Guide How to animate a photo using a neural network?

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Modern technology allows you not only to store old photos in albums, but also to literally breathe life into them. Neural networks have learned how to animate faces, add motion to static frames, and even recreate the emotions of people who are no longer around. This is not magic, but the result of algorithms that analyze images and "animate" them with amazing accuracy. Here I will tell you about the most popular services that will help you turn your pictures into mini-movies.

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This neural network is suitable for those who like to experiment, it not only moves objects in the image, but also creates smooth transitions between frames. For example, you can make the person in the portrait smile or make the wind sway his hair. The service works via a web interface. It is enough to upload a photo, select the type of animation and adjust the settings. Pica is especially popular among designers and bloggers, because it makes it easy to create original content for social networks.

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Runway is a whole studio for working with media, where neural networks perform dozens of different tasks. Text-in-motion technology is used here to bring photos to life: you describe what should happen in the image, and the algorithm brings it to life. For example, you can make the child in the picture start waving his hand or make the clouds float slowly in the background. The interface is intuitive, and the result is saved in video or GIF format. Even beginners often use the runway, because the service does not require installation skills.

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When you need to animate a photo in a minute, Cutout becomes an indispensable assistant. The service specializes in automatic processing: you upload a portrait, and the neural network detects the face and adds a natural animation to it. Blinking, a slight smile, a turn of the head — the movements look so realistic that it seems as if the person is about to speak. The cutout is suitable for those who appreciate speed, there are no complicated settings, and the result can be downloaded immediately after processing. The service is often used to create touching gifts, such as animated portraits of loved ones.

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My Heritage has relied on nostalgia and turned photo animation into a way to reconnect with the past. The neural network of the service analyzes old family photos, restores damaged areas, and then adds animation. The grandmother in the 1950s photo suddenly smiles softly, and the grandfather nods — this gives even skeptics goosebumps.

How do they work?​

Behind all these services are algorithms trained on millions of videos and images. The neural network analyzes facial features, determines facial muscles, and "predicts" how a person might move in real life. The more data the model has processed, the more natural the result.

Conclusion​

In this article, I explained which AI systems exist for animating photos and how they work. If you still have any questions, please write in the comments.