Prepare a photo
for AI video.

1. Match the photo to the action.

For a small head turn or expression, a clear head-and-shoulders photo can be enough to describe the shot. For a full-body action, choose a wider photo where the head, hands and feet are visible, with space around them. Avoid heavy blur, a covered face or several competing subjects when you want one person to move.

These are preparation checks, not a promise that a model will preserve identity or anatomy. A prompt cannot make cropped-out details reliable. If the original frame is too tight, choose another source photo instead of stretching it or expecting missing limbs to be reconstructed accurately.

2. Choose the video shape first.

PromptToVisual’s image-to-video studio offers square 1:1 and landscape 16:9. The Firestarter template uses 16:9. Match the photo to the selected output, rather than assuming every social-video format is available.

In Crop, choose 1:1 or 16:9, keep zoom near 1× to retain more of the source, then adjust horizontal and vertical position. Inspect the whole frame before downloading. Cropping removes edges; it does not add background. If the chosen shape cuts off the action, use a wider original. The crop tool also has Original and 4:5 options, but no dedicated 9:16 preset.

3. Export, reopen and inspect.

Use Resize only if you need different dimensions, with Keep proportions enabled. Use Compress when an accepted input still needs a smaller export. Lower quality in small steps and inspect the face, hands and fine edges. Compression can soften detail; an already optimized image may even export larger.

Download the edited image, then reopen it on your device. Confirm that it is upright, sharp enough for the intended framing, and still within the video uploader’s 5 MB limit. Keep the original separately. Files do not transfer automatically between these tools and the video studio.

The linked local tools process photos in your browser. Submitting an AI generation is a separate action that uploads the image for processing. Use a photo you have permission to submit.

Describe one clear movement.

Start with a movement that fits the visible composition. For a portrait, an example instruction is:

Keep the camera fixed. The person slowly turns their head toward the camera and gives a small smile. Keep the background still and the framing unchanged.

This is a writing example, not a tested prompt or the prompt used for the clip above. Review the result for face changes, extra fingers, distorted edges and unexpected camera movement. Photo preparation does not guarantee an exact dance, identity match or motion sequence.

Review once, then submit once.

• Open the studio and choose the downloaded photo again.
• Check the selected model, output settings and displayed credit cost. Video requires a verified account and sufficient paid credits; free trial image credits do not apply.
• Submit once. If the response is uncertain, check History or the existing task’s status before starting another request.
• After a successful job, play the result and download the private MP4. Check its actual content before deciding whether another generation is needed.

If the file is rejected, fix its format or size before submitting. If a job fails, read its recorded status; a finished video that misses your creative brief is different from a technical failure. Another generation is another request and can consume credits.