1. A computer-implemented method for character animation based on classifying facial expressions of a user from a series of images, the method comprising: identifying facial key points in each image of the series of images; normalizing each image of the series of images using the identified facial key points for each of the images; determining facial features from each normalized image; inputting the normalized images to a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) that determines additional facial features in the normalized images; fusing dimensionally reduced facial features with the determined additional facial features before the classifying of the facial expressions in each image of the series of images; based on the fusing of the dimensionally reduced facial features, said classifying the facial expressions in each image of the series of images into one of a plurality of categories; and producing a series of animated images of an animated character, the animated images of the animated character including one or more animated facial expressions, each animated facial expression being associated with a corresponding classified facial expression.