Living Visuals: how to turn a static image into an animation

💡 Benefits of animating a static image with AI

25 or 50 credits, 4 to 8 seconds: a 4-second animation costs 25 credits and the longer two cost 50, so the length you pick is also the price you pay.
Nothing to install: the clip is generated in Design Studio and lands in your Uploads, so there is no video editor and no round trip out of Flipsnack.
The original is still there: your static image stays under the video in the Layers panel, so dropping the animation is one delete rather than a re-upload.
Four presets, or your own words: Auto animate, Living photo and Focus in need no prompt; Custom prompt takes up to 500 characters when none of the three suit the image.
It plays for the reader: the video auto-plays in Preview and in the published flipbook, though never inside Design Studio.

Overview

A still image on a page can become a short, auto-playing cinematic video without leaving the Design Studio. Living Visuals does that for you, with several predefined animation styles to choose from, so you decide how much motion your visual gets.

The presets need no prompt: a predefined one runs behind the scenes to generate the cinematic result. When no preset suits the image, you can write a custom prompt describing how it should move.

The animated version behaves like a video element and plays automatically when your audience views the flipbook.

Image compatibility: Living Visuals animates the original uploaded image, so these are not supported or not preserved:

Images placed inside masks
Images flipped horizontally (the video uses the original orientation)
Images with filters applied (the video starts from the original, unfiltered image)

Requirements

Plan: Pro or above: check your plan or compare plans
AI credits: 25 AI credits for a 4-second animation, 50 for 6 or 8 seconds: how AI credits work

How to animate an image with AI

1. Select the image

Open your flipbook in Design Studio.

Select an image that you either:

Uploaded yourself
Added from our stock photography library
Added from an editable template

Make sure:

The image element is actively selected
The image is not placed inside a mask (Living Visuals does not support masked images)

2. Make your image animated

Selecting an image replaces the page toolbar with the image toolbar. Click AI Animate, between Motion and Action. Without an image selected the button is not on screen.

Animation styles

AI Animate opens as a panel on the left, in place of the Templates panel. It holds four presets:

Choose your preferred animation style:

Auto animate: intelligent scene-aware motion. Selected by default.
Living photo: still camera with alive scenery.
Focus in: slow zoom, seamless forward motion.
Custom prompt: describe the motion yourself.

Write your own prompt

Click Custom prompt when no preset suits the image. The preset expands and a text box appears under it, with a counter that allows up to 500 characters. Describe the motion you want: "Slow pan across the lobby with soft morning light".

Set the mode and the length

Two dropdowns sit below the presets.

Mode: Quality or Fast. It opens on Quality.
Duration: 4 sec, 6 sec or 8 sec. It opens on 4 sec.

Below them, Preview animation shows a sample of the preset. Click Generate to make the clip.

After selecting a style:

The image enters processing mode
A cinematic version is generated
The credits are deducted: 25 for a 4-second animation, 50 for 6 or 8 seconds

Each generated animation:

Runs for the length you chose: 4, 6 or 8 seconds
Is added as a video layer on top of your original image
Is saved in your Uploads section
Can be downloaded individually (no watermark)

Pick the duration by the job. 4 seconds keeps a background loop tight and the file light. 8 seconds gives the motion room to finish.

Note: A 4-second animation costs 25 AI credits; 6 and 8 seconds cost 50. The panel prints the cost under Generate, and it changes with the duration you pick. Make sure you have enough credits before starting. If you need more, contact us via live chat.

3. Preview your animation

Click Preview in the top-right corner to see how the animation appears in your flipbook.

Try different animation styles to compare how each one impacts your visual.

Important:

The animation auto-plays in Preview and published flipbooks
The animation does not auto-play inside Design Studio (this is expected behavior)

4. Customize your animated video

Once generated, the animated image becomes a video element.

Select it and use the Edit panel to adjust video-specific settings:

Autoplay
Loop
Mute
Show controls
Fill container
Set thumbnail

Your original static image remains available in the Layers panel as a hidden element underneath the video.

This ensures a non-destructive workflow so you can remove the animation at any time.

Content and usage guidelines

To ensure responsible use of Living Visuals:

Do not use images of famous public figures without appropriate rights or permissions
Avoid generating videos featuring minors for commercial purposes
Make sure you have the legal right to use any image you upload and animate

You are responsible for ensuring your content complies with applicable laws and usage rights.

Tips for best results

For high-quality, realistic animations:

What to check

Why it matters

Image quality

The clip is generated from the original file, so an image that is soft or low resolution stays soft once it moves.

Crowded visuals

Every object in the frame is something the model has to invent motion for. Fewer subjects move more convincingly.

Depth and focal point

A slow zoom or a pan needs somewhere to travel. A flat image gives the camera nothing to move through.

Test in Preview mode

The animation does not play inside Design Studio. Preview is the only place you see what a reader sees.

Compare static and animated

Your original stays under the video in the Layers panel, so you can switch between the two and judge whether the motion earned its credits.

Animation style

Living photo holds the camera still and moves the scene. Focus in moves the camera. Pick by which of the two should carry the motion.

Troubleshooting

1. The AI Animate button is greyed out or does nothing

No image element selected: Make sure you selected an image element
Element is not a standard image: Make sure the selected element is a standard image
Image is a stock photo: Confirm the image is not a built-in stock photo
Image inside a mask: Images placed inside masks are not supported, so remove the mask and try again
Not inside Design Studio: Check that you are inside Design Studio
Plan doesn't support Living Visuals: Check that your plan supports Living Visuals

2. Not enough AI credits

Check credit balance: Verify your credit balance from the Account menu
Out of credits: Purchase additional credits if needed
Contact live chat: Contact live chat for assistance

3. Animation does not play in Design Studio

Expected behavior: This is expected behavior
Animation not playing: Use Preview mode to see the animation auto-play

4. The generated video looks different from my edited image

Living Visuals generates animations using the original image file.

If you:

Image was flipped: Flipped the image horizontally
Filters applied: Applied filters
Other visual adjustments: Used other visual adjustments inside Design Studio

These changes will not be reflected in the generated animation. The video will appear in the image’s original orientation and without filters.

To ensure the animation matches your intended look, edit the image externally before uploading it, then apply Living Visuals.

5. I don’t see the animation immediately after clicking AI Animate

This is expected behavior. After clicking AI Animate, you now need to select an animation style before the video is generated.

Next steps

Need expert support?

Our team is here to help. Connect with our team experts or message us via the live chat for personalized assistance.