Meet Recast: AI Character Swap for Any Video
Recast is BudgetPixel's AI tool that swaps the people in a 4–30 second video with up to four new characters. It keeps the moves, timing, camera and sound, and charges only when the video is ready.
By BudgetPixel Team9 min readFacts verified On this page
Recast is BudgetPixel's AI tool that swaps the people in a 4 to 30 second video and keeps its moves, timing, camera and sound. Paste a TikTok, Reel, Short, Facebook or X link, or upload a clip, then pick who should be in it. Below: how it works, who you can cast, what it costs, and how it compares with Higgsfield Genjutsu.
What is Recast and how does it work?
Recast works like motion transfer for a whole cast. It reads how the people in your clip move, where the camera goes and what the set looks like. Then it builds the shot again with your characters in those places.
Three things carry over from the original:
- Movement and camera. They come from a depth map with a face mesh, so head turns, expressions and lip movement follow the original performer.
- The set. It comes from a still of the scene with the people taken out.
- The sound. It is set aside before the new video is made, then put back on the result in sync.
Recast always replaces the people; it does not swap a single object and keep everyone else. Your cast takes their places, the lead first, then left to right. Anyone you don't cast becomes a different, ordinary person.
Who can you put in a recast?
Up to four people. Counting any product or outfit pictures, a recast takes ten items on the default model, nine on Wan 3.0 and eight on the Seedance 2.0 models.
- AI influencers, free to cast. 37 ready-made characters, each built to keep the same face in every video. Among them: @barry, our broke-but-rich-in-his-head ambassador; @nanagloria, a retired librarian and the most feared gamer on her server; @sirreginald, a pug who believes he is royalty. There is nothing to collect or buy; the video uses your usual credits.
- Your own characters. Anyone you made or collected in your Characters library, including a character made from your own photos.
- Products and outfits. Add a picture, and the cast wears it or holds it.
The lead holds the likeness best. A second person works, but their face follows the original performer more loosely, so put the character that matters most first. If your character is known for a costume, add the outfit as a picture: without one, the cast wears what the original performers wore.
Which videos can you recast?
Paste a link from TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, Facebook or X, or upload a file. There is no downloading and re-uploading: the clip comes straight in from the link.
| What | Limit |
|---|---|
| Recast length | 4 to 30 seconds on the default model; up to 14.9 on the others |
| From a link | The first minute of the video; videos over 3 minutes are refused |
| From a file | Up to 100 MB and 60 seconds |
| Shape | Kept: a vertical TikTok comes back vertical |
Recast only clips you have the right to use. Our terms require you to own or be allowed to use what you upload, and they ban content that shows real people without their consent. Before anything is charged, clips pass the same content checks as other uploads.
What happens to the sound?
By default the clip keeps its own sound: the song or the voice goes back on the recast, in sync with the moves. Two other options:
- Your own audio: an MP3 or WAV file up to 15 MB.
- A new sound: describe it in the Direction box.
If the sound in the clip isn't yours to use, swap in your own audio or ask for a new sound.
How do you replace a person in a video with AI?
- Open budgetpixel.com/recast. Paste a link, upload a clip, or tap Recast this on one of the samples.
- Trim the clip to the 4 to 30 seconds you want.
- Pick your cast in the Cast tab: Recently used, Your characters or Free to cast. Add product or outfit pictures if you need them.
- Optional: write a Direction, such as a new setting, a mood or a new sound.
- Choose the model and quality. The default is Seedance 2.5 at Draft (480p), with HD (720p) and Full HD (1080p) too; 1080p comes as H.265 (HEVC). Seedance 2.0, 2.0 Fast, 2.0 Mini and Wan 3.0 cost less and run up to 14.9 seconds.
- Check the price on the Recast button and start. The recast is ready in about five minutes.
- Like the draft? Press Make it HD to get the same video in 1080p. It works on Seedance 2.5 drafts, within 7 days.
- Find the result in My recasts and in your library.
How much does a recast cost?
A recast is priced by length, quality and model, and the price shows on the Recast button before you start. You are charged only when the video is ready; a failed recast costs nothing. The depth map and the set picture are included, and casting a character adds nothing.
A 10-second recast on the default model, Seedance 2.5:
| Quality | Credits | About |
|---|---|---|
| 480p draft | 2,990 | $2.99 |
| 720p | 6,370 | $6.37 |
| 1080p | 14,625 | $14.63 |
| 480p draft, then Make it HD | 17,615 | $17.62 |
Dollar amounts use the credit-pack rate of 1,000 credits per $1; plan credits cost less. The cheapest recast is Seedance 2.0 Mini at 480p: 1,170 credits for 10 seconds. Ultra members get 10% off Seedance recasts.
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly | Credits a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | — | 300 |
| Basic | $10 | $100 | 11,000 |
| Premium | $22 | $200 | 25,000 |
| Pro | $55 | $495 | 60,000 |
| Ultra | $125 | $1,050 | 130,000 |
Prices verified October 2026; current numbers are on the pricing page. The free plan's 300 credits don't cover a recast: the shortest, 4 seconds on Seedance 2.0 Mini at 480p, takes 468.
How is Recast different from Higgsfield Genjutsu?
Both keep a video's motion and change who is in it. Recast keeps the clip's sound, starts from a link and comes with a free cast. Genjutsu takes more reference pictures, has presets, can swap a single object, and offers a cheaper Lite mode.
| Recast | Higgsfield Genjutsu | |
|---|---|---|
| Start from | A TikTok, Reels, Shorts, Facebook or X link, or a file | An uploaded clip, or a format from its Trending Genjutsu feed |
| Clip length | 4–30 seconds | 4–30 seconds |
| What you add | Up to 4 people and 10 items in all | Up to 30 reference images (Lite: 10) |
| Ready-made cast | 37 AI influencers, free to cast | Characters you build in their AI Influencer studio |
| Sound | The clip's own sound, back on in sync; or your audio; or a new sound | Not mentioned on Higgsfield's Genjutsu page |
| How you steer it | A written Direction | 30+ presets or a short description |
| Modes | One flow; the people are always replaced | Motion Transfer, or Object Swap to change one object and keep the rest; Lite picks automatically |
| Quality | 480p, 720p, 1080p; a 480p draft upgrades to 1080p | 480p, 720p, 1080p (Lite: 720p, 1080p) |
What a 15-second clip costs:
| 15 seconds | Recast, Seedance 2.0 Mini | Recast, Wan 3.0 | Recast, Seedance 2.5 (default) | Genjutsu (launch price) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 480p | 1,755 credits, about $1.76 | 2,340, about $2.34 | 4,485, about $4.49 | about $2.00 |
| 720p | 3,510 credits, about $3.51 | 4,680, about $4.68 | 9,555, about $9.56 | about $5.20 |
| 1080p | — | 9,360, about $9.36 | 21,938, about $21.94 | about $7.20 |
Recasts on Seedance 2.0 Mini and Wan 3.0 stop at 14.9 seconds. Genjutsu facts and launch prices are Higgsfield's own, from Meet Higgsfield Genjutsu (prices verified September 2026) and Introducing the New AI Influencer. Genjutsu Lite, at 720p and 1080p, costs about a third as much. Launch prices can change; Higgsfield's pricing page has the current ones.
Pick Recast when the sound matters, as in dance and music trends. It also fits when you start from a link or want a ready-made cast. Pick Genjutsu to change one object and keep the people, or to use many reference images or presets. Its Lite mode is the cheapest at 720p and 1080p.
What can you make with Recast?
| Idea | How it runs |
|---|---|
| A trend with your brand's character | Paste the trend's link and cast your character; keep the sound if you have the rights, or add your own |
| A product inside a trending clip | Add the product's picture; the cast holds it |
| A new outfit on your character | Cast your character and add outfit pictures |
| A music video remake | Recast your own performance clip; the song stays in sync |
| A duet or partner dance | Cast two characters, the lead first |
| Your own AI double | Make a character from your photos, then cast yourself |
Who is Recast for?
- Creators who ride trends with a recurring character instead of filming every one.
- Brands that want their mascot or product inside the formats people already watch.
- Musicians and labels remaking a performance with a new cast, the song in sync.
- Agencies making several versions of one clip for different markets.
Questions people ask
How long does a recast take?
About five minutes; the first recasts on the live site took three to four. The result lands in My recasts and in your library.
Do I need to write a prompt?
No. Pick the clip and the cast, then start. The Direction box is optional, for a new setting, mood or sound.
What happens to the people I don't cast?
Recast replaces everyone in the clip. Anyone you don't cast becomes a different, ordinary person.
Can I recast two people at once?
Yes, up to four, filled lead first and then left to right. The lead holds the likeness best; a second face follows the original performer more loosely.
What does Make it HD do?
It makes the same video again in 1080p, sharper. It works once per Seedance 2.5 draft, within 7 days, at the 1080p price.
How much does a recast cost?
It depends on length, quality and model. On the default model a 10-second recast is 2,990 credits at 480p and 14,625 at 1080p. The price shows before you start, and you pay only when the video is ready.
Can I try Recast for free?
Not on the free plan's monthly credits: the shortest recast takes 468 credits, and the free plan gives 300. A $10 credit pack covers three 10-second drafts on the default model.
Can I recast a video of someone else?
Only one you have the right to use. Our terms ban content that shows real people without their consent, and you must own or be allowed to use every clip you upload.
Try it now
The price shows before you start. You pay only when your video is ready.
