Animate the image without losing what made it work.
Treat the reference as the visual source of truth, lock important details, choose one achievable movement and control the camera so the animation remains connected to the original image.
Act as an expert image-to-video prompt designer, cinematographer, motion director and visual-continuity specialist. TASK: Animate the supplied reference image into a realistic, controlled video while preserving the original image's identity, composition and important visual details. Treat the supplied image as the PRIMARY VISUAL SOURCE OF TRUTH. Do not unnecessarily redesign, replace or reinterpret elements that are already established in the reference image. REFERENCE IMAGE: [Attach the image to the video-generation model.] VIDEO GOAL: [What should happen to the reference image?] PLATFORM: [Facebook Reel / Instagram Reel / TikTok / YouTube Short / YouTube / advertisement / website / other.] DURATION: [5 sec / 8 sec / 10 sec / other.] ASPECT RATIO: [Preserve source / 9:16 / 16:9 / 1:1 / other.] PRIMARY SUBJECT: [Person / product / food / object / environment.] SUBJECT ACTION: [Describe exactly what the main subject should do.] SECONDARY MOTION: [Hair / fabric / steam / liquid / background / environmental movement / none.] CAMERA: [Static / slow push-in / pull-back / pan / tilt / tracking / orbit / handheld / other.] CAMERA SPEED: [Static / very slow / gentle / moderate / other.] ENDING FRAME: [Describe how the clip should end.] AUDIO: [None / ambient / dialogue / voice-over / other.] VISIBLE TEXT: [Preserve existing text / exact text / no new text.] ELEMENTS THAT MUST NOT CHANGE: [List critical identity, product, food, clothing, background or composition details.] ELEMENTS TO AVOID: [Optional.] SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: [Any additional instructions.] IMAGE-TO-VIDEO REQUIREMENTS: 1. USE THE REFERENCE IMAGE AS THE FIRST-FRAME AUTHORITY The generated video should begin as close as possible to the supplied image. 2. PRESERVE THE ORIGINAL SUBJECT Do not replace the main subject with a similar-looking alternative. 3. PRESERVE CHARACTER IDENTITY When the image contains a person, maintain: Face shape Facial proportions Skin tone Eyes Eyebrows Nose Lips Hair Age appearance Distinctive features Body proportions 4. DO NOT ALLOW FACE DRIFT The face should not gradually become a different person. 5. DO NOT BEAUTIFY UNNECESSARILY Avoid: Face reshaping Skin whitening Extreme smoothing Larger eyes Different nose Different lips Generic influencer appearance 6. PRESERVE HAIRSTYLE Keep: Length Colour Curl pattern Parting General volume consistent. 7. ALLOW NATURAL HAIR MOTION Hair may move subtly due to: Body movement Wind Gravity without changing hairstyle. 8. PRESERVE CLOTHING Keep the same: Garment type Colour Pattern Sleeves Neckline Fit unless a clothing change is explicitly requested. 9. PRESERVE ACCESSORIES Keep: Jewellery Glasses Watches Headwear Other distinctive accessories stable. 10. PRESERVE PRODUCT IDENTITY For products, maintain: Shape Dimensions Colour Packaging Materials Logo placement Labels Distinctive features 11. DO NOT REDESIGN PRODUCTS Do not add or remove product features unless explicitly requested. 12. PRESERVE FOOD IDENTITY For food, maintain: Dish type Shape Height Layers Texture Colour Toppings Sauce Serving vessel 13. DO NOT TRANSFORM THE DISH A single-layer cake must not become a layered cake. 14. PRESERVE OBJECT COUNT Do not randomly duplicate or remove important objects. 15. PRESERVE PROP IDENTITY Keep existing: Plates Utensils Furniture Containers Tools Decorations consistent. 16. PRESERVE THE ENVIRONMENT The room, kitchen, workplace, landscape or set should remain recognizable. 17. DO NOT REBUILD THE BACKGROUND Avoid random changes to: Walls Doors Windows Furniture Shelves Counters Decorations 18. PRESERVE ORIGINAL COLOUR PALETTE Do not introduce unrelated colours. 19. PRESERVE LIGHTING DIRECTION Existing highlights and shadows establish the scene lighting. 20. PRESERVE TIME-OF-DAY APPEARANCE Do not change daylight into night or vice versa unless requested. 21. PRESERVE COMPOSITION The opening frame should respect the original subject placement. 22. DO NOT RECROP UNNECESSARILY Keep important elements visible. 23. CONTROL ASPECT-RATIO EXPANSION If the source image must be extended, continue the environment naturally. 24. DO NOT INVENT IMPORTANT CONTENT OUTSIDE THE FRAME Outpainting should remain visually plausible and secondary. 25. DEFINE ONE PRIMARY ACTION The clip should have one dominant movement. 26. KEEP ACTION APPROPRIATE TO DURATION Do not overload a short clip. 27. START MOTION NATURALLY Avoid an abrupt first-frame jump. 28. END MOTION NATURALLY The clip should finish in a visually intentional state. 29. DO NOT TELEPORT OBJECTS Movement must occur continuously. 30. DO NOT ALLOW OBJECT POP-IN New objects should not suddenly appear. 31. DO NOT ALLOW OBJECT DISAPPEARANCE Existing objects should not vanish unless intentionally removed through visible action. 32. MAINTAIN PHYSICAL CONTACT Hands holding objects should remain correctly attached to them. 33. PRESERVE HAND IDENTITY AND POSITION Avoid sudden changes in hand size or orientation. 34. REALISTIC HAND ANATOMY Require: Five fingers per visible hand when anatomically expected Natural joints Correct grip Natural contact 35. PREVENT EXTRA LIMBS No duplicated: Hands Arms Legs Fingers 36. CONTROL BODY MOTION Movement should remain anatomically plausible. 37. CONTROL FACIAL MOVEMENT Expressions should transition naturally. 38. AVOID FACIAL FLICKER Eyes, mouth and facial features should remain stable between frames. 39. NATURAL BLINKING If appropriate, allow subtle realistic blinking. 40. CONTROL EYE DIRECTION Maintain gaze or specify a deliberate gaze change. 41. CONTROL MOUTH MOTION If no speech is requested, avoid unnecessary talking-like mouth movement. 42. DIALOGUE MODE If speech is requested, keep dialogue short enough for the clip duration. 43. PRESERVE BODY PROPORTIONS Do not allow stretching or shrinking. 44. USE REALISTIC PHYSICS Respect: Gravity Weight Momentum Contact Friction 45. LIQUID MOTION Liquids should flow continuously from a logical source to destination. 46. FOOD MOTION Cutting, lifting, pouring and serving should preserve realistic food structure. 47. FABRIC MOTION Clothing should react naturally without changing design. 48. STEAM MOTION Steam should rise naturally and remain subtle. 49. SMOKE MOTION Use realistic diffusion where relevant. 50. REFLECTION CONTINUITY Reflections should correspond to moving objects and camera position. 51. SHADOW CONTINUITY Shadows should remain attached to their objects. 52. CONTACT SHADOWS Objects should remain visually grounded. 53. PRESERVE PERSPECTIVE Do not warp object scale during motion. 54. PRESERVE STRAIGHT LINES Protect: Architecture Furniture Packaging Screens Counters from bending. 55. CAMERA MOTION SHOULD BE SIMPLE Prefer one dominant movement. 56. STATIC CAMERA MODE Use when the subject action is already visually interesting. 57. SLOW PUSH-IN MODE Move gradually toward the subject while maintaining perspective. 58. PULL-BACK MODE Reveal more environment without changing the scene identity. 59. PAN MODE Reveal adjacent space smoothly. 60. TILT MODE Use for controlled vertical reveal. 61. TRACKING MODE Follow a moving subject while maintaining framing. 62. ORBIT MODE Use cautiously because it requires generating unseen sides of the subject. 63. AVOID ORBITING WHEN IDENTITY IS CRITICAL Large viewpoint changes can increase character and product drift. 64. HANDHELD MODE Keep motion subtle and physically plausible. 65. DO NOT COMBINE CONFLICTING CAMERA MOVES Avoid requests such as simultaneous orbit, zoom, pan and tracking. 66. CONTROL CAMERA SPEED Use slow controlled motion for identity-sensitive scenes. 67. AVOID CAMERA JUMPS The viewpoint should move continuously. 68. MAINTAIN SCREEN DIRECTION Subjects should not randomly reverse movement. 69. CONTROL FOCUS Keep the primary subject appropriately sharp. 70. AVOID FOCUS PULSING Do not allow random blur changes. 71. USE FOCUS PULL ONLY WHEN INTENTIONAL Specify the start and destination of focus. 72. PRESERVE DEPTH OF FIELD Keep the source image's general optical character where possible. 73. PRESERVE PHOTOGRAPHIC STYLE If the source is photorealistic, keep the animation photorealistic. 74. PRESERVE ILLUSTRATION STYLE If the source is illustrated, maintain the same visual language unless transformation is requested. 75. DO NOT MIX STYLES ACCIDENTALLY Avoid photorealistic elements appearing inside a consistent illustration or vice versa. 76. PRESERVE IMAGE QUALITY Maintain: Texture Surface detail Lighting quality Material realism 77. DO NOT OVERSHARPEN Avoid artificial edge halos. 78. DO NOT OVER-SMOOTH Preserve natural skin, fabric, food and material textures. 79. SOCIAL VIDEO MODE Make the meaningful motion visible quickly. 80. FOOD VIDEO MODE Prioritize: Texture Steam Gloss Cutting Pouring Serving while preserving the actual dish. 81. PRODUCT VIDEO MODE Prioritize: Product identity Material Logo Surface details Controlled camera movement 82. CHARACTER VIDEO MODE Prioritize identity preservation over dramatic motion. 83. BUSINESS VIDEO MODE Use restrained movement and professional visual language. 84. CINEMATIC MODE Use cinematic movement without sacrificing source-image fidelity. 85. DO NOT ADD GENERIC AI EFFECTS Avoid automatic: Particles Holograms Circuits Neon glows Magic transformations 86. ADD EFFECTS ONLY WHEN REQUESTED Effects must serve the intended scene. 87. PRESERVE EXISTING TEXT Do not alter text already visible in the reference if it must remain readable. 88. DO NOT GENERATE RANDOM TEXT Avoid new: Labels Captions Signs Watermarks Logos 89. PRESERVE LOGOS If the source contains an approved logo, maintain its identity and placement as closely as possible. 90. DO NOT INVENT BRANDING No new brand marks. 91. DO NOT INVENT RESULTS Do not add unsupported: Statistics Performance improvements Transformations Before/after outcomes 92. DO NOT CREATE FALSE SOCIAL PROOF No fake: Ratings Reviews Awards Follower counts 93. DEFINE STABLE ELEMENTS Explicitly identify what should NOT move. 94. DEFINE MOVING ELEMENTS Explicitly identify what SHOULD move. 95. USE MICRO-MOTION FOR REALISM Where appropriate, use subtle: Breathing Blinking Hair movement Steam Fabric movement Environmental movement 96. DO NOT ANIMATE EVERYTHING Stable areas help preserve image fidelity. 97. CREATE TARGETED NEGATIVE CONSTRAINTS Use only relevant protections such as: No face morphing No extra fingers No duplicate objects No clothing change No product redesign No background warping No random text No camera jump No watermark 98. CREATE FIRST-FRAME FIDELITY CHECK Verify the opening remains faithful to the reference. 99. CREATE CONTINUITY CHECK Verify identity, props, lighting, environment and composition remain stable. 100. FINAL QUALITY CHECK Before finalizing verify: - reference image is treated as primary visual truth - duration is achievable - aspect ratio is correct - first frame preserves the source - primary subject identity remains stable - face does not drift - hair remains consistent - clothing remains consistent - accessories remain consistent - product identity remains unchanged - food identity remains unchanged - object count remains stable - hands remain anatomically plausible - background remains recognizable - lighting remains consistent - shadows remain physically coherent - perspective remains stable - one primary action dominates - camera movement is controlled - no abrupt camera jump occurs - no random text appears - no fake logos appear - no unsupported results are introduced - final frame looks intentional OUTPUT FORMAT: 1. REFERENCE IMAGE LOCK List the visual elements that must remain unchanged. 2. VIDEO INTENT Summarize what should happen during the clip. 3. MOTION PLAN Separate: Primary subject motion Secondary motion Elements that remain static 4. ACTION TIMELINE Break the requested duration into simple stages. Example: 0–2 sec 2–5 sec 5–8 sec Adapt to the actual duration. 5. CAMERA PLAN Specify: Framing Angle Movement Speed Focus 6. FULL IMAGE-TO-VIDEO PROMPT Provide one polished, coherent model-ready prompt. 7. NEGATIVE / PROTECTION INSTRUCTIONS List only likely generation failures. 8. FINAL FRAME Describe the desired ending state. 9. FIDELITY & CONTINUITY CHECK Confirm: Character / product / food identity Clothing Props Background Lighting Hands Camera Motion IMPORTANT: - Treat the supplied image as the primary visual source of truth. - Preserve identity before adding dramatic movement. - Keep short clips simple. - Explicitly distinguish moving elements from stable elements. - Avoid morphing, duplication, warping, random text and unnecessary redesign. - Use physically believable motion. - Preserve the source image's visual style and important details.
Use the prompt effectively.
Lock the reference image
Identify the face, clothing, product, food, props, lighting, environment and composition details that the video model must preserve.
Choose one main movement
Decide exactly what should animate instead of asking the model to change the subject, camera, environment and multiple objects simultaneously.
Separate motion from stability
Tell the model which elements should move and which should remain fixed. Stable areas help reduce morphing and scene drift.
Define the final frame
Give the animation a clear destination while keeping the ending visually connected to the supplied reference image.
Add natural motion to a creator image without changing her identity.
Reference: Portrait-oriented image of a female food creator presenting a finished cake in a home kitchen.
Platform: Facebook Reel.
Duration: 8 seconds.
Action: She gently presents the cake slightly toward the camera and smiles naturally.
Camera: Very slow push-in.
Secondary motion: Subtle natural breathing, one soft blink and minimal hair movement.
REFERENCE LOCK: Preserve the exact same woman's facial proportions, skin tone, hairstyle, clothing, jewellery, cake appearance, kitchen environment, lighting and original colour palette.
MOTION: She makes one small natural presenting movement with the cake while maintaining a warm expression. Allow only subtle breathing, one natural blink and minimal hair movement.
CAMERA: Use one very slow controlled push-in with no angle change or orbit.
STATIC ELEMENTS: Kitchen layout, countertop, background objects, cake design and lighting remain unchanged.
PROTECTION: No face morphing, no clothing changes, no extra fingers, no duplicated cake, no background rearrangement, no random text and no camera jump.
Use motion selectively to improve continuity.
Protect identity before adding motion
Large camera moves, dramatic expressions and complex body actions increase the chance that a reference person or product will drift away from the original image.
Tell the model what stays still
Image-to-video prompts often focus only on movement. Explicitly locking the background, clothing, props and lighting can improve continuity.
Use micro-motion when the image is already strong
A subtle push-in, natural blink, breathing, steam or small hand movement can make a strong still image feel alive without forcing unnecessary scene changes.