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How to Turn a Character Image into a Short Video
Updated
Character image to video on Ponys.ai starts from a still that already belongs to one character. You are not opening a separate film studio. Pick the character, use a source image of that character, describe a short allowed motion, and generate a clip.
Chat clips are 720P, either 5 seconds (15 tokens) or 10 seconds (20 tokens). A retry is another clip at that quote. Free Mode is a separate workspace for text creation and supported media-reference editing, without a companion record. Its own settings and quote apply. Trial allows each account 1 completed Free Mode image or video, including edits. Tokens apply. After that, All Access is required.
Check the still before you animate it. A reused portrait can drift. The clip is a motion test of that still, not a guarantee the face stays locked, and not a long film.
What you need first
One character record and one usable still of that character. The still is the source. The clip does not invent a new identity beside it.
The steps
Open the character, choose image-to-video, describe a short motion that stays inside the same rules as chat and images, then review the clip. If the motion is wrong, generate again; that spends the quote again.
What this does not do
It does not make a feature-length video, a live call, or a clip with no source image. Illegal, underage-coded, and non-consent requests stay blocked on this path too.
An illustrative motion prompt
Example for an original adult character: "The character turns toward the window once; keep the camera still and preserve the outfit and lighting." This is a writing example, not a recorded generation result. Change one motion at a time so you can judge what changed.
Before trying again, compare face, hair, clothing, background and camera movement with the source still. Check these separately: identity details, whether the requested action happened, and whether the camera stayed as requested. If the face already differs in the still, review the source before paying for another motion test. Keeping the same character record does not guarantee identical pixels. A deliberate new generation is another quoted request.
When to use Free Mode instead
Free Mode supports text creation and supported image/video reference editing without a companion record. Its settings and quote are separate from the character clip. Check the selected mode, references, duration and total before generating. Trial allows each account 1 completed Free Mode image or video, including edits. Tokens apply. After that, All Access is required. The character clip prices above do not quote every Studio mode.
FAQ
- Do I need a character before I can animate?
- For a character clip, yes: it starts from an image of that character. Free Mode Video Studio supports text creation and supported reference editing without a companion record; its own mode and quote apply.
- How long is the clip?
- Chat image-to-video is 5 or 10 seconds at 720P.