Can I animate a photo of someone else?
Yes, with their permission: the studio asks you to confirm it before a photo of a real person renders. It renders on the Standard engine (720p on a free account, higher on a paid plan) with a visible AI label.
Animate old photos
Bring an old photo to life.
Upload a scan, describe one small movement — a smile, a nod, a turn toward the camera — and get a 4–10 second clip with sound.
The rule, before anything else
A photo of a real person animates on the Standard engine only after you confirm you have their permission: 720p on a free account, higher on paid, with a visible AI label on every plan. Photos of children or public figures are refused when you attach them.
200 free starter credits in many countries · No card · Unused starter credits expire after 24 hours
One old photo
What you get back
- Movement
- A smile, a nod, a blink, a turn toward the camera — or wind and water in the scene.
- People
- Your confirmation of their permission first; children and public figures refused.
- Length
- 4 to 10 seconds, with sound, in 16:9 or 9:16.
- Label
- A visible AI label on every clip made from a photo of a real person.
Example
A still photo, and the clip it became
The portrait is synthetic: an AI-generated picture in a 1950s style, not a real person.
Photo
Before you upload a photo of a person
Permission first, and a label on every clip
Old photos are almost always of real people, so the studio treats them that way.
You confirm permission
When a photo shows a real person, the studio asks you to confirm you have their permission before it renders anything.
The clip says it is AI
A clip of a real person renders on the Standard engine with a visible AI label on every plan, and the file carries machine-readable AI provenance.
Some photos are refused
Photos of children or public figures are refused, and the studio tells you as soon as you attach one.
How it works
From scan to moving picture
- Step 1
Scan it sharp
Scan or photograph the print flat, in good light, as a JPEG, PNG or WebP up to 10 MB. Crop close to the faces.
- Step 2
Describe one small movement
A smile, a nod or a turn of the head. Small movements keep a face looking like itself; big ones bend it.
- Step 3
Confirm, then render
Confirm you have permission, choose 4 to 10 seconds and render. The clip lands in your library with sound and an AI label.
Good to know
What works with old photos
One or two faces
A portrait or a couple works best. A crowded group photo gives each face too few pixels to move well.
Fix it before it moves
Retouch scratches and upscale a small scan in the image studio first; the motion keeps whatever the still shows.
Expect a reading, not a memory
The engine animates the picture, not the person: a gesture it invents is not one they made. Share it as what it is.
Questions
Before you animate an old photo
Can I animate a childhood photo?
No. A photograph in which anyone appears to be under 18 is refused, even if that person is an adult today. Photos of public figures are refused too.
Why does the clip carry an AI label?
Every clip made from a photo of a real person carries a visible AI label on every plan, and the file carries machine-readable AI provenance. Anyone who sees it knows the movement was generated.
How long is the clip?
4 to 10 seconds, with sound, in landscape or portrait. Cut several clips together in the timeline editor for anything longer.
Is it free?
In many countries new accounts get 200 free starter credits, no card; unused ones expire after 24 hours. Elsewhere, a small credit pack is the entry. Animating your own photo needs a free account.
What makes a good old photo to animate?
A sharp scan, one or two faces looking roughly toward the camera, and room around them. Ask for one small movement; a slow smile or a nod keeps the face looking like itself.
Related tools
- Animate any photoThe image-to-video tool, for places, pets and products too.
- Retouch before you animateRemove scratches and upscale a small scan with Magic Edit.
- AI hug videoTwo people in one photo, with both people's permission.
- What likeness consent meansRecorded agreement, review and the right to revoke.
Make the full version in the studio
Longer clips, higher resolution, sound, songs and a timeline editor — in one account.
200 free starter credits in many countries · No card · Unused starter credits expire after 24 hours
Start creating free