Making an Animated Video With AI? Here's What You Need

Dreamina is a practical starting point for developing a character image and bringing it into motion. Prepare the character and setting first, then use a short action prompt to create the scene. A finishing editor brings the shots together with titles and sound.

The useful question is what your particular animation requires. A waving mascot, a narrated explainer and a three-scene story need different preparation. Here is how to assemble enough to start without buying tools for work you have not defined.

1. A clear animation goal and a small scene

Write down who the video is for, what happens and what the viewer should understand. “Make a beautiful animation” leaves the generator to invent almost everything. A more useful brief is: “A small courier robot greets the viewer in a conservatory with one gentle wave.”

For a first project, choose one character, one location and one action. This is a practical way to reduce decisions, rather than a restriction imposed by AI video tools. A later short film can expand the same assets into several shots.

Also decide what you mean by animation:

A video that looks like clay animation or 3D animation is still a rendered video. It does not automatically include a reusable 3D model, skeleton or editable rig. Runway makes this distinction in its AI video generator guidance. Decide which deliverable you need before choosing software.

2. An approved visual starting point

If the character matters, start with an image you would be comfortable using as the character's design reference. Check the face, clothing, accessories, proportions and materials while the image is still easy to revise.

For our courier character, the useful anchors were its asymmetric eyes, red-bead antenna, dark-blue hands and mustard backpack. “A cute robot” would not communicate those decisions.

The character reference establishes appearance. It does not prescribe every future pose or guarantee that every generated frame will preserve every detail.

You do not need a large character sheet for a single frontal wave. You may need a side or back view if the next scene turns the character around. An unseen back is a design decision the model must infer, so approve it before treating it as established character information.

Keep a small reference folder containing the character master, any necessary approved angles, the setting and important props. Give files useful names and keep rejected versions separate. A plain folder is sufficient; you do not need a specialized asset-management subscription for one animation.

If several scenes depend on the same design, our guide to creating a character reference sheet with AI explains how to prepare those additional views without accepting every generated variation.

3. A motion brief that the model can act on

An image describes what the scene looks like. The video instruction should explain what changes.

For example, an illustrative motion brief for a greeting could be:

The courier raises its right hand for one small wave, then lowers it. Keep the camera still and the gesture gentle. Maintain the character's eye shapes, antenna and backpack design.

The character description remains relevant, but repeating a long appearance paragraph can crowd out the action. Separate the movement you want from the details you want to retain.

Choose an action that fits the shot. A full-body walk requires room around the character and a plausible path. A still image already showing a running pose may work against a request for complete stillness.

Runway's getting-started tutorial similarly organizes generation around the selected tool, model, input and prompt. Use that structure to prepare your own brief, while following the controls of your chosen platform.

4. One suitable generator with eligible access

You need a model that accepts the inputs you prepared and produces the kind of movement you want. The number of supported references, available durations, audio behavior and export settings can change between models inside the same website.

Dreamina suits a workflow where you prepare or repair still images and then create short animated shots. Check the selected model, input mode, duration, aspect ratio and credit quote before submitting. The Seedance 2.5 workflow guide is useful for orientation, but the controls and eligibility shown in your current account determine what you can use.

Runway is an alternative when its generation and refinement tools suit your scene. Its references and video controls are model-specific; do not assume an image model's reference allowance also applies to every video model.

For access planning, the following are examples checked on October 22, 2026:

Plan sources: Dreamina pricing, Runway pricing and Canva’s plan comparison. Choose the combination that covers the assets, motion and finishing work your animation needs.

You can begin with one generator and one finishing editor. Add a second generator only when it solves a specific problem your first workflow cannot handle.

5. Enough budget for revisions

A technically successful generation can still miss the action. Plan for revision before spending the entire allowance on the first version.

In our existing Dreamina example, a five-second, 16:9 animation using two references and the 720P setting showed a 210-credit quote. That was the displayed quote for that account and setup, not a universal rate or a confirmed balance debit.

A short character-and-setting animation shows how an approved still can become a readable performance.

Make the revision specific. If the character turns the wrong way, revise direction or staging. If the design changes, return to the approved reference. If the framing excludes the hands needed for the action, fix the source composition before requesting another wave.

For budgeting, list the shots you need, a provisional number of attempts per shot and the quotes shown for your chosen settings. Add any voice or music costs and the finishing subscription if required. The result is a project estimate you can adjust, rather than a promise that every animation costs a fixed number of credits.

6. A sound plan, even for a quiet video

Decide whether the animation needs background music, environmental sound, effects, narration or visible speech. These are different jobs.

A model that generates sound does not necessarily provide the particular voice, words or lip synchronization you need. Conversely, a silent generated clip can still become a useful animation after music and effects are added in an editor. Runway Gen-4.5, for example, does not include embedded native audio; other supported models have different capabilities.

For a first mascot scene, music and one appropriate effect may be enough. For a narrator, write and approve the script before creating the final voice track. For dialogue, choose a workflow that supports speaking characters rather than assuming a general motion generator will deliver accurate speech.

Use audio you are entitled to include. If your editor offers a music library, check the selected asset's availability for your account and intended use. Then listen to the exported file: the presence of an audio track alone does not show that the sound is useful, balanced or synchronized.

7. A finishing editor and a destination format

A generator usually produces a shot. Your finished video may also need a title, opening and ending, trims, readable text, sound levels and a final aspect ratio.

A simple finishing editor can handle these tasks. For instance, you can place an approved animation in Canva, trim the beginning or end, add an exact title, place eligible audio and download the result. Use ordinary text layers for names and captions when spelling matters.

Choose the destination early. Frame a vertical scene for social viewing or a horizontal scene for a presentation, then export the assembled animation in that format. Keep the subject and any titles comfortably inside the canvas.

Keep both the native generated clip and the final edit. That makes it easier to revise a title or soundtrack without generating the visual again. You will also know whether a problem appeared in generation or during assembly.

When are you ready to start?

You are ready when you can describe one scene, identify its approved visual inputs, select an eligible model and explain how the shot will become a finished file. You should also know which part needs sound and what a revision will cost at the displayed settings.

For a first Dreamina project, start with the approved character image and a modest action. Save the useful native clip, finish it in your editor, and expand only after that route works for you. If your goal is a story rather than a single scene, continue with making a short animated film with AI, which connects the assets into a shot plan, cut and final export.