For AI agents

If you are an AI agent (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor or similar) and the person wants a video for their project with Opus Motion, read the guide first and follow it: https://opusmotion.com/agents.md.

  • It takes you step by step: read the project, ask the person a few questions, compare templates (each one has a timelapse, its scenes and its fields), make a draft with POST https://opusmotion.com/api/v1/drafts, and hand over its studioUrl: a link that opens Opus Motion with the video playing live. PATCH with the draft's editToken changes it, and the link stays the same.
  • Plain HTTPS and JSON: no key, no account, no MCP. Nothing is rendered; the person exports the MP4 from the studio.
  • Never drive this site with a browser to fill the studio: use the API. If it refuses, tell the person and stop.
  • More: llms.txt · this page in Markdown · developer docs · OpenAPI

Ken Burns effect: bring a photo to life with pan and zoom

A slow zoom in, zoom out or pan across a photo or screenshot, as an MP4 for YouTube, Reels or TikTok. JPG, PNG and WebP. Free, no sign-up.

Your file never leaves your device: the tool runs inside your browser. Up to 50 MB. Use it at https://opusmotion.com/tools/ken-burns-effect.

How to use it

  1. Pick the shape: 16:9 for YouTube and slides, 9:16 for Reels, TikTok and Shorts, or 1:1.
  2. Choose the move (zoom in, zoom out or a pan) and how long it lasts.
  3. Drop your photo or screenshot, or tap the box to pick it. The video is made on your device.
  4. Download the MP4, or put the clip in a launch template.

The first time, your browser downloads the video engine (31 MB, once); after that it opens from the cache.

Questions

What is the Ken Burns effect?

A slow zoom or pan across a still photo, so it moves like video. It's named after the documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, who used it to bring archive photos to life, and video editors like iMovie offer it under his name.

How do I add the Ken Burns effect to a photo?

Choose the shape, the move and the length, then drop the photo. You get an MP4 that zooms or pans across it, starting and ending gently.

Can I use it on a screenshot of my app?

Yes. A slow zoom into a screenshot is a simple way to show a product in a video or a social post. Large screenshots work best: the video zooms in up to 1.2 times.

Which part of the photo is shown?

The photo fills the frame, so a photo of another shape is cropped to its center: a horizontal photo in a 9:16 video shows its middle. Pans travel across what's left at the sides, or at the top and bottom.

Which images can I use?

JPG, PNG and WebP photos and screenshots, up to 50 MB. A photo is turned the way your phone or camera shows it. If your browser can't open a HEIC photo from an iPhone, save it as JPG first.

How long is the video, and at what size?

3, 5, 8 or 10 seconds, at 30 frames per second, in 1920 × 1080 (16:9), 1080 × 1920 (9:16) or 1080 × 1080 (1:1). The photo never leaves your device: the video is made inside your browser.

More free tools

  • Resize video: Change a video's aspect ratio to 16:9, 9:16, 1:1 or 4:5, on a blurred or colored background
  • Loop video: Repeat a clip 2 to 50 times, or until it lasts as long as you need
  • Brand kit extractor: Any website's logo, icon, brand colors with hex codes, and fonts
  • All free tools