Animate a finished still with one clear movement, then test the idea as a short clip before committing to a larger edit.

Treat the source still as the starting frame

Image to Video works best when the uploaded still already contains the composition you want to preserve. It gives the model a product position, palette, light direction, and focal point before motion begins. Upload the approved frame, select a compatible model, and review the duration and resolution controls that appear for it.

Choose a frame that can hold for a beat. A clear product shot, poster, portrait, or illustration is a better starting point than a crowded image with no obvious subject.

Choose one motion that sells the shot

For a first test, pick a single visible motion: a slow push-in, condensation running down glass, a breeze through fabric, or a change in sunlight. Multiple moving objects give the model more opportunities to alter the product or lose the original composition.

Vertical social: central action and room for captions.
Website hero: slow, looping-friendly movement.
Campaign review: one unmistakable visual idea.

Write the prompt around the movement

State the movement first, then the camera behaviour and the details that must stay stable. You do not need to repeat the whole still in prose: the uploaded image is already the visual anchor. A concise constraint such as “keep the bottle centred and the label readable” is more actionable than a long mood description.

EXAMPLE DIRECTIONPreserve the bottle, label placement, pale green palette, and stone surface from the source image. Tiny beads of condensation form and slide down the glass while sliced citrus shifts gently in a warm breeze. The camera makes a slow, controlled push-in. Bright early-morning sunlight, soft moving leaf shadows. Keep the bottle centered and the label readable; no new objects enter the frame.

Test the idea as three short clips

Make an establish clip with a small camera move, a close detail clip with one action, and a quieter end frame with room for copy. That is enough material to decide whether the direction deserves a longer edit or a production shoot.

Review the start and end frames as well as the middle. If the product moves, the label changes, or the composition drifts, simplify the action and shorten the prompt before trying a different art direction.