What You Will Build
First Frame Control
Set a specific image as the opening frame of your video
Directed Animation
Describe how the scene should evolve from the starting frame
Video Continuations
Chain videos together using the last frame of a previous generation
Consistent Characters
Maintain visual consistency by starting from a known frame
Before You Begin
Make sure you have:- A Pictory API key
- Node.js or Python installed on your machine
- The required packages installed
- A publicly accessible URL for your first frame image
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Set Up Your Request
Prepare your API credentials, the first frame image URL, and a prompt that describes how the video should proceed from that frame.The
firstFrameImageUrl must point to a publicly accessible image. This parameter cannot be used together with extendVideoUrl or referenceImageUrls.Step 2: Submit the Video Generation Request
Send the request to the AI Studio video generation endpoint.Step 3: Poll for the Result
Check the job status at regular intervals until the video is ready.Understanding the Parameters
Chaining Videos with Last Frame
The completed video response includes alastFrameImageUrl field. You can use this URL as the firstFrameImageUrl in a new request to create a seamless continuation. This technique is useful for building longer narratives across multiple video segments.
Example workflow:
- Generate the first video with a text prompt.
- Retrieve the
lastFrameImageUrlfrom the completed job. - Use that URL as the
firstFrameImageUrlfor the next video, with a new prompt describing the next action. - Repeat to build a multi-segment video sequence.
Tips for First Frame Videos
- Reference the frame content. Describe actions relative to what is visible in the image. For example, “The person in the frame begins to walk” is more effective than a prompt that ignores the image content.
- Describe motion direction. Specify where subjects should move. For example, “walks towards the window” or “turns to face the camera.”
- Match the aspect ratio. Use the same aspect ratio as your source image for the best visual continuity.
- Use for scene transitions. Generate an image with the AI Studio image endpoint, then animate it with this approach for full creative control over the opening frame.
Next Steps
- Generate Video from Text Prompt to create videos without a starting frame
- Generate Video from Reference Images to guide generation using multiple reference visuals
- Extend Video with AI to continue an existing video
- Generate Video API Reference for the complete parameter documentation
