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A Faceless Person changes height, weight, voice, body; from the Wiki:

The Faceless Men possess the ability to physically change their faces, shapeshifting so that they appear as an entirely new person.

Shouldn't the needed effect be more similar to Star Trek DS9 shapeshifters, rather than just pulling a mask off? The show seems to shift camera angles during these transitions, so it's not clear how the changes follow the unmasking.

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    Because it's instantly easier to understand without a font of exposition. Fans understand shapeshifting. Everyone understands masks.
    – Radhil
    Commented Jul 23, 2017 at 23:28
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    Plus it's way more dramatic visually and emphasizes that it's an external power or technique instead of an intrinsic ability (like the DS9 shapeshifters).
    – Patrick Hughes
    Commented Jul 24, 2017 at 1:05
  • I agree with you, Jedi. The first time we see a Faceless Man shape-shifting, he does it using magic like in the books, not peeling off a mask. Besides, arguing that something would be understood only by fans doesn't fly in this show: non-fans used to understand very little, challenged by all the characters, Houses, politics and the history of Westeros. A mere special-effect for shape-shifting wouldn't have been any serious hurdle.
    – Andres F.
    Commented Jul 24, 2017 at 2:22
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    @andres the first time we see a faceless man shift hi back is turned but you can see him raising his hand to his face maybe not a peeling off gesture but more akin to a removing a masquerade type mask gesture
    – Revenant
    Commented Jul 24, 2017 at 4:29
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    Which wiki are you quoting from? The AWOIAF or the GOT wiki? They are of two very different qualities.
    – curiousdannii
    Commented Jul 24, 2017 at 6:29

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The game of thrones magic system is not very well understood (maybe not very well fleshed out in general) its possible the particular spell the faceless men use has a physical component to it IE the gesture of taking off a mask is part of the spell. The transformation itself is also supposed to be instantaneous a man changes his shape a man does not go through changes.

Out of universe I imagine the producers either did not want to define an FX for the faceless men or felt that showing it would remove some of the appeal

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    How it is described in books -> "I do. My time is done." Jaqen passed a hand down his face from forehead to chin, and where it went he changed. His cheeks grew fuller, his eyes closer; his nose hooked, a scar appeared on his right cheek where no scar had been before. And when he shook his head, his long straight hair, half red and half white, dissolved away to reveal a cap of tight black curls.
    – Aegon
    Commented Jul 24, 2017 at 13:19

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