MUMBAI: In the past film and television productions relied on look-alike actors and talking heads to recreate the world's most pivotal historical moments to life. Now Discovery channel has thought of something different.

The channel's Virtual History has the faces of historical figures pulled from actual archival footage and realistically placed on modern actors via a pioneering animation technique. Virtual History premieres on US Discovery Channel this fall, and will air on Discovery networks around the world.

 
Virtual History allows viewers to watch virtual "footage" of historical events where no actual film exists -- events that had been documented solely through verbal and written accounts, artifacts, and still photographs, said an official release.

The production was commissioned by Discovery Channel in the U.K. from Tiger Aspect.