Recast Video with AI
Recast video puts your own character into an existing clip: the motion, camera, background and lighting stay as shot, only the performer changes.
What is a recast video?
Recast video is an AI tool that puts your own character into an existing clip: upload a source video of up to 15 seconds and one or two images of the character, and the person in the clip is swapped for your character while the motion, camera, background and lighting stay as shot. It runs on Wan 3.0, takes non-human IP characters like a robot, and is the same swap as Replace Person in Video, framed here for trending clips, ads and dance videos your character should star in.
Checked 2026-11-02
Who it's for
- +A trending clip, a dance or a meme format is going around and you want your IP character to be the one performing it.
- +You run a brand or a channel with one fixed character and want it in the ads and short videos you already have, without a reshoot.
- +Your character is non-human, such as a robot or a mascot, which motion transfer rejects.
- +You want to try several characters on the same trending clip and post the one that fits it.
- +You publish a series and need the same character in a new format every week, looking the same in every episode.
When not to use it
- −Your new character is a real person in a photo and the clip runs 15 to 30 seconds. Motion transfer takes motion videos up to 30 seconds. AI Motion Transfer →
- −You want to remake the whole video with new lines and a new product, not just a new performer. Recast keeps the original footage; write the new clip from references instead. Create Video with AI →
- −You need the original voice word for word. The result's audio is generated; mute it and lay the original track back in your editor.
How to recast a video with your character
- 01
Upload the clip you want to recast
Up to 15 seconds, with one clearly visible person. Cut a longer video down to the part you need first; motion, timing, camera, background and lighting are kept as they are.
- 02
Add your character
One or two images, ideally a front view and a side view; a character turnaround sheet works well. Use the same images for every clip you recast so the character stays the same across them. Small details go in the notes field.
- 03
Pick speed and resolution
Standard takes about 6 minutes; Prime takes about 1 minute at a higher price per second, with the same capability. Choose 480P, 720P or 1080P; the Generate button shows the cost before you confirm.
Tips for better Recast video results
Choose clips whose performer is built like your character
A recast keeps the original motion, and the body tends to follow it. In our tests a fox pilot and a panda skater with clear arms and legs recast cleanly, while a short, round strawberry character was stretched to the dancer's tall, slim build. For a stocky mascot, look for a clip with a shorter, stockier performer.
Use a turnaround sheet and say so in the notes
The examples on this page used one three-view reference sheet as the first character image, plus a single note saying image 1 is a three-view sheet. A character turnaround sheet shows the front, side and back at once, and both characters stayed recognizable through the whole dance.
Reuse the same images for every clip in a series
The swap copies the face, hairstyle, outfit and proportions from your images, so the same one or two images give the same character in every recast video. Keep that set and use it for each new trend instead of picking a different picture each time.
Check clothes and props in the result
What the reference doesn't settle can come from the source: our fox pilot ended up in the original dancer's jeans and white shoes. Props are hit and miss: the panda's skateboard from its sheet came along, while the strawberry character's strawberry vanished after the first frame. Put must-keep items in the notes.
Cut the trend down to its hook
Clips can be up to 15 seconds, the result is as long as the source (rounded up to the next whole second), and both are billed. Make the recast video from the part you actually need, such as the hook, the chorus or the punchline, rather than the whole upload.
Lay the original sound back in
The result's audio track is generated and won't match the original word for word. For a trend that depends on its sound, mute the result and put the original track under it in your editor, as long as you have the rights to that sound.
Recast video examples
All of these were generated on blubiu.
Recast video vs. similar tools
| Tool | You give | You get | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recast video (this page) | A trending clip, ad or dance video up to 15 seconds + 1–2 images of your character | The same clip starring your character, with motion, camera and setting as shot | One recurring character starring in many existing clips |
| AI character swap | Any source video up to 15 seconds + 1–2 character images | The same Wan 3.0 swap, with the same form and price | One-off swaps, scenes you act out yourself as a stand-in, and the full list of limits and billing |
| AI motion transfer | A full-body photo of a real person + a motion video up to 30 seconds | The person from the photo performing the moves | A real person performing a clip of 15 to 30 seconds |
| Reference to video | A prompt + up to 9 reference images | A brand-new shot with your character in it | A new video with new lines or a new product, not the original footage |
Recast video FAQ
Is Recast the same as Replace Person in Video?
Yes. Both run the same Wan 3.0 swap with the same form and the same per-second billing. This page is about recasting trending clips, ads and dance videos with one recurring character; the AI character swap page covers the tool in general, including scenes you act out yourself and then swap.
Can I recast a video for free?
You can try it with the Free plan's monthly credits. The Generate button shows the exact cost before you confirm, a short clip on the Standard tier is the cheapest test, and failed runs are refunded automatically.
How is a recast billed?
Per second, counting both the source clip and the result, because the model reads your footage and then renders a new clip. A 5-second clip recast into a 5-second result is billed as 10 seconds. Prime costs more per second than Standard, and the total is on the Generate button before you submit.
Can I recast the same clip with several characters?
Yes. Run it again with a different set of character images; the clip and the settings stay the same. Each run is a separate generation and is billed on its own.
Will my character look the same across different clips?
Give it the same one or two images every time, ideally a front and a side view from a reference sheet: the swap copies the face, hairstyle, outfit and proportions from those images, so the same images give the same character. Put details that must not change, such as a prop or a color, in the notes field.
Can I recast a video I don't own?
Use clips you have the rights to: your own footage, licensed stock, or videos whose owner allows remixes. Recast replaces the performer, not the footage, so the rights in the original video still apply to the result.
What makes a good clip to recast?
One clearly visible performer, 15 seconds or less, with a build close to your character's. The motion, camera and background stay as shot, so pick a clip where those already work; the recast only changes who performs.
Can I recast with a mascot, an animal or a robot?
Yes, when it has a clear head, torso and limbs. The fox pilot and panda skater examples on this page are both animal characters; a square-screen robot with no clear head-body split failed in the same test. Photo-driven motion control AI can't do this, because it accepts human figures only.
How long and how sharp is a recast video?
As long as the source clip, rounded up to the next whole second, at 480P, 720P or 1080P, framed like the source. For 2K or 4K, upscale it with the AI video upscaler.
How long does a recast video take?
About 6 minutes on Standard and about 1 minute on Prime. The two tiers take the same inputs and offer the same resolutions; Prime costs more per second, so use it when you are waiting on the result.
Tools to pair with Recast video
AI Character Turnaround Sheet Generator →
Make the character image first: a front, side and back turnaround from a one-line description, like the sheets behind the examples on this page.
AI Outfit Changer →
Put your character in a new outfit first, then make the recast video with the dressed image so the new look stars in the clip.
Consistent Character Sheet Generator →
Recasting a human character? A sheet with three face angles and a full turnaround gives the swap the face from more than one side.
AI Video Upscaler →
A recast video tops out at 1080P; upscale it to 2K or 4K before it goes into a sharper edit.
Other creation tools
Wire script, character, shot and voice nodes into one pipeline and generate it clip by clip, with the same character in every clip.