Image-to-Video

Animate still images into motion by uploading an image and describing the movement you want. Perfect for bringing static artwork, photos, or designs to life.

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, Kling, Sora)

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:

Model	Duration	Audio	Best For
Veo 3.1	4-8s	✅	Dialogue, character animation
Veo 3.1 Fast	4-8s	✅	Quick iterations
Kling 2.6 Pro	5-10s	✅	Longer animations with audio
Kling 2.1 Pro	5-10s	❌	Complex camera movement
Kling O1	5-10s	❌	Best prompt understanding
Sora 2	4-12s	❌	Longest clips, cinematic quality
Hailuo 2.3	4-8s	❌	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 high-quality image

2. Select Sora 2 or Kling 2.1 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

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 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, Kling, or Sora 2

• Check model capabilities in Supported Video Models

• Some models (Hailuo, WAN) may not support image-to-video

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Next: Learn about Transition Mode for creating smooth transitions between two images.