Kaiber AI has made waves in the world of AI-generated video with its ability to create short videos from text prompts and images. Now, the company has released an early beta of a new Motion feature that can animate still images into short video clips. In this article, we’ll take a hands-on look at what the Kaiber AI Motion tool can currently do, how it compares to other AI video generators, tips for using it effectively, and what improvements we might see as the product develops out of beta.
Introduction
Kaiber AI first launched in 2022 as an AI-powered platform for generating short videos from text prompts. Users can describe a video they want to create through a text prompt, and Kaiber’s AI will generate a short animated clip.
The system uses a diffusion model architecture similar to tools like DALL-E 2 and Stable Diffusion for its image generation capabilities. This allows it to create fairly coherent short videos from scratch based on text prompt inputs.
In late 2022 and early 2023, Kaiber rolled out access to beta testers for a new Motion feature. This tool allows users to upload a still image and have Kaiber’s AI generate a short animated video clip from that single image.
Hands-on with Kaiber AI Motion
The Kaiber AI Motion tool is accessible from the “Create” menu within the Kaiber web interface to users with beta access. There you’ll see options for Animation (text-to-video), Transform (video-to-video), and Motion (image-to-video).
Selecting the Motion tab allows you to upload a single still image that will serve as the basis for generating a short animated clip.
Current Capabilities
As this feature is still in early beta, there are limitations to be aware of:
- Maximum sequence length is 2 seconds
- Only single image uploads are supported, no video clips
- Limited control over animation style/direction
However, even with these restrictions in place, the tool can create some impressive animations from still images:
You can see even within the constraints of a 2 second clip, Kaiber’s AI generates relevant movement and animation that brings the still image to life.
Interface and Controls
The interface for Kaiber Motion is simple – just upload your image and hit “Generate.” There are very limited controls available currently to influence the animation style and direction.
However, Kaiber does display a few preview frames before final render to give you a sense of motion and style before committing to the full clip generation:
These preview frames allow you to retry with a different image if the motion isn’t what you expected.
Image Quality
The quality of Kaiber’s AI-generated animations is quite impressive given how early this feature is in development. The 2-second clips can be exported up to 4K resolution currently.
There can be some artifacting and distortion, especially around elements like faces or hands, but overall coherence and motion blurring help mask these imperfections in many cases.
Comparing Kaiber Motion to Other AI Video Tools
Kaiber is not the first AI video generation tool, but it is one of the first to offer direct animation from a single still image input. Let’s see how it compares to some other options currently on the market.
Runway ML Gen-2
Runway ML offers a video generation tool called Gen-2. This allows animation of characters based on pose estimation in uploaded video clips.
Gen-2 focuses more on mimicking motions from real videos, while Kaiber Motion works from scratch. However, Gen-2 can output up to 5 seconds of animation, while Kaiber is currently limited to 2 seconds.
Animation Style
An “animated” aesthetic is one of Kaiber Motion’s distinguishing strengths. The tool seems predisposed to generating motions and transitions that have an appealing animated look.
Runway’s Gen-2, while more realistic in some cases, suffers from more uncanny motions and distortions. Kaiber’s clips feel more fluid and intentional.
This lends itself well to creating content inspired by styles like anime or using Kaiber’s outputs as part of a creative animation workflow.
Tips for Using Kaiber Motion for Animation
While limited to short clips, Kaiber Motion already shows promise for integrating into animation and video workflows. Here are some tips for using it effectively even at this early stage:
Leverage as a Stylization Tool
The “animated” aesthetic of Kaiber Motion’s outputs make the tool useful as a way to add stylized animation to existing video footage. For example, you could:
- Use Kaiber to animate a character from a still image
- Then overlay and composite that clip with your base footage
- This adds dynamic motion in Kaiber’s unique style
Combine Kaiber with Other Tools
Chaining Kaiber Motion together with tools like MidJourney for initial concept art can be a great animation workflow.
For example:
- Generate a character concept in MidJourney
- Bring into Kaiber Motion to animate
- Add to existing environment/scene using video editing software
This allows you to leverage multiple AI systems and avoid overusing any one tool.
Utilize the “Evolve” Slider
Kaiber provides an “evolve” slider that increases randomness and variance in the generated animations.
Cranking this setting up results in more exaggerated, abstract motions. Turning it down generates more subtle, grounded movement.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with higher “evolve” settings to add some flair and stylization to your animations.
The Future of Kaiber Motion
As Kaiber Motion is still early in its beta development, we can likely expect significant improvements and new features added over time. Here are some areas of potential enhancement to look forward to:
Increased Maximum Duration
The current 2-second limit will likely be extended up to 5 seconds or more. This will provide animators more breathing room and flexibility.
More Robust Animation Controls
Additional parameters to influence the style, direction, and complexity of motion will help users shape the animations more precisely.
Integration with Existing Kaiber Workflows
Allowing video clips generated in Motion to be brought into the Kaiber video editing workflow will be a powerful feature.
Smoother Motions and Transitions
As the AI model trains on more data over time, the quality and smoothness of the generated motions and transitions will likely improve significantly.
Conclusion
Even in its initial beta, Kaiber AI Motion demonstrates impressive capability to animate still images and create appealing short video clips. The stylized motion and smooth transitions generated by the AI lend themselves well to creating dynamic animated content and effects.
As the product matures and video length/control expands, Kaiber Motion has huge potential to become a versatile tool for animators and video creators looking to integrate AI-generated components into their work with ease. We can expect rapid evolution of this technology in the coming months as Kaiber refines Motion into a robust generative tool for beautiful animation.