---
name: openrouter-image2video
description: Animate a still image into a short video via OpenRouter. Default model google/veo-3.1-fast.
---
# openrouter-image2video
Image + motion-prompt → video via OpenRouter. Default model: `google/veo-3.1-fast`.
Use this when you already have a strong still image and want to bring it to life with subtle motion (camera pan, parallax, gentle animation) while preserving the composition. For motion-from-scratch, use `openrouter-text2video` instead.
The script accepts either a remote image URL or a local image path; local files are base64-encoded and inlined into the request as a data URL.
## Usage
Resolve `TOOL_DIR` = the directory containing this `SKILL.md`. Commands below use `TOOL_DIR` as a symbolic placeholder; replace it with the resolved, quoted path before running Bash.
```bash
export OPENROUTER_API_KEY=sk-or-v1-...
# From a local image you already generated with text2image
python3 TOOL_DIR/scripts/generate_video_from_image.py \
--image PROJECT_DIR/assets/teaser.png \
--prompt "slow parallax push-in, soft drift of ambient particles, no camera shake" \
--duration 5 \
--aspect-ratio 16:9 \
--download PROJECT_DIR/assets/teaser.mp4
# Or from a remote URL
python3 TOOL_DIR/scripts/generate_video_from_image.py \
--image-url "https://example.com/still.png" \
--prompt "subtle camera dolly forward, gentle depth-of-field shift" \
--download PROJECT_DIR/assets/scene.mp4
```
## Flags
| Flag | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `--prompt` | required | Motion prompt — describe what should move and how |
| `--download` | required | Output MP4 path |
| `--image` | one of `--image` / `--image-url` required | Local image path (PNG/JPG); will be base64-encoded |
| `--image-url` | one of `--image` / `--image-url` required | Remote image URL |
| `--model` | `google/veo-3.1-fast` | Any OpenRouter image-to-video-capable model |
| `--duration` | `5` | Seconds |
| `--aspect-ratio` | `16:9` | `16:9`, `9:16`, `1:1`, `4:3`, `3:4`, `21:9`, `9:21` |
| `--resolution` | `720p` | Model-dependent (e.g. `480p`, `720p`, `1080p`) |
| `--frame-role` | `first` | `first` or `last` — anchor frame role for the input image |
| `--generate-audio` | off | Generate audio with video (if model supports) |
| `--poll-interval` | `5` | Seconds between polls |
| `--max-wait` | `600` | Max total wait time |
## Flow
1. `POST /api/v1/videos` with body:
```json
{
"model": "google/veo-3.1-fast",
"prompt": "...motion prompt...",
"aspect_ratio": "16:9",
"duration": 5,
"resolution": "720p",
"frame_images": [
{
"type": "image_url",
"frame_type": "first_frame",
"image_url": {"url": "data:image/png;base64,..." }
}
]
}
```
The `--frame-role first|last` flag maps to `frame_type: "first_frame"|"last_frame"`.
2. `GET /api/v1/videos/{id}` every 5s until `status == "completed"`
3. `GET /api/v1/videos/{id}/content` → raw MP4 bytes
## Notes
- Veo 3.1 Fast is optimized for low-latency image-to-video. Typical render ≈ 60-180s for a 5s 720p clip.
- The motion prompt should describe motion only, not the subject (the subject comes from the image).
- For subjects with prominent faces, keep motion subtle to avoid uncanny artifacts.
- If you also want a defined ending state, supply two images via `frame_images` with roles `first` and `last`. The current script wires only one anchor frame; extend `body["frame_images"]` to add a second.