The USC CreativeIT database of multimodal dyadic interactions: from speech and full body motion capture to continuous emotional annotations

Abstract

Improvised acting is a viable technique to study expressive human communication and to shed light into actors’ creativity. The USC CreativeIT database provides a novel, freely-available multimodal resource for the study of theatrical improvisation and rich expressive human behavior (speech and body language) in dyadic interactions. The theoretical design of the database is based on the well-established improvisation technique of Active Analysis in order to provide naturally induced affective and expressive, goal-driven interactions. This database contains dyadic theatrical improvisations performed by 16 actors, providing detailed full body motion capture data and audio data of each participant in an interaction. The carefully engineered data collection, the improvisation design to elicit natural emotions and expressive speech and body language, as well as the well-developed annotation processes provide a gateway to study and model various aspects of theatrical performance, expressive behaviors and human communication and interaction.