What is veo-image-to-video?

This Claude skill empowers users to transform static images into high-quality, cinematic videos using the fal.ai Veo 3.1 model. By simply providing an image and a descriptive prompt, users can generate up to 8 seconds of realistic animation with optional synchronized audio, making it an essential tool for rapid visual content creation, digital marketing, and creative storytelling.

When should I use veo-image-to-video?

veo-image-to-video is useful in the following scenarios: • Social Media Content Creation: Quickly convert static brand or product photos into engaging short-form video clips for platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and X. • Cinematic Motion Design: Apply professional camera movements such as pans, zooms, and tilts to still photography to create high-end visual sequences for video projects. • Dynamic Portraiture: Bring human or character portraits to life by animating facial expressions, head movements, and subtle gestures for a more lifelike presentation. • Atmospheric Nature Animation: Add realistic environmental effects like swaying trees, flowing water, or moving clouds to landscape images to create immersive backgrounds. • E-commerce Marketing: Enhance product listings by turning static shots into dynamic 8-second demonstrations that highlight features through motion.

name	veo-image-to-video
description	Animate a single image into a video using fal.ai Veo 3.1. Use when the user wants to create a video from a still image, animate a photo, or bring an image to life. Supports up to 8 seconds of video with optional audio.
allowed-tools	Bash, Read, Write

Veo 3.1 Image-to-Video

Animate a single image into a dynamic video using Google DeepMind's Veo 3.1 model via fal.ai.

Prerequisites

FAL_KEY environment variable must be set (typically in ~/.zshrc)
Input image should be 720p or higher resolution

API Endpoint

POST https://fal.run/fal-ai/veo3.1/image-to-video

Parameters

Required

prompt (string): Text description of the video motion/action to generate
image_url (string): URL of the input image to animate

Optional

Parameter	Type	Default	Options
`duration`	string	"8s"	"4s", "6s", "8s"
`aspect_ratio`	string	"auto"	"auto", "9:16", "16:9"
`resolution`	string	"720p"	"720p", "1080p"
`generate_audio`	boolean	true	Uses 50% fewer credits if disabled

Usage

cURL

curl --request POST \
  --url https://fal.run/fal-ai/veo3.1/image-to-video \
  --header "Authorization: Key $FAL_KEY" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{
    "prompt": "The camera slowly pans across the scene as leaves gently sway in the breeze",
    "image_url": "https://example.com/landscape.jpg",
    "duration": "8s",
    "resolution": "1080p",
    "generate_audio": true
  }'

Python

import fal_client

result = fal_client.subscribe(
    "fal-ai/veo3.1/image-to-video",
    arguments={
        "prompt": "The camera slowly pans across the scene as leaves gently sway in the breeze",
        "image_url": "https://example.com/landscape.jpg",
        "duration": "8s",
        "resolution": "1080p",
        "generate_audio": True
    }
)

# Access the generated video URL
video_url = result["video"]["url"]
print(f"Generated video: {video_url}")

JavaScript

import { fal } from "@fal-ai/client";

const result = await fal.subscribe("fal-ai/veo3.1/image-to-video", {
  input: {
    prompt: "The camera slowly pans across the scene as leaves gently sway in the breeze",
    image_url: "https://example.com/landscape.jpg",
    duration: "8s",
    resolution: "1080p",
    generate_audio: true
  }
});

console.log("Generated video:", result.video.url);

Response Format

{
  "video": {
    "url": "https://storage.googleapis.com/.../output.mp4"
  }
}

Examples

Nature animation:
- Image: A forest scene
- Prompt: "Wind rustles through the trees, birds fly across the sky"
Portrait animation:
- Image: A portrait photo
- Prompt: "The person slowly turns their head and smiles"
Cinematic movement:
- Image: A cityscape
- Prompt: "Slow cinematic zoom out revealing the full city skyline at dusk"
Water animation:
- Image: Ocean or lake scene
- Prompt: "Gentle waves roll onto the shore, water sparkles in sunlight"

Tips

Use descriptive motion language (pan, zoom, sway, flow)
Describe camera movements for cinematic effects
Higher resolution (1080p) provides better quality but takes longer
Disable audio generation to save credits when not needed
Ensure input image is at least 720p for best results

Error Handling

Error	Cause	Solution
`401 Unauthorized`	Invalid FAL_KEY	Verify key at fal.ai dashboard
`429 Too Many Requests`	Rate limit exceeded	Wait 60 seconds, retry
`400 Bad Request`	Invalid image URL or low resolution	Use 720p+ image
`500 Server Error`	API temporary issue	Retry after 30 seconds
`Timeout`	Video generation taking too long	Use 720p or shorter duration

veo-image-to-video

When & Why to Use This Skill

Use Cases