EMOVIS: Emotion-Optimized Image Processing

Abstract: In cinematography, visual attributes such as color grading, contrast, and brightness are manipulated to reinforce the emotional narrative of a scene. However, conventional Image Signal Processors (ISPs) prioritize scene fidelity, effectively neglecting this expressive dimension. To bring this cinematic capability to real-time camera pipelines during video capture, we introduce EMOVIS (EMotion-Optimized VISual processing). We establish a systematic mapping between a compact set of high-level emotional states (Happy, Calm, Angry, Sad) and low-level ISP controls - including color saturation, local tone mapping, and sharpness - supported by a calibration user study with statistically significant effects across parameters. We propose a control framework that integrates these emotion-driven adjustments into standard ISP hardware without altering the underlying processing stages. Validation via blind A/B testing shows that viewers prefer the emotion-optimized rendering in 87% of trials when the target emotion matches the scene context, indicating that emotion-aligned ISP control improves perceived suitability for expressive visual content.