History Main / HeadBob

* While this is practically exclusive to the pilot (along with other anomalies), in the FiveEpisodePilot of [[TransformersGeneration1 The Transformers]], almost every time an Autobot or Decepticon speaks, they nod their head. ''Almost. Every. Time.''

* This is how ({{Batman}} introduces himself to Mr. Freeze in the much-despised ''BatmanAndRobin''. No, seriously- he greets himself to Freeze with a head-bob and says "Hi, Freeze, I'm Batman".

-->-- ''RedVsBlue''

* Strong Bad from ''
* In WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'' bobs and waggles his head all over the place when reading e-mails, but in the earliest e-mails in which the viewer can actually see his lip flap (mask flap?), his head movement was much more subdued. The creators have admitted that they did this to save time, but now the effect takes about as much time as (or more than) just animating his mouth.

* Suited ''PowerRangers'' use the HeadBob and exaggerated gesturing. In early seasons, it was sometimes accompanied by the air-whipping sounds typically reserved for fight scenes. Huh? WhatDoYouMeanItsNotAwesome?
** Though not to the titanic degree of MightyMorphinPowerRangers, {{Toku}} in general (including SuperSentai, KamenRider, MetalHeroes, {{Ultraman}}, etc.) does this.
*** While it's true that there is some exaggeration to their movements, helmets worn by Power Rangers and Super Sentai actors are actually ''designed'' to move when the actor talks. Their chin pushes down on the bottom of the helmet and the whole thing shifts forward slightly giving the illusion of a HeadBob.

* Since the leader of a given party in ''GuildWars'' can be of any class and either gender, wearing any of the available armor sets, this is how in-game cutscenes are handled.

* Strong Bad from ''HomestarRunner'' bobs and waggles his head all over the place when reading e-mails, but in the earliest e-mails in which the viewer can actually see his lip flap (mask flap?), his head movement was much more subdued. The creators have admitted that they did this to save time, but now the effect takes about as much time as (or more than) just animating his mouth.

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This is not just an [[AnimationTropes Animation Trope]]. In some live-action TV, egregiously {{Sentai}} shows, the helmeted characters will exaggerate their head movements to suggest that they are actually speaking.

This is not just an {{Animation}} trope. In some live-action TV, egregiously {{Sentai}} shows, the helmeted characters will exaggerate their head movements to suggest that they are actually speaking.

->'''Simmons:''' I don't know, there's no audio. It just looks like a bunch of heads bobbing up and down.

*** While it's true that there is some exaggertation to their movements, helmets worn by Power Rangers and Super Sentai actors are actually ''designed'' to move when the actor talks. Their chin pushes down on the bottom of the helmet and the whole thing shifts foreward slightly giving the illusion of a HeadBob.

* Any Machinima done in an {{FPS}}, notably those done in ''{{Halo}}'', like ''RedVsBlue''.

** Obviously, this also happens in ''PowerRangers''' source material SuperSentai, as well as fellow {{Tokusatsu}} productions like KamenRider, MetalHeroes, {{Ultraman}}, etc.

->'''''Sarge:''' What are they saying?''
->'''''Simmons:''' I don't know, there's no audio. It just looks like a bunch of heads bobbing up and down.''
->'''''Sarge:''' Is that how they talk? [[LampshadeHanging They look ridiculous!]]''
-->-- '''''RedVsBlue'''''

->''Without the audio, it just looks like a bunch of heads bobbing.''
-->-- ''RedVsBlue''

* While this is practically exclusive to the pilot (along with other anomalies), in the FiveEpisodePilot of [[TransformersGeneration1 Transformers]], almost every time an Autobot or Decepticon speaks, they nod their head. ''Almost. Every. Time.''

* While this is practically exclusive to the pilot (along with other anomalies), in the FivePartPilot of [[TransformersGeneration The Transformers]], almost every time an Autobot or Decepticon speaks, they nod their head. ''Almost. Every. Time.''

-->-- ''Red vs. Blue''

* Any Machinima done in an {{FPS}}, notably those done in ''{{Halo}}'', like ''Red vs. Blue''.

** ''{{Gothic}}'' allows one to make your character actually move their mouth and [[GoingThroughTheMotions do gestures while doing it]], but it's quite complicated, so the lazy machinima authors just bob heads.

* Doctor Doom in the disastrous RogerCorman-produced ''FantasticFour'' movie is an extreme example of this, even going so far as to draw numbers in the air with his fingers when he says them.
** The apotheosis of this is a video transmission opening with "'''HELLO,''' Richards! Good to '''SEEEEEE''' you again!" Translation: "'''[Queen Elizabeth wave]''' Richards, good to '''[points ''directly'' at eyes]''' you again!"

* Similar head-bobbing occurs during dialog in ''NeverwinterNights''. It's doubly strange because all parties will be bobbing at once (and only spoken dialog for key [=NPCs=] ).

* Similar head-bobbing occurs during dialog in ''NeverwinterNights''. It's doubly strange because all parties will be bobbing at once (and only spoken dialog for key NPCs).

* Suited PowerRangers use the HeadBob and exaggerated gesturing. In early seasons, it was sometimes accompanied by the air-whipping sounds typically reserved for fight scenes. Huh? WhatDoYouMeanItsNotAwesome?

* In fact, the first ''Half-Life'' was one of the first games to avert this by having at least semi-realistic MouthFlaps. Then in ''{{Half-Life}} 2'', the aversion became even more spectatcular as the technology used is actually capable of moving elements of the character's faces for realistic lip-syncing and expressions.