One performer, many carefully separated takes
For the 2005 film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Deep Roy did not perform alongside a crowd of Oompa Loompas. He performed their movements in separate takes, while the production recorded the same scene again and again. Digital compositing—the process of combining parts of different filmed takes into one image—turned those performances into a crowd.
That approach let the filmmakers build a group from one actor rather than cast and coordinate dozens of performers. Roy could give the characters a consistent appearance and movement style, while each take supplied a different Oompa Loompa to place in the finished frame.
The trick depends on choreography
A crowd assembled from separate takes has to look as though everyone shares the same space and beat. Performances need to fit the scene’s timing and positions; otherwise, the layered figures can look disconnected. Choreography gave the repeated movements a common rhythm, helping the separate recordings read as one coordinated ensemble.
The result is a crowd with a surprisingly concentrated source: every visible Oompa Loompa traces back to the same performer, but the finished scene makes his repeated appearances feel like a room full of distinct bodies moving together.
