A character image establishes who appears in a clip. A motion reference shows what that character should do. With Motion Transfer in Dreamina Recreate, you can combine the two to create an action-led video around your own character and visual direction.
Begin with a short action that reads clearly from start to finish. A character stepping forward, turning toward the camera, and raising a hand gives you three visible beats to judge. A source full of cuts, hidden limbs, and rapid changes of direction gives the model more competing information and gives you fewer clear checkpoints.
Choose the reference for the action you need
Watch the source clip without thinking about its costume or location. Name the movement in a single sentence. If that sentence requires several unrelated actions, choose a shorter, coherent segment in your video editor before uploading.
For the step-turn-wave example, look for a reference in which the feet remain visible during the step, the torso can be followed during the turn, and the hand separates clearly from the body at the wave. This helps you distinguish a readable performance from an attractive image of someone moving.
Recreate uses the source video's timing and aspect ratio. Prepare a vertical source if the intended clip needs that framing. Lite accepts one reference video between 4 and 15 seconds; standard Recreate accepts one between 4 and 30 seconds. Prepare a clip within the chosen version's limit before upload, since the input flow does not select and trim an overlong source for you.
A moving camera is also part of the reference. If the essential action is a simple hand gesture, a calmer source may make it easier to see than a camera orbit combined with a fast turn. Choose the motion complexity that serves the character's performance.
Prepare a character image that supports the movement
Use a clear view of the character, with the important body parts inside the frame. A full-body movement needs visual information about the legs, feet, and body proportions. A hand-led action benefits from visible hands and sleeves that leave the gesture readable.
For a stylized character, prioritize a consistent body plan over matching the performer's every physical proportion. A small character with a large head can still communicate a turn and greeting, but its balance and arm reach may need a more restrained action reference.
Assign the two inputs different jobs
Open Dreamina's video creation flow, choose Recreate Lite or standard Recreate, and select Motion Transfer. Add the motion video and at least one image defining the character. Multiple images can supply useful visual references, but each should contribute to the same recognizable design.
Use the text instruction to explain the input roles. Here is an illustrative brief you can adapt to your own character:
Use the video for the performer's step forward, turn toward the camera, raised-hand greeting, and camera movement. Use my character image for the face, outfit, colors, and body proportions. Show the full character in a simple studio setting. Keep the greeting clear and allow the final pose to read.
The instruction gives you something specific to review. It also keeps a costume change from accidentally becoming the main task. If the source's location should remain the visual setting, say so. If the images define a new environment, identify that role separately from the character reference.
Choose a supported resolution and review the displayed credit charge before submitting. Both Recreate versions default to 720p and offer 1080p, while standard also offers 480p. Prepare the source in the aspect ratio and time window your performance needs. Check the exported running time when you align it with other clips.
Review the action in three passes
First, watch the whole clip at normal speed. Can you identify the step, turn, and greeting without pausing? A result that only resembles the starting pose has not yet communicated the performance.
Second, inspect the transition between beats. Check where a foot leaves the floor, where the torso changes direction, and where the hand crosses the face or body. These are useful places to find a sliding stance, disconnected arm, or pose that becomes hard to read.
Third, look at character continuity. Follow the face, outfit colors, proportions, and accessories through the sequence. A clear gesture is only useful when the same recognizable character performs it.
Keep the approved input image alongside the result during this review. Inspect the actual intended crop, since a full-body action can lose its meaning when the feet are removed for a smaller placement.
Make the next attempt address the failure
If the character is recognizable but the gesture is confused, simplify the reference action or choose a source with less occlusion. If the movement reads but the outfit changes, tighten the character reference and specify the features you need to preserve. If the camera hides the action, choose a calmer reference rather than adding more appearance adjectives.
Use the task's re-edit route to return to the generation inputs. Change the input most closely connected to the problem, then review the same checkpoints again. This makes the second attempt a deliberate correction.
For reusable character assets across several clips, the AI Influencer workflow can help you organize the visual character before choosing a performance. The guide to creating a recurring cast member explains saving the selected identity for later clips. For the choice between rebuilding an action and replacing a selected person in an existing shot, see the Recreate mode comparison.
Questions before building a series
Can I start from a close-up portrait?
A close-up is useful for facial appearance, but an action involving the whole body also needs a reference that shows the body. Prepare a fuller view before asking the character to step, turn, or interact with a prop.
Should I use Object Swap for the same task?
Choose Object Swap when the goal is a selected replacement within a source shot. Use Motion Transfer when the performance and camera behavior should guide a new character-led visual scene.
How should I choose the first action for a new character?
Start with a short movement whose success is easy to see. A clear turn or greeting gives you information about pose, identity, and timing. Once that action works for your character, move to the interaction or sequence the finished project needs.