Capturing Your Expressions¶

A recording guide for performers.

What this is for¶

The footage you record teaches a model how your face moves. It learns only what you give it — so range, completeness, and clarity in your capture are what decide whether the result looks like a living performance or a stiff approximation. This guide covers how to record that footage well, and ends with the full list of expressions to capture.

Record the complete motion¶

Every expression forms, peaks, and relaxes. Your clip needs all three, with the peak sitting near the middle — not at the very start or the final frame. A clip that cuts off as the smile is still arriving teaches an unfinished smile.

The simplest way to guarantee this: start recording a second or two before you begin the expression, hold the peak briefly, then let it settle before you stop. Record loose; the clean window can be trimmed later. Aim for 2–3 seconds per expression.

Clips for motion, photos for stillness¶

If the expression moves — a laugh, a blink, a head turn, a line of speech — record video. If it's held and still — a resting face, a steady glare — a single sharp photo captures it better. Provide both kinds; together they teach detail and movement.

Frame and light yourself¶

Distance and lens. Don't film your face close-up on a phone's standard lens — it widens the nose and stretches the edges. Step back and zoom in slightly, or use a longer lens, so your proportions stay true.

Framing. Center your face, head-and-shoulders for close work. Keep the background plain and uncluttered. Shoot at the highest resolution you have.

Lighting. Use one soft light placed slightly above and to one side of your face — a window or a diffused lamp works. It should show the shape of your face without harsh shadows. Add something to lift the shadowed side a little, but don't flatten it completely. Avoid colored lighting, light from below, and harsh direct light.

Keep it crisp. Fast moments — a sudden laugh, a flinch, a blink — blur if the camera can't keep up. Record in good light and the frames stay sharp.

Vary the angle¶

A face reads differently from each side. Record your key expressions from more than one viewpoint: straight on, a three-quarter turn, and a full profile, plus the occasional slightly higher or lower camera position. Not every expression needs every angle — just enough variety that your face holds up when it turns.

Perform it real¶

Forced expressions are stiff and too symmetrical; real ones carry small asymmetries and movement. Draw on a real reaction — an actual memory, a genuine prompt — rather than posing the shape of the emotion. Don't hold the peak too long; a frozen peak reads as a mask. Let a breath, a small head shift, or a natural blink happen. Keep one clear expression per clip.

Keep it consistent¶

Use the same camera setup, framing approach, and lighting across your whole set. Record at one frame rate throughout. And spread your coverage evenly — if most of your footage is one emotion, that emotion dominates everything the model produces. Balance is the point.

A quick capture checklist¶

2–3 seconds per clip, peak in the middle, recorded with lead-in and tail
Video for motion, a sharp photo for anything held still
Stepped back with a longer lens — no close-up wide-lens distortion
One soft side-light, gentle fill, no color casts or under-lighting
Plain background, consistent framing, highest resolution available
Multiple angles on your key expressions
Genuine performance, one expression per clip
Even coverage across the full list below

The expression list¶

Record each at two or three intensities where it makes sense — subtle, then fuller — and from more than one angle where you can. Items marked (photo) are usually best as a still.

Happiness¶

Smiles — closed-lip smile, coy/shy smile, flirtatious smile, grin, beaming smile, smug smile, polite social smile, embarrassed smile, genuine (eyes-crinkling) smile

Laughter — giggle, chuckle, belly laugh, guffaw, silent laugh, nervous laugh

Positive states — calm/serene, content, satisfied, relieved, grateful, nostalgic, affectionate, adoring, hopeful, proud, amused, excited, gleeful, triumphant, euphoric

Joyful crying — tears of joy, tears of relief

Sadness¶

Low-mood cues — sad frown, worried frown, pout/sulk, wistful sad smile

Crying (mild → intense) — welling up, trembling chin, holding back tears, single silent tear, sniffling, quiet weeping, whimpering, stoic cry, crying behind hands, sobbing, bawling, ugly crying

Heavy states — disappointment, loneliness, grief, guilt, shame

Fear¶

Unease, nervousness, anxious smile, nervous laugh, dread, startle, cringe/flinch, panic, horror, terror.

Anger¶

Irritation, frustration, indignation, defiance, seething restraint, cold fury, rage — plus an angry frown, a hard glare, flared nostrils, and gritted teeth.

Surprise¶

Mild surprise, eyebrow flash, realization ("aha"), disbelief, shock, awe/wonder, delighted surprise, horror-surprise.

Surprise is brief — let it resolve naturally into whatever comes next.

Disgust¶

Mild distaste, cringe-disgust, revulsion, nausea-disgust, moral disgust — plus a wrinkled nose, a sneer, a grimace.

Contempt¶

Smirk, contemptuous smile, sneer, smugness, scoff, mocking.

Thinking states¶

Interest/curiosity, concentration, pondering, confusion, doubt/skepticism, deciding, recalling, daydreaming.

Physical states¶

Pain — wince, sharp shock of pain, grimace, gritting through it, holding breath against pain, agony.

Fatigue — yawning, rubbing eyes, drowsy, microsleep nod, exhausted, sleeping face (photo).

Other — nausea.

Sympathy/concern, pleading, encouragement, flirtation, shyness, embarrassment, disapproval, mocking, envy, boredom.

Neutral / baseline (photo)¶

Resting face, alert neutral, blank/vacant, poker face, polite mask.

Speech and micro-behavior¶

A passage of natural talking (for mouth movement), natural blinks, gaze shifts (to camera, away, eyes closed), eyebrow raises, slight squints.