Learning Hub

FACS & Facial Expression Learning Hub

A curated selection of free or for-purchase courses and resources on FACS (Facial Action Coding System), facial expressions, facial anatomy, and lipsync. Explore at your own pace and deepen your understanding of the nuances of human expression.

Online Courses

FACS Cram Session (LIVE course)

2-hour online intensive on FACS fundamentals. 300+ slides of highly visual content filled with GIF references, image examples, and anatomy diagrams. Built for artists and researchers in facial animation and AI.

The next live course will be hosted August 22, 2026.

All About Lipsync (On-demand course)

2-hour intensive on lipsync fundamentals for automated, manual, and hybrid speech systems. 300+ slides of linguistic foundations, GIF references, FACS-for-lipsync formulas, and decision strategies. Built for artists and researchers in facial animation and AI.

Free Cheat Sheets

FACS Cheat Sheet

Expression references of Facial Action Coding System movements and beyond.

Viseme Cheat Sheet

Phoneme/viseme references for lipsync study.

ARKit to FACS Cheat Sheeet

Decode ARKit face shapes and how they translate into FACS(ish) here.

Chimpanzee FACS & More

Discover how much we have in common with chimpanzee facial expressions and FACS here.

FACS Image Library

Photo references of Facial Action Coding System action unit study.

Free Articles & Posts

side-by-side of chimpanzee and woman upper face area showing brow raise differences

Chimpanzee vs. Human Expressions, Part II

illustrated diagram of a chimpanzee and its brow ridge

Chimpanzee vs. Human Facial Expressions, Part I

Animation Tips For Smiles

felt and unfelt smile poll - authentic - genuine - inauthentic

“It’s All In the Eyes” and Other Lies: A Critique On Contemporary Emotion Research

Premium Reference Libraries & Guides

FACS Video Edition

FACS Study Guide

Emotion Videos

ARKit to FACS Guide

Premium Educational Posts

woman raising her top lips with drawovers

Nasolabial Furrow Deepener vs. Upper Lip Raiser

color of emotion - mapping hotspots - sadness - sadness blushing - blood flow

Colors of Sadness

zygomaticus major dimple

Leveraging Facial Muscle Variation

bifid zygomaticus major

Zygomaticus Major Variations & the Dimple

"Melinda Ozel's resources on face anatomy, motion, and FACS are industry standard. During my time working on The Last of Us Part II (and other unannounced Playstation titles) I referred to it almost exclusively on a regular basis. The free material is great but the pay material is worth the cost."
Eric Drobile | Technical Animator

"For most people learning traditional FACS is not feasible. It requires very costly specialized degrees and years long commitment. And the half century old research with fuzzy photos was not made for artists. What Melinda has done for our industry is take the dense scientific information and streamlined it into very easy to digest entries and videos catered to artists."
Paul Liaw | Principal Character Artist

"I've been working as a Facial Blendshape Artist across film and gaming and have watched the quality of my work improve exponentially since I've had access to this wealth of knowledge that Melinda has so thoughtfully put together. Her documentation is clear, appealing, and comprehensive. If Paul Ekman is the father of FACS, Melinda has become the cool aunt."
Ioana Alexandra Pirvu | Lead Artist: Blendshapes @ Rockstar Games

"Face the FACS in my opinion is bar-none, the best resource out there for any artist and company dealing with facial animation. The way in which Melinda delivers knowledge is detailed, but fun and compelling enough to make you want to keep learning. For a topic that could have easily been boring, she inspired me to keep learning."
Giovanni Nakpil | Senior Creative 3D Evangelist @ Adobe

"If you're doing AU's (action units), this is the site you're going to need to bookmark. Melinda has gone above and beyond to create what I feel is the ultimate resource guide for AU's. Each AU explained, annotated and demonstrated with extreme clarity. You'll experience plenty of "aha!!" moments using Melinda's work as your guide!"
Frank Gravatt | Facial Modeler @ Cloud Chamber