FACE ANIMATION SYNTHESIS

A methodology for training a machine learning model to generate color-neutral input face images is described. For each training face image from a training dataset that is used for training the model, the training system generates an input face image, which has the color and lighting of a randomly selected image from the set of color source images, and which has facial features and expression of a face object from the training face image. Because, during training, the machine learning model is "confused" by changing the color and lighting of a training face image to a randomly selected different color and lighting, the trained machine learning model generates a color neutral embedding representing facial features from the training face image.