Motion Control: Animate Anyone from a Single Photo

Ever wanted to make your friend hit a TikTok dance from a single photo? Now you can.

Motion Control is one of the wildest features in Kira. You upload a photo of anyone, pick a video with a movement you like, and Kira makes the person in your photo perform that exact motion. No editing skills, no timeline, no motion capture suit. Just a photo and a vibe.

Motion Control costs 15 credits per second of generated video.

Motion Control takes a reference video and a still photo, extracts the movement from the video, and applies it to the subject in your photo. The result is a brand new video where your subject moves exactly like the reference.

Think of it like this: you find a clip of someone dancing, running, waving, doing a backflip, whatever. You upload a photo of literally anyone. Kira does the rest.

The subject keeps their identity, their face, their outfit. Only the motion changes.

It takes about 30 seconds to set up. Here is the full flow:

1. Upload a photo of the person or character you want to animate. This can be a selfie, a portrait, a generated image, even a drawing.

2. Upload a reference video with the motion you want. This is the movement source. TikTok clips, Instagram Reels, YouTube videos, your own recordings, anything works.

3. Write a short prompt describing what you want. Something like "make the person in the photo dance like the video" or "make them walk like this."

4. Hit generate. Kira extracts the motion from your reference video and maps it onto your subject.

5. Preview and download. If you love it, export. If not, tweak the prompt or try a different reference video.

That is it. No keyframes, no rigging, no technical setup.

Pretty much anything with visible human movement:

• TikTok dances and viral choreography

• Workout and fitness videos

• Walking, running, jumping clips

• Film scenes and dramatic performances

• Waving, pointing, gesturing

• Your own phone recordings

The clearer the movement in the video, the better the result. Full-body shots tend to work best, but Kira can handle upper-body and partial views too.

• Use a clear, well-lit photo. The sharper the subject, the better Kira can preserve their identity.

• Pick a reference video with clean movement. Avoid shaky camera, heavy cuts, or obscured body parts.

• Full-body shots work best. The more of the body visible in both the photo and the reference video, the more accurate the motion transfer.

• Keep prompts simple. You do not need to over-explain. "Make them dance like the video" is usually enough.

• Experiment with different references. The same photo can produce wildly different results depending on the motion source. Try a few.

Can I use any photo?

Yes. Selfies, portraits, AI-generated images, illustrations, even pet photos. If there is a visible subject, Kira will try to animate it.

Does it work with multiple people in the frame?

It works best with a single subject.

How long does it take to generate?

Rendering typically takes a few minutes depending on the length and complexity of the motion. It is not instant, but it is way faster than doing it manually.

What if the result looks off?

Try a different reference video, adjust your prompt, or use a higher-quality source photo. Small changes can make a big difference.