FACS (Facial Action Coding System) Photo References

Neutral and target expression poses for the Facial Action Coding System (FACS).

Animated GIFs available here: FACS Cheat Sheet

Neutral Pose

FACS Action Unit

left column: woman in neutral face; right column: woman lifting her inner brow tips
AU2 - outer brow raiser static image
AU4 - brow lowerer
AU5 - upper lid raiser GIF
AU6 - cheek raiser - Melinda Ozel - Face the FACS
AU7 - lid tightener - Melinda Ozel - Face the FACS - blendshape - blendshapes - blend shape - blend shapes - FACS - Facial Action Coding System
AU8 - lips toward each other - howler mouth - blendshape - blendshapes - blend shape - blend shapes - FACS - Facial Action Coding System

NOTE: I have temporarily removed “Howler Mouth.” Determining the best way to break it down that isn’t redundant to shapes like “vertical lip tightener.”

AU9 - nose wrinkler - levator labii superioris alaeque nasi - Melinda Ozel - Face the FACS
AU10 - upper lip raiser - levator labii superioris - caput infraorbitalis - disgust expressions - - Melinda Ozel - Face the FACS
AU11 - nasolabial furrow deepener - zygomaticus minor muscle - - blendshape - blendshapes - blend shape - blend shapes - FACS - Facial Action Coding System
AU12 - lip corner puller - zygomaticus major
AU13 - sharp lip puller - levator anguli oris
AU14 -dimpler- buccinator
AU14 -dimpler- buccinator - z - axis

NOTE: I have coined two differentiations of the dimpler action: y-axis dimpler and z-axis dimpler. I have done so, because the existing FACS facial actions do not effectively encompass the depth of expression possible to achieve from the buccinator muscle (the muscle behind AU14).

There are two types of dimplers that I have observed:

1) y-axis dimpler – involving outer portions of the lip corners compressing against each other in a vertical plane
2) z-axis dimpler – involving the inner mouth portions of the lip corners pushing against the teeth and inner cheeks

AU15 - lip corner depressor -depressor anguli oris
AU16 - lower lip depressor
AU16 - lower lip depressor
AU17 - chin raiser - mentalis
AU18 - lip pucker - incisivus labii superioris and incisivus labii inferioris muscles - Facial Action Coding System

AD19 - tongue show

AD19 - tongue show - FACS - Facial Action Coding System

AD = action descriptor

AU20 - lip stretcher - risorius - Facial Action Coding System - FACS - blendshape - blendshapes - blend shape - blend shapes
AU21 - neck tightener - Facial Action Coding System - FACS - blendshape - blendshapes - blend shape - blend shapes
AU22 - lip funneler - FACS
woman performing FACS-based lip tightener expression
AU23 - vertical lip tightener - orbicularis oris

NOTE: Vertical lip tightener is not an official FACS shape. I have created this sub-action unit in order to further break down orbicularis oris movements. See more here.

AU24 - lip presser - orbicularis oris
AU25 - lips part - Facial Action Coding System
AU26 - jaw drop - Facial Action Coding System
AU27 - mouth stretch - Facial Action Coding System digastrics and pterygoids
AU28 - lips suck -Facial Action Coding System - FACS - action unit - orbicularis oris
AU46 - wink - orbicularis oculi - Facial Action Coding System - FACS - blendshape - blendshapes - blend shape - blend shapes
AU45 - blink - orbicularis oculi - Facial Action Coding System - FACS - blendshape - blendshapes - blend shape - blend shapes

How to Cite This Page

APA:
Ozel, M. (2020, September). FACS (Facial Action Coding System) Photo References. Face the FACS. https://melindaozel.com/facs-lite-still-fast/

BibTeX:

@misc{ozel2020facslite,
  author = {Ozel, Melinda},
  title = {FACS (Facial Action Coding System) Photo References},
  year = {2020},
  month = sep,
  howpublished = {\url{https://melindaozel.com/facs-lite-still-fast/}}
}

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