# Image-to-Video ### How It Works 1. **Enable Generate Media** - Toggle the Generate Media button in the composer 2. **Attach an image** - Upload or drag & drop a single image 3. **Select video model** - Choose a model that supports image-to-video (Veo, Seedance 2, Wan 2.7, Kling, Grok, Sora, Hailuo) 4. **Describe the motion** - Write a prompt describing how the image should move 5. **Configure settings** - Set aspect ratio, duration, and resolution 6. **Generate** - Click send to animate your image ### Supported Models Not all models support image-to-video. Here are the models that do:
ModelDurationAudioBest For
Veo 3.14-8s✅Dialogue, character animation
Veo 3.1 Fast4-8s✅Quick iterations
Veo 3.1 Lite4-8s❌Budget image-to-video; add audio in post
Seedance 24-15s✅Natural motion with audio, start frame or start+end
Wan 2.72-15s❌High resolution, start frame or interpolation between two frames
Grok I2V4-15s❌Fast generation, mobile formats
Kling 3.0 Pro3-15s✅Highest quality with audio
Kling 3.0 Standard3-15s✅Fast generation with audio
Sora 24-12s❌Longest clips, cinematic quality
Hailuo 2.34-8s❌Action and dynamic movement
### Writing Motion Prompts #### What to Describe Focus on **movement and action**, not static details (the image already provides those): 1. **Camera movement** - How the camera moves relative to the scene 2. **Subject movement** - How objects or people move 3. **Environmental motion** - Wind, water, particles, etc. 4. **Transitions** - How the scene evolves over time #### Good Motion Prompts ✅ **Camera Movement:** ``` Slow push-in on the subject, revealing details as the camera approaches ``` ✅ **Subject Animation:** ``` The character walks forward, hair flowing in the wind, with a confident stride ``` ✅ **Environmental Motion:** ``` Gentle breeze moves through the grass, clouds drift slowly across the sky, leaves rustle in the background ``` ✅ **Combined Motion:** ``` Slow dolly forward as the subject turns to face the camera, with soft bokeh lights in the background gently moving, creating depth and atmosphere ``` #### Bad Motion Prompts ❌ **Too Static:** ``` A person in a coffee shop ``` *(Describes the image, not the motion)* ❌ **Vague Movement:** ``` It moves ``` *(Not specific enough)* ❌ **No Motion:** ``` A beautiful landscape ``` *(Missing movement description)* ### Aspect Ratio Considerations #### Matching Image Aspect Ratio **Best practice:** Match the video aspect ratio to your source image * **Portrait image (9:16)** → Use 9:16 for video * **Landscape image (16:9)** → Use 16:9 for video * **Square image (1:1)** → Use 1:1 for video **Why this matters:** * Prevents cropping important parts of your image * Maintains composition and framing * Ensures the starting frame matches your image exactly #### Aspect Ratio Mismatch If you use a different aspect ratio: * The image may be cropped to fit * Important elements might be cut off * The starting frame may not match your uploaded image ### Use Cases #### Animating Artwork **Example:** * Upload a digital painting * Prompt: "Slow zoom in on the artwork, with subtle camera shake and gentle focus pull, revealing texture and brushstrokes." * Result: Cinematic animation of your artwork #### Bringing Photos to Life **Example:** * Upload a landscape photo * Prompt: "Gentle camera pan across the scene, with clouds drifting, water flowing, and grass swaying in the breeze." * Result: Dynamic landscape video #### Product Showcases **Example:** * Upload a product photo * Prompt: "360-degree orbit around the product, with soft studio lighting and clean background" * Result: Professional product animation #### Character Animation **Example:** * Upload a character illustration * Prompt: "Character walks forward with confident stride, hair and clothing flowing naturally, background elements moving subtly." * Result: Animated character video ### Tips for Best Results 1. **Start with high-quality images** - Better source = better animation 2. **Be specific about motion** - "Slow push-in" is better than "move camera." 3. **Describe camera movement** - This is often the most important element 4. **Match aspect ratios** - Use the same aspect ratio as your source image 5. **Keep motion natural** - Avoid extreme or unrealistic movements 6. **Consider duration** - Longer videos allow for more complex motion 7. **Use appropriate models** - Veo for dialogue, Kling for complex moves, Sora for length ### Common Workflows #### Quick Animation 1. Upload image 2. Select Veo 3.1 Fast 3. Simple prompt: "Slow push-in with gentle camera movement." 4. Generate (4-8 seconds) #### Cinematic Animation 1. Upload a high-quality image 2. Select Sora 2 or Kling 3.0 Pro 3. Detailed prompt with camera movement, environmental motion, and style 4. Generate (up to 12 seconds with Sora) #### Character Animation 1. Upload character image 2. Select Veo 3.1 (for dialogue) or Kling (for movement) 3. Describe character movement and actions 4. Enable audio if using Veo 5. Generate #### Cinematic Animation with Seedance 2 1. Upload image 2. Select Seedance 2 3. Describe motion and mood naturally 4. Audio generates automatically (toggle off if unwanted) 5. Generate (4-15 seconds) **Seedance 2 Benefits for Image-to-Video:** * **Native audio** - Ambient sound and effects generated by default * **Stable subjects** - Natural, consistent motion on characters and objects * **Wide aspect ratios** - Supports 21:9 ultrawide alongside standard ratios * **Auto duration** - Let the model choose the best clip length #### High-Resolution Animation with Wan 2.7 1. Upload image (or two images for start+end interpolation) 2. Select Wan 2.7 3. Describe the motion between frames 4. Generate at 1080p (up to 15 seconds) **Wan 2.7 Benefits for Image-to-Video:** * **1080p output** - Highest native resolution for image-to-video * **Start+end interpolation** - Upload two images and the model generates the motion between them * **Flexible duration** - 2-15 seconds with fine control * **Prompt expansion** - AI enhances short prompts automatically #### Fast Mobile Content with Grok 1. Upload image 2. Select Grok (auto-switches to I2V mode) 3. Describe motion with simple, direct prompts 4. Choose mobile-specific aspect ratios if needed (19.5:9, 9:19.5, 20:9, 9:20) 5. Generate (up to 15 seconds) **Grok Benefits for Image-to-Video:** * **Fast generation** - Quick turnaround for iterations * **Mobile aspect ratios** - Perfect for TikTok, Instagram Reels * **Panoramic formats** - 2:1 for ultra-wide content * **15-second duration** - Matches longest models ### Troubleshooting #### "Image doesn't animate." **Solutions:** * Check that your model supports image-to-video * Ensure you've attached exactly one image * Make sure your prompt describes motion, not just the scene * Try a different model (Veo, Kling, or Sora) #### "Wrong aspect ratio" **Solutions:** * Match the video aspect ratio to your source image * Check image dimensions before uploading * Use "auto" aspect ratio if available (some models) #### "Motion is too subtle or too extreme." **Solutions:** * Adjust your prompt to be more or less specific * Try different camera movements (push-in vs. dolly vs. orbit) * Experiment with different models (Kling for complex moves) * Adjust duration (longer = more time for motion) #### "Model doesn't support image-to-video." **Solutions:** * Switch to Veo 3.1, Seedance 2, Wan 2.7, Kling, or Sora 2 * Check model capabilities in Supported Video Models * Some models may not support image-to-video — check the table above *** **Next:** Learn about [Transition Mode](/features/video-generation/transition-mode.md) for creating smooth transitions between two images.\ **Also see:** [Reference Mode](/features/video-generation/reference-mode.md) to maintain character/subject consistency across videos · [Text-to-Video](/features/video-generation/text-to-video.md) to generate footage from scratch --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.chatvideopro.com/features/video-generation/image-to-video.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.