History Main / DigitalHeadSwap

* ''TheCrow'': Brandon Lee's face was digitally grafted onto a stunt performer's body for a small smattering of scenes not yet shot at the time of his death.
* ''BladeRunner'': The original version had a shot during Zhora's death where it was obvious that a stunt double (more specifically, the awful cheap wig they had to use) was standing in for the actress. For the 2007 [[ReCut Final Cut]], actress Joanna Cassidy's face was digitally superimposed over that of the stunt double.

* ''KungPow: Enter The Fist'' is probably the most spectacular use of this trope, and certainly the most ridiculous. Steve Oedekerk took a 1970's Kung Fu movie and used this technique to composite his head over the main character's (or just plain replace the main character's whole body), essentially pulling a DigitalHeadSwap for ''at least half of the movie.'' [[BeyondTheImpossible And then he dubbed every character's voice, including his own.]]

* Possibly the TropeCodifier for the digital age is ''JurassicPark'', which did this out of necessity. During an action scene, a stunt double who was suspended over a mat (which later became a raptor's mouth) looked directly up at the camera. Normally this would have ruined the shot, but the effects team were able to splice the normal actress' face over that of the double, turning an otherwise unusable piece of film into a particularly heart-stopping moment.
** This same technique was used in ''{{Titanic}}'' when Jack and Rose are running down a flooded hallway. A bit more noticeable though as the sequence was longer and in slow motion.

* KungPow: Enter The Fist is probably the most spectacular use of this trope, and certainly the most ridiculous. Steve Oedekerk took a 1970's Kung Fu movie and used this technique to composite his head over the main character's, essentially pulling a DigitalHeadSwap for ''at least half of the movie.'' [[BeyondTheImpossible And then he dubbed every character's voice, including his own.]]

* Done to eerie effect in the video for {{Weird Al Yankovic}}'s "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss_BmTGv43M Perform This Way]]", a parody of LadyGaga which put Al's head on a woman's body.

* In ''Rising Son'', a computer programmer notices that the head of an alleged murderer caught on video has a blue halo, suggesting that his face had been digitally inserted. She demonstrates the technology on SeanConnery's and Wesley Snipes' characters, swapping their heads in the computer.

* Done in-universe in ''TheRunningMan'' movie. Since the heroes cannot be found, the producers of the evil game contest use stunt doubles for the final fight and digitally put the heroes faces on them.

Done poorly, especially in early cases when the technique was not perfected, this can easily create ConspicuousCGI and dip into the UncannyValley, although this effect can also be invoked on purpose.

* ''StarWars'': Count Dooku during light saber battles. It's particularly [[UncannyValley eerie and distracting]] as Christopher Lee's head seems to float above his stuntman's shoulders independent of his movements.
** This particular troper never thought it looked fake in any way; it is done particularly well in Episode III, in which Lee does really seem to be fighting Anakin and Obi-Wan at the beginning of the film. On the other hand, Palpatine's head replacement during his fight with Mace Windu is awful and looks plastic, as it can be seen [[http://images.wikia.com/swfanon/images/4/42/TheDeathofAgenKolar.jpg here]].

* There's a bit on ''Late Night With Jimmy Fallon'' titled "Head Swap", which is introduced as this trope, but the theme song gets derailed into a RandomEventsPlot that takes up the entire segment.

* KungPow: Enter The Fist is probably the most ridiculous use of this trope, if not the most spectacular. Steve Oedekerk took a 1970's Kung Fu movie and used this technique to composite his head over the main character's, essentially pulling a DigitalHeadSwap for ''at least half of the movie.'' [[BeyondTheImpossible And then he dubbed every character's voice, including his own.]]

* KungPow: Enter The Fist is the MostTriumphantExample. Steve Oedekerk took a 1970's Kung Fu movie and used this technique to composite his head over the main character's, essentially pulling a DigitalHeadSwap for ''at least half of the movie.'' [[BeyondTheImpossible And then he dubbed every character's voice, including his own.]]

* A rather impressive example in TronLegacy where Jeff Bridges's 20-year-younger head is digitally re-created. Jeff Bridges performed motion capture for the younger CG face, but another actor entirely filled the glowy shoes.

* A rather impressive example in [[Tron Legacy]] where Jeff Bridges's 20-year-younger head is digitally re-created. Jeff Bridges performed motion capture for the younger CG face, but another actor entirely filled the glowy shoes.

* Possibly the TropeCodifier for the digital age is ''JurassicPark'', which did this out of necessity. During an action scene, a stunt double who was suspended over a mat (which later became a tyrannosaur's mouth) looked directly up at the camera. Normally this would have ruined the shot, but the effects team were able to splice the normal actress' face over that of the double, turning an otherwise unusable piece of film into a particularly heart-stopping moment.

* ''BladeRunner'': The original version had a shot during Zhora's death where it was obvious that a stunt double was standing in for the actress. For the 2007 [[ReCut Final Cut]], actress Joanna Cassidy's face was digitally superimposed over that of the stunt double.

* Done in-universe in ''StarshipTroopers 3: Marauder'', Sky Marshal Omar Anoke is lost, and Admiral Enola Phid is able to make it appear that Omar Anoke is still alive and well in the Federation using computers to put Anoke's image over her on a [=FedNet=] broadcast.

* The film ''{{Beowulf}}'' did this, after a fashion, for the lead actor, Ray Winstone. The whole thing was filmed using motion capture, and Winstone claimed they put his head on his eighteen-year-old body. The same sort of thing was done with AngelinaJolie.

* Used in ''CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'' for the scenes of Steve Rogers before he becomes Cap, sticking ChrisEvans' face on a shorter, scrawnier stand-in.

* Brandon Lee's face was digitally grafted onto a stunt performer's body for a small smattering of scenes not yet shot for ''{{The Crow}}'' at the time of his death.
* The original version of ''BladeRunner'' had a shot during Zhora's death, where it was obvious that a stunt double was standing in for the actress. For the 2007 [[ReCut Final Cut]], actress Joanna Cassidy's face was digitally superimposed over that of the stunt double.

* The film ''{{Beowulf}}'' did this, after a fashion, for the lead actor, Ray Winstone. The whole thing was filmed using motion capture, and Winstone claimed they put his head on his 18-year-old body. The same sort of thing was done with AngelinaJolie.

* Count Dooku during light saber battles in ''StarWars''. It's particularly [[UncannyValley eerie and distracting]] as Christopher Lee's head seems to float above his stuntman's shoulders independent of his movements.

* Done physically in ''MarsAttacks!''. One main character had her head grafted to a dog's body (and vice versa).

* Possibly the TropeCodifier for the digital age is ''JurassicPark'', which did this out of necessity. During an action scene, a stunt double who was suspended over a mat (which later became a Tyrannosaur's mouth) looked directly up at the camera. Normally this would have ruined the shot, but the effects team were able to splice the normal actress's face over the double's, turning an otherwise unusable piece of film into a particularly heartstopping moment.
* In ''TheMatrixReloaded'' Hugo Weaving's head was digitally overlaid on the bodies of the stunt double "Agent Smiths" in the Burly Brawl sequence.
* In TimBurton's ''Film/AliceInWonderland'', Tweedledee and Tweedledum have actor's heads on digital bodies. As well, the Red Queen's head is greatly enlarged.

* ''Jack And Jill'', also with Adam Sandler, this time playing his own sister.

* Brandon Lee's face was digitally grafted onto a stunt performer's body for a small smattering of scenes not yet shot for {{The Crow}} at the time of his death.
* The original version of ''BladeRunner'' had a shot during Zhora's death where it was obvious that a stunt double was standing in for the actress. For the 2007 [[ReCut Final Cut]], actress Joanna Cassidy's face was digitally superimposed over the stunt double's.

* Done in an episode of That70sShow, where after getting high, the gang sees Kitty and Red's heads on each other's bodies.
* The film {{Beowulf}} did this, after a fashion, for the lead actor, Ray Winstone. The whole thing was filmed using motion capture, and Winstone claimed they put his head on his eighteen year old body. The same sort of thing was done with AngelinaJolie.

* Count Dooku during light saber battles in StarWars. It's particularly [[UncannyValley eerie and distracting]] as Christopher Lee's head seems to float above his stuntman's shoulders independent of his movements.

* Done physically in ''MarsAttacks!'', with one main character having her head grafted to a dog's body (and vice versa).

* Done in-universe in StarshipTroopers 3: Marauder, Sky Marshal Omar Anoke is lost, and Admiral Enola Phid is able to make it appear that Omar Anoke is still alive and well in the Federation using computers to put Anoke's image over her on a [=FedNet=] broadcast.
* InUniverse in ''Rising Son'', where a computer programmer notices the head of an alleged murderer caught on video has a blue halo, suggesting that his face had been digitally inserted. She demonstrates the technology on SeanConnery and Wesley Snipes's characters, swapping their heads in the computer.
* ''{{Sliders}}'' has an InUniverse example (the show was made before this became commonplace); in a universe where criminals are tried and executed live on television, a corrupt TV host killed someone on camera and then framed another guy by editing his head onto his own body.

* Possibly the TropeMaker for the digital age is ''JurassicPark'', which did this out of necessity. During an action scene, a stunt double who was suspended over a mat (which later became a Tyrannosaur's mouth) looked directly up at the camera. Normally this would have ruined the shot, but the effects team were able to splice the normal actress's face over the double's, turning an otherwise unusable piece of film into a particularly heartstopping moment.

* Possibly the TropeMaker is ''JurassicPark'', which did this out of necessity. During an action scene, a stunt double who was suspended over a mat (which later became a Tyrannosaur's mouth) looked directly up at the camera. Normally this would have ruined the shot, but the effects team were able to splice the normal actress's face over the double's, turning an otherwise unusable piece of film into a particularly heartstopping moment.