AI animation generator
AI Animation Generator: animate a drawing in any style
Paint a frame on an image model, set it as the start frame, and a video model animates it in the same style. Our 2D cel courier raced downhill on Seedance 2.5 for 30 credits, and MiniMax H3 Turbo runs unlimited on any plan.
We painted one hand drawn cel frame on Nano Banana 2.1 and gave it to three video models with the same prompt. Then we made four more styles: stop motion clay, 3D, ink wash and paper cutout.
30 credits ($1.88) per 5 s clip at 720p with audio. Included in every plan, from $10/month.
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By Brian Lovett · Updated
Four more animation styles
Each clip started from a still we made on Nano Banana 2.1 for 1.5 credits.
Stop motion clay on WAN 3.0, 8 credits.
Stop motion animation at twelve frames per second, slightly choppy like real clay: the clay mountaineer pushes the felt flag into the cardboard peak and throws both arms up in a cheer, the cotton clouds sway on their wires. Sound: tiny clicks, a muffled cheer.
3D animation on MiniMax H3 Turbo, 7.5 credits.
3D animated film style: the baker swings the giant golden loaf onto a wooden table with a big puff of flour, laughs, and his huge mustache bounces, warm oven light flickering. Sound: a thump, his hearty laugh, crackling fire.
Ink wash on WAN 3.0, 8 credits.
Ink wash animation on rice paper: the black horse gallops across the page, its mane and tail trailing as loose wet brush strokes, ink bleeding softly into the mist behind it, the willow branches sway. Sound: hoofbeats, wind.
Paper cutout on MiniMax H3 Turbo, 7.5 credits.
Paper cutout animation: the blue paper whale glides slowly across the layered paper waves, the wave layers shift in gentle parallax and the tiny village windows flicker warm. Sound: soft ocean, a low whale call.
Which model for which animation style
What we used on this page, with what each run cost.
| Style | Still made on | Animated on | Credits for the clip |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2D cel | Nano Banana 2.1 | Seedance 2.5, Kling 4.0, MiniMax H3 Turbo | 30, 23 and 7.5 |
| Stop motion clay | Nano Banana 2.1 | WAN 3.0 | 8 |
| 3D animation | Nano Banana 2.1 | MiniMax H3 Turbo | 7.5 |
| Ink wash | Nano Banana 2.1 | WAN 3.0 | 8 |
| Paper cutout | Nano Banana 2.1 | MiniMax H3 Turbo | 7.5 |
One cel frame, three video models
The painted frame first, then the same prompt on each model with the frame as the first image. The prompt asked for the flat cel shading and ink outlines to stay.
Hand drawn 2D cel animation frame: a bicycle mail courier in her thirties with a yellow raincoat and a bulging leather satchel races down a steep hillside harbor town street, envelopes fluttering behind her, laundry lines and gulls overhead, bold ink outlines, flat cel shading over a soft painted background, warm orange and teal palette.
2D cel animation, flat cel shading and bold ink outlines kept. She speeds down the steep cobbled street on her bicycle, envelopes fly out of her satchel and flutter behind her, gulls scatter from a laundry line, the camera tracks alongside. Sound: bicycle bell, gulls, wind.
2D cel animation, flat cel shading and bold ink outlines kept. She speeds down the steep cobbled street on her bicycle, envelopes fly out of her satchel and flutter behind her, gulls scatter from a laundry line, the camera tracks alongside. Sound: bicycle bell, gulls, wind.
2D cel animation, flat cel shading and bold ink outlines kept. She speeds down the steep cobbled street on her bicycle, envelopes fly out of her satchel and flutter behind her, gulls scatter from a laundry line, the camera tracks alongside. Sound: bicycle bell, gulls, wind.
- All three models kept the flat colors and bold ink outlines of the painted frame, so the clips look drawn, not rendered.
- Seedance 2.5 made the busiest scene: a stream of envelopes, scattering gulls and a camera that follows her down to the harbor.
- Kling 4.0 tracked alongside her as the street turned and the painted houses slid past, for 23 credits.
- MiniMax H3 Turbo animated the same frame for 7.5 credits, and on any paid plan it runs with no credits spent.
How to animate an image with AI
- 1
Make or upload the still
Name the style in the prompt: hand drawn 2D cel, claymation set photo, 3D animated film still, ink wash on rice paper or layered paper cutout. Or upload your own drawing.
- 2
Set it as the start frame
On Seedance 2.5, Kling 4.0, WAN 3.0 or MiniMax H3 Turbo, add the still as the first frame. The clip opens on your exact picture.
- 3
Name the style again in the motion prompt
We started each prompt with the style, for example stop motion at twelve frames per second, so the model keeps the look while it moves.
Why we animate on Pixel Dojo
One drawing, any engine. We moved the same frame between three video models in a minute and picked the motion we liked, with each price shown before we generated.
For a longer animated story, Film Studio has an animated look and keeps your characters the same in every scene. Character Studio saves a character so you can call it by @name in any prompt.
What else you get on Pixel Dojo
Unlimited on every plan
On every paid plan, Relax runs Qwen Image 2.1, FLUX 3 Image Klein and MiniMax H3 Turbo, plus every video and photo effect, unlimited with no credits spent.
Sensei, the AI director
Describe a project and Sensei plans it, prices it, waits for your approval and reviews every take.
Character Studio
Save a face once and call it by @name in any prompt, so the same person shows up in every image and clip.
Film Studio
An idea becomes a finished film: script, cast, storyboard, clips and an editor pass that trims every shot, with each step priced before it runs.
Photo effects
45+ photo effects restyle a picture in one click, from a hand painted anime still to a boxed action figure or a magazine cover, and every one starts from your own upload.
Start from a genre
Pick a format such as a UGC ad, a micro drama, a movie trailer or an explainer, and the matching studio opens with the settings and a sample idea filled in.
Star in any video
Upload a short clip, pick a saved character or a photo, and Character Swap puts your star in the lead while the scene, camera moves and sound stay the same.
Credits that roll over
Your credits roll over while you stay subscribed, so nothing you pay for disappears at the end of the month.
Every top model, plus an API
More than 80 image and 60 video models in one account, with a public API and a hosted MCP server for your own apps and AI assistants.
Free and paid AI animation on Pixel Dojo
Any paid plan makes unlimited MiniMax H3 Turbo clips of up to 5 seconds at 720p with no credits spent, and unlimited images at 1K on Qwen Image 2.1 Turbo, FLUX 3 Image Klein and P-H3-Image. That is enough to paint a frame and animate it without touching your credits. Without a plan you can try 3 free effects a day.
Plans are Lite $10 a month for 160 credits, Pro $25 for 500 credits, Pro Max $50 for 1,100 credits. Every plan includes every model and commercial use. Credits roll over while you stay subscribed.
Under our refund policy, a first purchase can be refunded within 7 days, in full if under 20% of the credits are used and pro-rated after that.
Made with Seedance 2.5
All how-tosThe exact prompts and settings behind each one.
One Sentence, One ShotEight stills to one unbroken shotNov 9 · About 691 creditsSeedream 5Seedance 2.5Seed Audio
Infinite ZoomSeven stills to a zoom that never endsNov 9 · About 653 creditsSeedream 5Seedance 2.5Seed Audio
The Dragon TrailerNine stills to a blockbuster trailerNov 9 · About 732 creditsSeedream 5Seedance 2.5Seed Audio
AI Animation Generator questions
What is the best AI animation generator?
One that lets you pick the style and the engine. On Pixel Dojo you can animate one frame on Seedance 2.5, Kling 4.0, WAN 3.0 or MiniMax H3 Turbo and compare, as we did with our cel courier.
Is there a free AI animation generator?
Any paid plan includes unlimited MiniMax H3 Turbo clips with no credits spent, plus unlimited images on Qwen Image 2.1 Turbo, FLUX 3 Image Klein and P-H3-Image. Without a plan you can try 3 free effects a day, with a watermark.
Can I animate my own drawing?
Yes. Upload it as the start frame on any of these video models and describe the motion. Say the style in the prompt so the model keeps it.
Can AI make stop motion or claymation?
Yes. Our clay mountaineer was a claymation style still animated on WAN 3.0 with a prompt asking for stop motion at twelve frames per second.
How much does an animated clip cost?
Our clips cost 30 credits on Seedance 2.5, 23 on Kling 4.0, 8 on WAN 3.0 and 7.5 on MiniMax H3 Turbo, plus 1.5 credits for each still.
Video Effects New
Your first video is free. One photo, one click.
310 ready-made effects, from AI Hug and Earth Zoom In to product spins and listing walkthroughs. Upload a photo and press Generate. No prompt to write, and a free account gets 3 a day.
Make your first Seedance 2.5 clip
Write a prompt above or start from any example on this page. One plan covers every top model, six studios and Sensei, and your credits roll over.
Start with Seedance 2.5