Have you heard of deepfakes? These synthetic videos use AI to swap one person’s face onto someone else. In this post, we’ll explore deepfake technology and walk through a tutorial to create your own deepfake video using a free online platform.

What Are Deepfakes and How Do They Work?

Deepfakes utilize deep learning and AI to replace a person in a video with someone else’s likeness. The algorithms study facial expressions and movements from source videos and images to create a life-like, computer-generated effect in the output video.

While deepfake technology opens many exciting educational opportunities, always use it responsibly. Obtain consent from subjects, disclose when sharing creations, and avoid harmful use cases.

Step-by-Step Deepfake Video Tutorial

Creating a deepfake video is surprisingly accessible even for beginners with no fancy equipment. We’ll use a popular GitHub repository via Google Colab. Follow along to make your own face swap video:

Set Up the Environment in Google Colab

The first step is to access the Colab platform and install the necessary libraries and dependencies. Don’t worry, you don’t have to create anything manually. Use the below Github codes.

Once you open the link, you will get this Colab notebook, which includes the deepfake video-generating algorithm.

Run the first code cell to install dependencies and repositories which will take a few minutes. Wait for the green checkmark before proceeding.

Next, run the second cell to load a pre-trained model for swapping faces.

Upload Your Source Video and Image

Gather a source video and image that you want to use for the deepfake. The image should have a clear headshot to swap onto the video subject.

Upload these files into the Colab environment using the folder icon on the left. You can drag-and-drop your video and image here.

Configure and Run the Code

Copy the path for both uploaded files and paste the locations into the code cell instead of the current file paths.

Adjust the quality number if desired, from 1 (highest quality) to 100 (lowest). Higher quality processing takes the same time as low-quality.

Finally, run the cell to generate your synthesized deepfake video! The time of the process usually does not depend on the quality number. It depends on the number of frames in the video. The longer video takes a long time.

Once complete, you can download the final deepfake video from Colab.

Deepfakes Can Be Fun But Use Responsibly!

Creating deepfakes may seem technical but freely available tools make it possible even for amateurs. However, remember to always disclose synthetic creations, avoid harmful uses without consent, and act legally and ethically.

We hope you found this deepfake walkthrough helpful and interesting. Don’t hesitate to contact us via our online forum with any questions!