Lectures & Training Services
Where to Learn FACS & Facial Anatomy
Need to upskill yourself or your team in the Facial action Coding System (FACS), lip sync, or facial anatomy? I offer a series of courses designed for any level of artist (in animation modeling, rigging, etc.) or researcher (in tracking, behavior, emotion, AI, etc.) looking to gain a deeper understanding of how facial expressions work.
Each class provides a different level of depth, allowing you to choose how much time to invest. From two-hour FACS trainings to lip sync courses and multi-day workshops, my courses are flexible and industry agnostic.
My most frequent clients are studios starting up FACS-based pipelines, getting into lipsync technology, or refining their existing facial animation pipelines. I’ve worked with a range of companies from AAA gaming studios to large tech firms, startups, and small indie teams.
Trusted By
Course Offerings
From FACS and facial anatomy to linguistic foundations of speech animation, my courses are designed to help you:
- Align your team with foundational knowledge
- Unify animation, modeling, and rigging with a common language
- Unlearn common misconceptions
- Develop richer characters through style-agnostic approaches
- Discover new ways to build expressive faces
The following is a list of existing courses. If you’re looking for something more specific, speciality lectures can be built upon request. Shoot me an email for custom lectures – facetheFACS@melindaozel.com
Just the FACS
FACS Cram Session
A 2-hour standalone lesson on basic FACS shapes, and corresponding anatomy.
Fast Track to FACS+
Multiple lectures with a deeper look into FACS, combo shapes, and beyond.
Next Level FACS + Facial Diversity
Multiple lectures on complex anatomical structures, facial variation, and how FACS plays into it all.
Lip Sync and Beyond
All About Lipsync
A 2-hour standalone lesson on phonemes, visemes, and how to tackle lip sync.
Specialty Subjects by Request
If it's about the face, we can make it happen. I have tons of bespoke content waiting
About Me
Hi! I’m Melinda, a consultant and educator on all things face-related. I specialize in facial expressions, FACS (Facial Action Coding System), and facial anatomy. My background in faces originated in academia, migrated to tech, and now lives in the space between art, science, and technology.
I apply my expression expertise to a range of industries (film, game, tech, etc.) and products/media (Emoji, AR/VR face tracking, AAA game characters, photoreal animals, AI, deepfake technologies, etc.). If it has a face, you’re in the right place.
Explore my multidisciplinary project history.
Film & 3D Characters
- Here – AI Facial Expression Consultant with Metaphysic (film, credited)
- Watch the Skies – AI-based Lipsync Expert (film, credited)
- Jane, Apple+ TV – Primate Expression Consultant (show, credited)
- Gigi & Nate – Primate Expression Consultant (film, uncredited)
- Notorious B.I.G. HyperModel by Hyperreal – Expression Researcher
VR & Face Tracking Tech
- Meta Quest Pro, face tracking – Expression Researcher & Expression Data Specialist
- System and method for applying an expression to an avatar (patent 10970907) – Co-inventor
- Systems and methods for improving animation of computer-generated avatars (patent 11270487) – Co-inventor
- Systems and methods for improving animation of computer-generated avatars (patent 11468616) – Co-inventor
- Oculus LipSync – Expression Researcher
Product Design
- Facebook Care reaction – Emoji Expression Consultant
- Facebook Emoji Sets – Emoji Expression Consultant
- Facebook Newsfeed Reactions – Emoji Expression Consultant
- Facebook Feeling/Activity – Emoji Expression Consultant
Testimonials
Mark Flanagan
Animation Education & Training Manager
Workshops with Epic Games & Netflix
I’ve had the great privilege of working with Melinda at my last 2 companies, Netflix and Epic Games. I have no hesitation in recommending her to anyone wanting to increase their knowledge, understanding, and application of facial expressions, in particular FACS (Facial Action Coding System).
There is simply no expert in the subject who I know of with more passion, dedication and intellectual curiosity. She combines this with a talent for teaching, and a gift for explaining via personal demonstration. Whether as a consultant, or a lecturer the value that she brings to any company or project is extraordinary, and I’m certain that I will be working with her again in the future. If you need to know about FACS, she is the number 1 “Goto” person in the world!
Shannon Thomas
Artist Supervisor
Workshops with Blizzard
Melinda Ozel’s knowledge of FACS is exceptional, and her classes are the best I’ve ever seen on this subject. Where she truly excels is the level at which she understands facial anatomy and expressions, how and why each shape fires, combines or breaks, but also what tone or emotion they are to convey.
Of all the the classes I’ve seen on this subject none have ever married the technical aspects with this level of artistic execution, nor explained it so clearly, enthusiastically and thoroughly as Melinda has. From the beginner level all the way to the most senior artists, I’ve witnessed everyone learn and improve from her detailed instruction. If you are seeking to learn or level up your team, I cannot recommend her enough.
Josh Dicarlo
Character Technology Director
Workshop with Insomniac Games
I’ve had the privilege of hosting one of Melinda’s Studio talks for our character development teams at Insomniac Games and I can assure you will not be disappointed! Her talks are jam packed with goods for both the novice and the professional. Highly recommend checking this out.
Whether you’re an animator trying to craft more believable performance, a character artist or TD trying to create more plausible characters or rigs, an ML engineer trying to qualitatively evaluate your research against its anatomical basis, or a supervisor / director trying to help your team squeeze every last bit of realism out of an on screen performance – there is something in this talk for you.
Holly Price
Character TD
Workshop with undisclosed studio
Melinda joined us for an incredible 2-hour FACS Cram session last month and it was one of the most informative training sessions I have ever attended! Melinda is highly skilled at presenting potentially complex information in an engaging and clear manner. Our team were left feeling educated and excited to delve deeper into FACS!
I can’t recommend Melinda’s presentation services, or plethora of exhaustive and in-depth information on her website highly enough. Don’t hesitate to contact Melinda if you are looking for any FACS training – she is an absolute pleasure to work with and a huge asset to any team education!