Turn One Picture Into a Short Animated Video

You can give your muse one picture, such as a drawing of your pet or a favorite photo, and ask it to turn that picture into a short animated video with a small story, moving scenes, and music, as one finished file you can save.

What it does

Your muse has image and video making built in. Upload one picture as the star and the reference for the whole video. Describe the story in plain words: who is in it, where it happens, what happens, and how it ends. The muse splits it into clips of about ten seconds each and makes each scene while keeping the character looking like your picture. It then joins the clips and adds background music and sound effects that fit the story. A video of about forty seconds is four clips joined together. You can hand over the whole job in one message, or ask to see the story plan first.

How to use it

1. Pick one clear picture, with one main character and the face easy to see.
2. Attach it and write your request: the character, the story in a few beats, the ending, the style, the length, and the shape, such as tall video for a phone.
3. Say what must stay the same in every scene, such as the face, the colors, and no words on screen.
4. Choose your level of control: approve the story plan first, or let it finish and review the final video.
5. Watch the whole video. Check the character still looks like your picture in the last scene too.
6. Ask for fixes in plain words, one change at a time, or save the finished file.

What you need

• A muse account, on a phone or a computer
• One picture you have the right to use
• A short story idea
• Room in your weekly usage allowance, since each video uses part of it

What to watch for

• The first try often misses. Scenes can differ from the story you described, and when characters speak, the words and mouth movement can look rough. Keeping spoken lines out, or very short, gives a cleaner result.
• Looks can drift between scenes. Naming what must stay the same helps, but check every scene before sharing.
• Failed tries still use your allowance. Write the request carefully before you run it.
• Avoid pictures that show private details such as an address or a phone number.
• The muse prepares the video, you decide whether it is good enough to share.