Lesson Content

Why start from an image.

Image-to-video generation uses the uploaded image as a visual anchor – the generated video begins from (or is strongly consistent with) the source image, producing more visually controlled output than text-to-video alone when the source image already matches the intended look. If you have a specific visual that needs to be animated – a still photograph, an AI-generated image, or rendered artwork – image-to-video is typically a better starting point than recreating the visual through text.

Preparing source images.

High-quality source images produce better animation results – low-resolution, heavily compressed, or visually noisy images may produce lower-quality animated output. Image composition also matters: images with clear subjects and visual hierarchy animate more predictably than cluttered, complex images with many competing elements.

Configuring the motion prompt.

After uploading the image, add a text prompt describing the motion to apply – "camera slowly zooming in," "gentle wind moving through the trees," "subject turning head slightly to the left," "leaves falling in the foreground." The motion prompt guides how the animation behaves without overriding the source image's visual content.

Evaluating and iterating.

Evaluate the animated result specifically for whether the motion applied matches the intended animation behavior and whether the visual consistency with the source image is maintained. Common issues: too much distortion from the source image's visual, unintended elements appearing that weren't in the source, or motion that doesn't match the motion prompt direction.