Why Speaking the Language of the Face is Different from Reading It

Most of us understand this language, when we see it. Without saying a word, most of us are able to pick up facial cues from others that tell us if they’re upset or frightened or feeling sad. This is why it looks like good film and TV actors are doing so little, yet you know what they feel and think.

But reading and speaking it are two different things. Like any other language, if we give a certain word more emphasis or the wrong inflection or use the wrong word, it is very difficult to be understood.

So often in film and television, we see these beautiful subtle moments – with a subtle change in the face we know they have taken in new information. Without any words spoken, we know all this, this is how the Language the Face speaks. When you speak this language clearly it looks like life. The more skilled you are, the easier it looks. In fact, it looks like you aren’t doing anything. So most actors fall into the belief that film acting is about doing nothing, which couldn’t be further from the truth...