So what are we watching here? It is a scene from the movie There Will Be Blood. It is a movie I just saw for the first time last week, and it is quite cool.

So what is with all the circles on this six-minute sequence? Apparently, those are eye-trackers.

It is all part of some research project to see what people focus on when they watch a movie. You will note the high amount of circles on this actor’s face when he enters a scene. It is an attempt to figure out what people will focus on in a movie.

I’m guessing this information will be used by filmmakers and directors to highlight certain points in movies. I imagine that a lot of lighting changes and touch-ups will be done on those circles.

Source