History Main / StopTrick

* Noticeable in the early ''PowerRangers'' series, mostly in the giant monster fights when the enemy exploded. In fact, it's still being used in ''SuperSentai'' (and various other {{tokusatsu}}) ''today''. As shown in unused scenes from some ''KamenRider'' shows, this is how they handle transformations: a shot is taken with the actor, then one with the costumed stuntman in the same position, and finally the two shots are combined as a simultanious fade out/fade in with a CGI TransformationSequence covering up the transition.

* Also possibly part of how they do the "Vamping Out" effects on ''[[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy]]'' and ''Series/{{Angel}}''.
** Sort of, yeah. The vamping out involves taking two shots and having the first dissolve into the other; it's a teeny bit more sophisticated than a true StopTrick where the scenes change within a split second and there's no transition between the two (a.k.a. a jump cut).
** The first ever on-screen vamp out (Darla in the pilot) used a StopTrick.

* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'', when Andy runs into the closet to change into a spaceman costume: the camera remains perfectly still, but the shadows on the wall just next to the door have moved during the cut.

* And ''MyFavoriteMartian'', particularly when Uncle Martin turned invisible or visible.

* This was used on ''MisterRogersNeighborhood'' pretty extensively, as when Lady Elaine used her boomerang to turn things upside down or Purple Panda travelling "The Purple Way".

* Used in BlueVelvet during the "I'll fuck anything that moves!" scene.

* In ''Film/DieHard'', during the lobby scene at the beginning, John uses a super-new-fangled computer to search for his wife. If you look very carefully, each time the screen refreshes, you can see John's position at the edge of the screen change ever so slightly, indicating that they used stop tricks rather than touch screen to achieve the effect.

[[folder:Film]]

* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'', when Andy runs into the closet to change into a spaceman costume: the camera remains perfectly still, but the shadows on the wall just next to the door have moved during the cut.

* This is how Morbius' protective shutters in ''ForbiddenPlanet'' open and close.

* OlderThanTelevision: Accidentally developed by pioneering filmmaker George Méliès in 1896. According to the story, Méliès was filming a street when the camera jammed, and had to stop filming to fix it. Watching the footage, he saw a streetcar suddenly turn into a hearse at the point the camera stopped. Used extensively in his groundbreaking ''Film/ATripToTheMoon'' in 1902.

* Used to hilarious effect in ''{{Anchorman}}''. A disheveled Ron Burgundy goes into the men's room...and comes out clean cut with superhuman speed.
** ''TommyBoy'' utilizes the same trick for Richard's split-second wardrobe change in the airplane restroom.

* Done in ''OhGod'' in the final courtroom scene, when God repeatedly makes a deck of cards appear and disappear.

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' actually used one of these as late as 2002, to simulate Willow getting dressed in an instant via magic.

* RobotChicken (a stop-motion animated show done with action figures and dolls) parodied Creator/BennyHill's use of this, with Benny's funeral, involving a chase scene where the undertakers are running away with the coffin, fall off a cliff, and land as obviously different "crash test dummy" style, then pop back to the normal undertakers... in time to get hit with the coffin.

* This is the miracle that allows [[TheMuppetShow Muppets]] to pick up objects when their hands are clearly incapable of it. "Secrets of the Muppets", an episode of ''Series/TheJimHensonHour'', explained this technique at length (described as a "tape edit" effect). Gonzo denies that his hands are no more than useless pieces of fabric, and demonstrates by repeatedly picking up a telephone. Every time it rings, he places his hand on the receiver, the shot cuts to another angle, and he lifts the phone which is now attached to his hand. Once he realizes the audience has caught on, Gonzo flees the scene...with the phone still attached, so he gets yanked back. Kermit arrives and reminds him that you should never leave a room when your hand is still glued to the telephone.

** Several regenerations in the Classic series use this too, again with a fade. Notable is the First into Second, which was done on a broken vision mixing desk which oversaturated the image with light, creating a glowing effect. The Third into Fourth uses a simple {{wipe}}. The Fourth into Fifth stops the footage three times and dissolves between them to show the Doctor growing a "cocoon" that then fades away revealing the new Doctor.

* The transformation sequences in ''Film/TheWolfman2010'' were shot as a series of these.

* Used on every episode of ''TheMonkees'', generally accompanied by a 'pop' or 'boink' noise.

* Similarly seen on ''IDreamOfJeannie''.

Compare to MatchCut and GilliganCut.

* Parodied/Tributed in a {{Netflix}} instant streaming commercial. A girl from a stereotypical 1940's movie musical family manages to imagine a Wii Remote into her hand. Her arm's position between the two cuts is deliberately off, to provide a corny old-school look.

* Happens a lot in ''LostInSpace'', always accompanied by a distinctive sound effect.

* ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' actually used one of these as late as 2002, to simulate Willow getting dressed in an instant via magic.

* ''Series/Buffy'' actually used one of these as late as 2002, to simulate Willow getting dressed in an instant via magic.

A camera trick used a great deal before more sophisticated special effects were contrived. They stop the camera, change or add something to the shot, and start it again with everything else in the same positions. It's entirely possible this was the very ''first'' special effect, used in films made in the first years of cinema, like J. Stuart Blackton's ''Enchanted Drawing'', in which a vaudeville artist draws a glass of wine, and then, magically pulls a real glass, full of real wine off the page. Yes, standards were lower back then.

Also known as "locking off".

* Used in Adarah's ''UltimateUtopiaXXIII'' [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNzFE8rNPQU parody video]], to make slaves appear. Strangely though, they do have access to more advanced special effects techniques.

* Ghosts in ''WesternAnimation/FilmationsGhostbusters'' would appear and disappear in this manner.