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    7 Ways Your Face Expresses Emotion

    On Camera Acting Tips
    Article originally posted on Backstage May 4, 2016
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    Facial movements and emotional expressions are like the words you speak. If used arbitrarily, expressed out of context, or delivered with the wrong expression, you run the risk of being seen as untruthful, dishonest, too busy, or even worse...a face actor!
    With shows such as “Lie to Me” and the breakout film “Inside Out,” awareness of what emotions feel and look like on the face is reaching the masses, and proving to be a must-know for all on-camera actors.

    Here’s the first thing you need to know about emotions: Based on the latest scientific research, people anywhere on the planet will recognize surprise, fear, anger, disgust, contempt, happiness, and sadness. They’re considered universal because we’re all hardwired to express each one of these emotions with the same specific facial muscle groups or muscle patterns. For example, anger involves three muscle groups: the brows are pulled down and together, the upper eyelids are raised and/or lower eyelids are tensed, and the lips are tightened.

    Understanding emotions and what they look and feel like on your face is the first step to speaking this emotional facial language. The following is a quick overview of the 7 ways your face expresses emotion, thought, and feeling that will have the biggest impact on your on-camera acting. 

    Macro Expressions 
    Macro expressions are more emotionally intense than other kinds of expressions and often involve your whole face. They are expressed with all the muscle groups of that emotion. For example, the macro expression of anger would involve all three of the muscle groups that I mentioned a moment ago.
    This type of expression appears on your face when you are either unable to manage, or find that there is no need to manage or hide the emotion in any way. When an emotion is expressed in the macro, there is no doubt to the viewer what you’re feeling. 

    Micro Expressions
    These are the fleeting emotional facial expressions. They are expressed with the same muscle groups as the macro, however, they are very quick. Micro expressions can also be seen as “emotional leakage.” Executed correctly, these expressions can give insight to what your character is feeling, but for whatever reason, is trying to conceal. If you were trying to conceal your anger, you may see leakage of it flashing from the mouth, brows, or eyes. 

    Subtle Expressions 
    These expressions occur when you’re just starting to feel an emotion, the emotional response is of lower intensity, or when you’re trying to manage or cover up an intense emotion. The same muscle groups in the macro expression of the emotion will be involved, but expressed with either fewer muscle groups, contraction, expansion, or tension, which makes them smaller. So, the subtle expression of anger may only involve the brows, eyes, or just the mouth. 
    Not all recognizable facial expressions are emotional. Some are cognitive, emblematic, or used to punctuate your words.  

    Cognitive. This refers to thinking. If the task is difficult or perplexing, confusing, or needs increased focus, changes will occur on the face. For example, the brows may pull in and down, or there may be more tension in the eyes as you focus in on something. Perhaps you may press your lips together or jut your jaw out slightly. Since all of these changes can be found in the anger family, this is why you may look angry when all you’re doing is thinking.

    Emblems. These are facial signals that are culturally recognized. They could be anything from a wink of the eye to the quick flicking of the eyebrow as a sign of acknowledgment. When you lift your brows up and hold them, it is an emblem for questioning or doubt.

    Emotional emblems. They look like the facial expression of the emotion, but they’re not. One of the uses of emotional emblems is to share with someone what you felt or will feel about something. For example, you’re telling a friend that you have to see your accountant about taxes. At the end of the sentence, you tense and stretch your lips back and down. You are flashing them the emblem of fear.

    Punctuate. We also use our face to punctuate words in the same way we might use our hands. Lifting your brow or widening your eyes can bring focus to a point you’re making. Unlike emblems, these facial movements are there to comment on what you’re saying. They can add a question mark, exclamation point, quotation marks, or a period to our speech. Over-punctuating your words is the top way to be pegged as a face or eyebrow actor.

    Here’s something to think about. There are three channels of nonverbal emotional communication: body, voice, and face. Stage acting only requires that you have control over two: body and voice, whereas on-camera acting requires that you have all three. 

    It’s having the skill to clearly and authentically speak this emotional facial language that defines you as an on-camera actor. Knowing how your face communicates is the first step to insuring that your emotional messages are read in the way you intend. 


    John Sudol is a bicoastal audition coach, speaker and founder of the Emotion Training Center, and a Backstage Expert. For more information, check out Sudol’s full bio. 

    ​To set up a free 20 minute consultation with John click HERE
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    8 Forms of Nonverbal Communication Actors Must Master

    On Camera Acting Tips
    This post was originally posted in Backstage 3/17/2016   
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    Should nonverbal communication be studied and added to your emotion communication toolbox?
    The answer is an overwhelming yes. Nonverbal communication makes up anywhere from 65–95 percent of our communication. An audition requiring only a reaction from you brings it to 100 percent. Since we are in the communication business, it makes sense that all actors master this nonverbal language. 

    It’s what you’re not saying within the silence that often speaks the loudest. A slight clamping and lifting of the corner of the lip can send a message of contempt or skepticism. The rate of blinking can suggest interest, hostility, or distress. Your scent, what you’re wearing, and your posture are all sending messages and are interpreted by casting. It’s this nonverbal information that differentiates the skilled actor from the unskilled or unprepared. 

    The nonverbal information we send out through our body, voice, face, and appearance is called “nonverbal behaviors.” Nonverbal behaviors spring from our attitudes, cultural upbringing, and are reactions to things we deem to be important to our well-being either in a positive or negative way.
    The following is a quick overview of eight types of unspoken communication and behaviors that you can use as a checklist and reminder for your next audition. 

    1. Your face. The majority of your nonverbal communication will come from your facial expressions. Some facial expressions are just random muscle movement without meaning and only serve to confuse the viewer. However, facial expressions associated with surprise, fear, happiness, sadness, anger, disgust, and contempt are universally recognized. Used appropriately, they inform the viewer what you are feeling at any given moment. Some facial reactions are also used for punctuating words or phrases, such as raising your eyebrows to comment on how big something really was.

    2. Your hands. Movements that express some kind of thought or process of thinking are calledgestures. Some gestures occur with speech, such as using your fingers when counting out loud or perhaps to emphasize a word or phrase. Others, like pointing or waving, are recognizable without words. Gestures are expressed primarily with your hands, however, can occur in the head, body, or even your face. This may include nodding your head “yes,” a shoulder shrug implying that you “don’t know,” or a wink of the eye suggesting “game on.” 

    3. Your voice. Vocal communication separate from the actual words you speak is referred to as paralinguistics. This includes tone of voice, volume, inflection, and pitch. It can also include yawns, laughs, grunts, and pauses. Consider the powerful effect your tone of voice can have on the meaning of a sentence. When said in a strong tone of voice, listeners might interpret approval and enthusiasm. The same words said in a hesitant tone might convey lack of interest or confidence.

    4. Your body. Unlike facial expressions, body language doesn’t tell us what emotion you’re feeling, but rather, how well you’re coping with the emotion felt. Things that we find frightening or distasteful, we tend to move away from. Heavy swallowing or licking your lips, touching your hair or sprawling out on a couch can be signs of stress, interest, or feelings of superiority.

    5. Personal space. The amount of distance we need and the amount of space we perceive as belonging to us is referred to as proxemics. The amount of space you or your character needs is influenced by a number of factors including social norms, situational factors, personality characteristics, and level of familiarity. Just a slight moving in towards your partner, reader, or the camera can enhance intimacy. 

    6. Your eyes. Looking, staring, and blinking, also known as eye gaze, is an important nonverbal cue. When people encounter people or things that they like, the rate of blinking increases and pupils dilate. On the other hand, when angered, the gaze gets harder and the blink rate will decrease or stop completely. An increase in the blink rate for no apparent reason sends a clear message that you are either not prepared, not connected, or experiencing high anxiety.  

    7. Your touch. Communicating through touch is known as haptics. It’s another important nonverbal behavioral cue to think about. Touch can be used to communicate a range of information and feelings such as affection, familiarity, sympathy, desire, etc. 

    8. Your look. The choice of color, clothing, hairstyles, and other factors affecting how you look fall under the category of appearance. Appearance can also alter physiological reactions, judgments, and interpretations. Just think of all the subtle judgments you quickly make about someone based on his or her appearance. The first impression you make in your audition is important and lasting. 

    It’s how you react to an event or situation—your attitude or behavior under certain circumstances—that makes your performance memorable. When chosen and layered appropriately into your audition, any one of these eight nonverbal behaviors can bring more depth, colors, and meaning to your actions, reactions, and the words you speak. 

    READ: Four Ways to Empower Yourself with Non-Verbal Communication

    John Sudol is a bicoastal audition coach, speaker and founder of the Emotion Training Center. He is known to many actors around the world as the “go-to emotion specialist.” Sudol’s expertise is in emotional facial communication, he’s written two books on emotional communication: “Acting: Face to Face,” the actors guide to understanding how your face communicates emotion for TV and film, and “Acting: Face to Face 2,” how to create genuine emotion for the TV and film. 
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    Visit  www.emotiontrainingcenter.com for more information, and follow Sudol on Twitter@johnsudolstudio and Facebook. To schedule a free 20-minute consultation click the link  https://calendly.com/johnsudolstudio/20min.
    October FREE Emotion Training Series available Now!  Click HERE For Instant Access...
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    Celebrated acting and business coach and author John Sudol launches second book.  Hollywood, CA. December 28, 2015.

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    Acting Tip: How to listen and... make your scene pop!

    The key to dynamic and engaging listening will ultimately rest in your understanding and the executing of microexpressions. Microexpressions are quick flashes of strong feeling that you consciously or unconsciously try to suppress. In acting terms we can also call microexpressions “emotional leakage”. 

    Emotional leakage is the result of trying to manage a strong feeling. It’s important to note, you can't manage what you aren't feeling. In other words, you have to create a strong enough emotional life first. 


    In my book, Acting: Face to Face, I challenged the belief “just thinking the thought” will lead you to an expression. I proposed “a thought not connected to a strong enough idea or opinion will never result in a facial expression. However, a facial expression without a thought is an acting lie”.  (Click link to Tweet)

    Listening and reacting authentically and truthfully requires you to have a strong opinion to what you're hearing. What you have to keep in mind is, no opinion — no truthful reaction. Too many opinions and your face becomes too busy. In other words you must have selection and connection. You must carefully select what you choose to react to, build a history that supports why you are reacting to it and connect to that history, bringing it as close to you as it is to your character. Doing this ensures that you’re reacting with the same level of intensity as your character.  It’s what makes you a more dynamic and engaging storyteller.

    Here’s what you need to think about. Unlike life, where we have very little control over what we feel and what we reveal, as an on-camera actor you are the artist. You are creating the emotional experience. This means, you have to make the conscious choice to let what you’re feeling leak out when appropriate to do so. It’s what gives the viewer deeper and greater insight to your character and moves the story along.

    Like I often say to my actors, you can't manage what you haven't created thereby you can’t leak what you don’t feel.  (Click link to Tweet)

    I saw this video and thought what a great example of listening with a strong opinion. Check this video out and see how John Boehner leaks his strong opinions about President Obama and what the President is saying. Watch for leakage of contempt, disgust and irritation. Pay especially close attention to the timing of Boehner’s reactions and how he tries to manage his real feelings with a lot of tongue wagging and cheek rubbing. I think it is simply hysterical and a great learning tool. Can you read his mind?

    Let me hear your thoughts. What’s your most memorable scene where you are captivated by the way an actor is listening? 
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    Why Every Artist Needs To Protect Their Creative Spirit

    Does creativity and suffering have to go together? Does artistry have to end in anguish? These are questions I know I have pondered over the years.  In the video below, Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the book and blockbuster hit "Eat, Pray, Love," delves into the trenches of the creative journey of an artist and explains how to stay one step ahead of the world's perception of "artists".

    She takes us back in time and touches on the "little fairies, trolls and things" assigned to help you on the journey of cultivating and mastering your craft, while also sharing insight as to the fear that so many individuals realize as they are putting their whole heart and being into "the next big project." She is witty, fun and charming, yet straight to the point as she shares her experiences, her passion and her love in giving the world a part of her that has been destined to be shared. 

    So, after viewing this video, here are some things to think about. 

    Are you taking too much responsibility for your success or for your failures? 

    How do you protect yourself from yourself? 

    Finally, how do you protect yourself from those who for one reason or another are unable to handle or get a grip on their own desires or creativity, so instead, they pay way too much attention to yours?

    Share your thoughts - 


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    Why Micro Expressions Should Be in Every On-Camera Actor's Emotion Toolbox...

    On Camera Acting Tips
    If you walk into your next audition and they asked you to go through a series of very small reactions of determination, sadness, concern, determination or even fear, would you know exactly how to create and express them?

    Maybe you've been out on an audition like this. How'd you do? 

    If you understand emotions and how they are expressed, you're probably smiling, because you know that this is exactly the type of audition you nail. If you don’t, then you are more than likely throwing you're hands up in the air in frustration. 

    Sometimes the reactions they are asking for can be so small you barely recognize them as emotions, but they are. These brief emotional releases are known as micro expressions and every actor should have them in their emotional toolbox. 

     “Micro-expressions” are fleeting emotional facial expressions that last between 1/25th and 1/15th of a second. They occur when a person consciously or unconsciously is attempting to cover up a real emotion they are experiencing. 

    For on-camera actors, micro expressions can be seen as “emotional leakage”. They are much too quick and subtle for stage work, however, if done correctly, can bring color and an added dimension to your audition and performance. 

    For an example of what I’m talking about, take a look at this very cool Jaguar commercial to see how advertising is now using micro expressions to sell products.

    It's an excellent example of an upscale brand understanding how to speak to their professional target with a real new, interesting, yet educational message.  Ad-execs, directors, casting, are all counting on actors to have the skill to express the most subtle expressions of emotion.

    The message here is simple. Everyday you are seeing audition notices asking for the actor to have the ability to be good with subtle facial expressions. If you have the skill to reveal real and recognizable emotions from the most subtle to the extreme, you’ve got a shot at booking a spot like the one you will see below.

    Let me know your thoughts...

    To Check out other reactions you should have in your toolbox, check out my last blog.