Faces on Screen: New Approaches

The book explores the screen face from various perspectives, including early cinema, contemporary digital media, photogenie, facial recognition, celebrity culture, and digital creatures, examining how screen culture builds on and complicates our urge to search the face for answers to our most intractable questions.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 29 February 2024
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

The task of interpreting facial expressions has become an endless pursuit for humans and machines alike, whether we consider the digitally created and manipulated faces of Hollywood cinema or the social media filters, face apps, and surveillance software of everyday life. Recent controversies surrounding facial expressions, such as politicians in blackface, deep fakes, casting debates, and facial data collection, have highlighted the urgent need for a comprehensive understanding of the face on screen and its diverse techniques and effects. This book aims to explore the screen face from various perspectives, spanning different time periods and media, through a collection of essays covering topics ranging from early cinema to contemporary digital media, from photogenie to facial recognition, celebrity culture to digital creatures. It delves into how screen culture both builds upon and complicates our innate desire to search the face for answers to our most perplexing questions.

Introduction:
In the age of digital media, the face has become an increasingly prominent and complex entity. From the meticulously crafted faces of Hollywood cinema to the filters and apps we use on social media, our interactions with faces have evolved beyond mere recognition. Facial expressions, once considered a window into the soul, have now become a tool for manipulation, expression, and surveillance.

The Digital Face:
The digitally created and manipulated faces of Hollywood cinema have long captivated audiences with their realism and ability to convey emotions. However, these faces are not without their controversies. Blackface, for example, has been used in films to portray characters of African descent, often perpetuating harmful stereotypes and perpetuating racial injustice. Deep fakes, on the other hand, have raised concerns about the authenticity and integrity of visual content, as they can be used to create false narratives and manipulate public opinion.

Face Apps and Surveillance Software:
In our daily lives, we are constantly subjected to surveillance through face recognition software and social media filters. These tools allow us to alter our appearance, hiding blemishes, enhancing features, and even changing our gender. While these technologies can provide a sense of empowerment and self-expression, they also raise concerns about privacy, consent, and the potential for abuse.

Reading Face Language:
As humans, we have a natural inclination to read facial expressions and interpret them as indicators of emotion, intent, and personality. However, the complexity of facial expressions makes this task challenging, and machines are still far from achieving human-level accuracy in facial recognition.

The Screen Face:
The screen face, as it appears on screen, is a complex amalgamation of technology, performance, and visual effects. It encompasses a wide range of expressions, from the subtle nuances of a smile to the dramatic intensity of a frown. The screen face is not just a representation of a person's face; it is also a tool for storytelling, character development, and emotional manipulation.

Perspectives on the Screen Face:
This book will consider the screen face from a variety of perspectives, spanning different time periods and media. We will explore how screen culture builds on and complicates our urge to search the face for answers to our most intractable questions. From early cinema to contemporary digital media, from photogenie to facial recognition, celebrity culture to digital creatures, we will examine the ways in which the screen face has shaped our understanding of identity, representation, and emotion.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, the screen face has become an integral part of our digital and physical lives. Whether we are consuming Hollywood cinema or using social media filters, face apps, or surveillance software, we are constantly engaging with the face in new and innovative ways. However, with this comes a responsibility to understand the complexities of facial expressions and their impact on our society. By exploring the screen face from various perspectives, we can gain a deeper understanding of the ways in which it shapes our lives and work towards creating a more inclusive and equitable digital world.

Weight: 540g
Dimension: 157 x 235 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781474493796