Head swap in a video using Sony Vegas Pro - is it possible and how?

[Nicole2011]

How do I go about doing this? Can someone please assist me, thanks so much!

[guns1inger]

Yes, it is possible. It isn't easy, as Vegas doesn't have automated tracking, but it does do basic keying and does have pretty good key framing. Ideally you would film the replacement face in front of a green screen, with a matching green shirt on, so the face could be easily extracted in Vegas. Put your original on a time line, put your green screen footage on the timeline above. Add a chroma keyer effect to the green screen to isolate just the head, then use Track Motion to scale and position the head. Use key frames to animate it moving around over the original footage.

[budwzr]

Do you need the whole head? Or just the face?

[Nicole2011]

I need just the face.

[budwzr]

In that case, you can use the Cookie Cutter oval shape with a feathered edge as a traveling matte, and track motion 3D to move and change perspective.

Look up "Annoying Orange" on YT for some inspiration.

[Nicole2011]

Thank you. How would I track the motion of the cookie cutter oval rather than the whole video? And what about filling it in with an image from the timeline rather than just it being a solid black colored oval?

[guns1inger]

Open the Cookie Cutter parameters and make sure the Method is set to "Cut away all but section". Tracking can only be done manually and recorded by add key frames as you go. Slow, tedious work.