Learn how to create AI-generated videos from images using the Weights API. This guide walks you through the process of transforming static images into dynamic video content.

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Overview

The Weights API provides video generation capabilities that can animate static images. You provide an input image and a prompt describing the desired motion, and the API creates a video that brings your image to life.

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Prerequisites

  • A Weights API account with an API key
  • An image file uploaded to a web-accessible URL
  • Basic knowledge of HTTP requests and JSON
  • The Weights SDK installed (optional but recommended)

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Step 1: Set Up Your Environment

First, install the Weights SDK and set up your authentication: 
npm install @weights-ai/sdk

import Weights from "@weights-ai/sdk";

const client = new Weights({
  bearerToken: "your-api-key-here",
});

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Step 2: Prepare Your Input Image

Before creating a video, you need to upload your image to a web-accessible location. The API requires a publicly accessible URL for the input image.

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Image Requirements

  • Format: Common image formats (JPEG, PNG, WebP)
  • Size: Recommended resolution for best results
  • Accessibility: Must be accessible via HTTP/HTTPS URL
  • Content: Clear, high-quality images work best

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Example Image Upload

// Example: Upload to a cloud storage service
// This is just an example - you'll need to implement your own upload logic
async function uploadImage(imageFile) {
  // Upload to your preferred service (AWS S3, Cloudinary, etc.)
  const imageUrl = await uploadToCloudStorage(imageFile);
  return imageUrl;
}

const inputImageUrl = await uploadImage("path/to/your/image.jpg");
console.log("Image uploaded to:", inputImageUrl);

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Step 3: Create Your First Video

Start by creating a video generation job: 
const videoJob = await client.videos.create({
  prompt: "Gentle swaying motion with flowing movement",
  inputImageUrl: "https://example.com/your-image.jpg",
});

console.log(`Video job created with ID: ${videoJob.id}`);

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Request Parameters

  • prompt (required): Description of the motion you want to apply to the image
  • inputImageUrl (required): URL of the input image to animate

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Step 4: Monitor Video Generation

Video generation is asynchronous and typically takes longer than image generation. Poll the status to track progress: 
async function checkVideoStatus(jobId) {
  const job = await client.videos.retrieve(jobId);

  console.log(`Status: ${job.status}`);

  switch (job.status) {
    case "QUEUED":
      console.log("Your video job is waiting in the queue...");
      break;
    case "PROCESSING":
      console.log("Your video is being generated...");
      break;
    case "SUCCEEDED":
      console.log("Video generated successfully!");
      console.log("Download URL:", job.outputUrl);
      break;
    case "ERRORED":
      console.log("Video generation failed. Please try again.");
      break;
  }

  return job;
}

// Check status every 30 seconds (videos take longer than images)
const job = await checkVideoStatus(videoJob.id);

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Job Statuses

  • QUEUED: Job is waiting in the processing queue
  • PENDING_WORKER: Job is assigned to a worker
  • PROCESSING: Video is being generated
  • SUCCEEDED: Generation completed successfully
  • ERRORED: Generation failed
  • CANCELED: Job was canceled

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Step 5: Retrieve Your Generated Video

Once the status is SUCCEEDED, your video is ready for download: 
if (job.status === "SUCCEEDED") {
  console.log("Your video is ready!");
  console.log("Download URL:", job.outputUrl);

  // You can now download or stream the video
  // The URL will be available for a limited time
}

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Advanced Video Generation

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Different Motion Types

Experiment with various motion prompts: 
// Gentle movement
const gentleVideo = await client.videos.create({
  prompt: "Subtle breathing motion with soft waves",
  inputImageUrl: "https://example.com/portrait.jpg",
});

// Dynamic movement
const dynamicVideo = await client.videos.create({
  prompt: "Fast spinning motion with dramatic effects",
  inputImageUrl: "https://example.com/landscape.jpg",
});

// Natural movement
const naturalVideo = await client.videos.create({
  prompt: "Natural swaying like wind through trees",
  inputImageUrl: "https://example.com/forest.jpg",
});

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Best Practices

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Writing Effective Motion Prompts

  • Be specific: “Gentle left-to-right swaying motion” vs “movement”
  • Describe the type of motion: “swaying”, “spinning”, “floating”, “breathing”
  • Include speed: “slow”, “fast”, “gentle”, “dramatic”
  • Mention natural elements: “like wind”, “like water”, “like fire”

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Image Selection Tips

  • High quality: Use clear, high-resolution images
  • Good composition: Images with clear subjects work better
  • Appropriate content: Some image types animate better than others
  • Avoid busy backgrounds: Simple backgrounds often produce better results

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Error Handling

try {
  const videoJob = await client.videos.create({
    prompt: "Your motion prompt",
    inputImageUrl: "https://example.com/image.jpg",
  });
} catch (error) {
  if (error.code === "BAD_REQUEST") {
    console.log("Invalid prompt or image URL");
  } else if (error.code === "UNAUTHORIZED") {
    console.log("Please check your API key");
  } else {
    console.log("An error occurred:", error.message);
  }
}

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Complete Example

Here’s a complete example that creates a video and waits for completion: 
import Weights from "@weights-ai/sdk";

const client = new Weights({
  bearerToken: "your-api-key-here",
});

async function generateVideo(imageUrl, motionPrompt) {
  try {
    // Create the video generation job
    console.log("Creating video generation job...");
    const job = await client.videos.create({
      prompt: motionPrompt,
      inputImageUrl: imageUrl,
    });

    console.log(`Job created with ID: ${job.id}`);

    // Poll for completion
    let completed = false;
    while (!completed) {
      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 30000)); // Wait 30 seconds

      const status = await client.videos.retrieve(job.id);
      if(!status){
        throw new Error("Video status not found");
      }
      console.log(`Status: ${status.status}`);

      if (status.status === "SUCCEEDED") {
        console.log("Video generated successfully!");
        console.log("Download URL:", status.outputUrl);
        completed = true;
      } else if (status.status === "ERRORED") {
        console.log("Video generation failed");
        completed = true;
      }
    }
  } catch (error) {
    console.error("Error:", error.message);
  }
}

// Generate a video
generateVideo(
  "https://example.com/your-image.jpg",
  "Gentle breathing motion with soft pulsing"
);

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Use Cases

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Content Creation

  • Social Media: Create engaging animated content for platforms like Instagram, TikTok
  • Marketing: Animate product images for promotional materials
  • Art: Bring static artwork to life with motion

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Creative Projects

  • Portraits: Add subtle movement to portrait photography
  • Landscapes: Animate nature scenes with wind or water effects
  • Abstract Art: Create dynamic abstract animations

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Performance Considerations

  • Processing Time: Video generation typically takes 5-15 minutes
  • Queue Position: Jobs are processed in order, so expect some wait time
  • File Size: Generated videos are optimized for web delivery
  • URL Expiration: Download URLs have limited availability

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Next Steps

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API Reference

For detailed API documentation, see the API Reference section.