(ADs). To decode
almost all possibility of facial muscle movement during expression we need FACS, which deconstructing it into the
specific Action Units (AU) and their temporal segments that produced the expression. These FACS measurement units
are Action Units (AUs), not muscles, for two reasons. First, for a few appearances, more than one muscle was combined
into a single AU because the changes in appearance they produced could not be distinguished. Second, the appearance
changes produced by one muscle were sometimes separated into two or more AUs to represent relatively independent
actions of different parts of the muscle. (After all, facial muscles were identified and named by anatomists, not behavioral
psychologists.)

AUs are independent of any interpretation, they can be used for any higher order decision making process including
recognition of basic emotions, or pre-programmed commands for an ambient intelligent environment. To know more
about this AU and AD, you may look for "Dr. Ekmans interpretation". He had describe about the expression and its
meaning. These are very important to understand the agony of patients, those who are unable to express themselves
verbally, or to detect depression and sign of suicidal tendency, or to differentiate criminals and terrorist from a crowd.

FACS defines AUs, which are a contraction or relaxation of one or more muscles. It also defines a number of Action
Descriptors, which differ from AUs. A FACS coder "dissects" an observed expression, decomposing it into the specific
AUs that produced the movement. The scores for a facial expression consist of the list of AUs that produced it. Duration,
intensity, and asymmetry can also be recorded.


Action Units (AUs) are the fundamental actions of individual muscles or groups of muscles.
Action Descriptors (ADs) are unitary movements that may involve the actions of several muscle groups

in a simple language:
FACS can be used to distinguish two types of smiles as follows:

Insincere and voluntary Pan American smile: contraction of zygomatic major alone
Sincere and involuntary Duchenne smile: contraction of zygomatic major and inferior part of orbicularis oculi.
Although the labeling of expressions currently requires trained experts, researchers have had some success in using
computers to automatically identify FACS codes, and thus quickly identify emotions. Computer Graphical (CG) face
models, such as CANDIDE or Artnatomy, allow expressions to be artificially posed by setting the desired action units.

The Facial Action Coding System (FACS) Manual is a detailed, technical guide that explains how to categorize facial
behaviors based on the muscles that produce them, i.e., how muscular action is related to facial appearances. It illustrates
appearance changes of the face using written descriptions, still images, and digital video examples. Behavioral scientists,
CG animators, computer scientists interested in pattern recognition programs, and other technicians and scientists use
FACS in their professional work when they need to know the exact movements that the face can perform, and what
muscles produce them. Working through the exercises of the FACS Manual may also enable greater awareness of and
sensitivity to subtle facial behaviors that could be useful for psychotherapists, interviewers, and other practitioners who
must penetrate deeply into interpersonal communications.

Lateral View of muscle of face


Lateral View of muscle of neck

List of Action Units and Action Descriptors (with underlying facial muscles)

AU Number FACS Name Muscular Basis
0 Neutral Face

1 Inner Brow Raiser Frontalis (pars medialis)
2 Outer Brow Raiser Frontalis (pars lateralis)
4 Brow Lowerer Depressor glabellae, Depressor supercilii, Corrugator supercilii
5 Upper Lid Raiser Levator palpebrae superioris
6 Cheek Raiser Orbicularis oculi (pars orbitalis)
7 Lid Tightener Orbicularis oculi (pars palpebralis)
9 Nose Wrinkler Levator labii superioris alaeque nasi
10 Upper Lip Raiser Levator labii superioris, caput infraorbitalis
11 Nasolabial Deepener Zygomaticus minor
12 Lip Corner Puller Zygomaticus major
13 Sharp Lip Puller Levator anguli oris (also known as Caninus)
14 Dimpler Buccinator
15 Lip Corner Depressor Depressor anguli oris (also known as Triangularis)
16 Lower Lip Depressor Depressor labii inferioris
17 Chin Raiser Mentalis
18 Lip Pucker Incisivii labii superioris and Incisivii labii inferioris
19 Tongue Show

20 Lip Stretcher Risorius w/ platysma
21 Neck Tightener Platysma
22 Lip Funneler Orbicularis oris
23 Lip Tightener Orbicularis oris
24 Lip Pressor Orbicularis oris
25 Lips Part Depressor labii inferioris or relaxation of Mentalis, or Orbicularis oris
26 Jaw Drop Masseter, relaxed Temporalis and internal pterygoid
27 Mouth Stretch Pterygoids, Digastric
28 Lip Suck Orbicularis oris
29 Jaw Thrust

30 Jaw Sideways

31 Jaw Clencher Masseter
32 [Lip] Bite

33 [Cheek] Blow

34 [Cheek] Puff

35 [Cheek] Suck

36 [Tongue] Bulge

37 Lip Wipe

38 Nostril Dilator

39 Nostril Compressor

41 Glabella Lowerer Separate Strand of AU 4
42 Inner Eyebrow Lowerer Separate Strand of AU 4
43 Eyes Closed Relaxation of Levator palpebrae superioris; Orbicularis oculi (pars palpebralis)
44 Eyebrow Gatherer Separate Strand of AU 4
45 Blink Relaxation of Levator palpebrae superioris; Orbicularis oculi (pars palpebralis)
46 Wink Relaxation of Levator palpebrae superioris; Orbicularis oculi (pars palpebralis)



Head Movement Code

AU
Number
FACS Name Action
51 Head Turn Left

52 Head Turn Right

53 Head Up

54 Head Down

55 Head Tilt Left

M55 Head Tilt Left The onset of the symmetrical 14 is immediately preceded or accompanied by a head tilt to the left.
56 Head Tilt Right

M56 Head Tilt Right The onset of the symmetrical 14 is immediately preceded or accompanied by a head tilt to the right.
57 Head Forward

M57
Head Thrust
Forward
The onset of 17+24 is immediately preceded, accompanied, or followed by a head thrust forward.
58 Head Back

M59
Head Shake Up and
Down
The onset of 17+24 is immediately preceded, accompanied, or followed an up-down head shake
(nod).
M60
Head Shake Side to
Side
The onset of 17+24 is immediately preceded, accompanied, or followed by a side to side head
shake.
M83
Head Upward and to
the Side
The onset of the symmetrical 14 is immediately preceded or accompanied by a movement of the
head, upward and turned and/or tilted to either the left or right.






Eye Movement Codes
AU
Number
FACS Name Action
61 Eyes Turn Left

M61 Eyes Left
The onset of the symmetrical 14 is immediately preceded or accompanied by eye movement to the
left.
62 Eyes Turn Right

M62 Eyes Right
The onset of the symmetrical 14 is immediately preceded or accompanied by eye movement to the
right.
63 Eyes Up

65 Eyes Down

65 Walleye

66 Cross-eye

M68
Upward Rolling of
Eyes
The onset of the symmetrical 14 is immediately preceded or accompanied by an upward rolling of
the eyes.
69
Eyes Positioned to
Look at Other Person
The 4, 5, or 7, alone or in combination, occurs while the eye position is fixed on the other person
in the conversation.
M69
Head and/or Eyes
Look at Other Person
The onset of the symmetrical 14 or AUs 4, 5, and 7, alone or in combination, is immediately
preceded or accompanied by a movement of the eyes or of the head and eyes to look at the other
person in the conversation.









Visibility Codes

AU Number FACS Name
70 Brows and forehead not visible
71 Eyes not visible
72 Lower face not visible
73 Entire face not visible
74 Unscorable

Gross Behavior Codes
These codes are reserved for recording information about gross behaviors that may be relevant to the facial actions that
are scored.
AU Number FACS Name
40 Sniff
50 Speech
80 Swallow
81 Chewing
82 Shoulder shrug
84 Head shake back and forth
85 Head nod up and down
91 Flash
92 Partial flash
97 Shiver/Tremble
98 Fast up-down look
Facial expressions

Some common examples of feelings that can be expressed by characters are:







Some more basic expressions of emotions are:
Concentration
Confusion
Desire
Excitement
Empathy
Flirt
Frustration
Glare
Gross
Snarl, mainly involving the levator labii superioris alaeque nasi muscle











The muscles of facial expression for human (Homo sapiens)
Auricularis anterior muscle
Buccinator muscle
Corrugator supercilii muscle
Depressor anguli oris muscle
Depressor labii inferioris muscle
Depressor septi nasi muscle
Frontalis muscle
Levator anguli oris muscle
Levator labii superioris alaeque nasi muscle
Levator labii superioris muscle
Mentalis muscle
Modiolus muscle
Nasalis muscle
Orbicularis oculi muscle
Orbicularis oris muscle
Platysma muscle
Procerus muscle
Risorius muscle
Zygomaticus major muscle
Zygomaticus minor muscle