Ken Burns Effect — Turn a Photo Into an AI Pan and Zoom Video
Ken Burns effect on TryH3 turns one photo into a pan-and-zoom video: two framings of it become the start and end, and an AI model moves the camera between them.
JPG, PNG or WebP · up to 10 MB · 300–6000 px per side. The start and end framings above are cropped from your photo in your browser and sent as the first and last frame.
Each model gets the same two framings and camera instructions, and the prompt asks for quiet ambient sound. The exact path, depth and sound vary by model.
One clip · 10 credits. A new attempt is charged separately.
Ken Burns examples
Four camera moves over a still photo. Your clip is a new video from your own photo.
A slow zoom in on a sepia lighthouse and cottage by the sea, portrait 4:5 · 8 s · silent.
TryH3 makes 5- or 10-second Ken Burns clips for documentary, memorial, travel and product videos, at 480p to 2K in 16:9 or 9:16. The 5-credit signup allowance is below one clip. A clip starts at 10 credits, about $0.28 on Studio monthly, and the smallest purchase is $5.00 for 24 credits. Free-account downloads carry a moving site watermark; accounts with a purchase download without it.
How the Ken Burns effect maker works
The Ken Burns effect maker needs one photo and one camera move. Your browser crops a start and an end framing from the same photo, and the model is asked to move the camera between them. You see both framings before you pay.
- Upload a JPG, PNG or WebP photo and choose 16:9 or 9:16.
- Pick Zoom in, Zoom out, Pan, Tilt up, Drift or Custom; for zooms, choose where the camera heads.
- Check the start and end framing, then choose a model, length and resolution.
- Confirm permission, generate, and download the MP4 for your editor or phone.
Ken Burns effect examples
These clips show the classic Ken Burns pan and zoom moves on still photos: a push-in, a sideways pan, an upward tilt and a pull-back. Each caption gives the move, frame and length; this maker itself outputs 16:9 or 9:16. Your result is a new clip of your own photo and can differ from these.
Push-in on an old lighthouse photo
Pan across a mountain lake
Tilt up a lit tower
Pull back from a product shot
Is there a free Ken Burns effect online?
Free Ken Burns tools exist, but this AI version is paid. iMovie on Mac and iPhone has the effect built in, and CapCut, Canva and DaVinci Resolve can pan and zoom a photo with keyframes or presets. On TryH3, the 5-credit signup allowance does not cover the 10-credit minimum; the smallest purchase is $5.00 for 24 credits. Choose this maker when you want a model to add depth to the move.
Ken Burns effect vs AI image-to-video: what changes?
The classic Ken Burns effect slides a flat crop across a still photo, so nothing in the picture moves and there is no depth. AI image-to-video goes further: people, hair and water start to move. This Ken Burns maker sits between them. Your photo fixes the first and last framing, and the prompt asks the model to move only the camera, with gentle parallax, while people stay still. Results vary by model and photo.
| Method | What moves | Depth | People in the photo | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic pan and zoom (iMovie, CapCut, Premiere Pro) | A crop window over the photo | None; the photo stays flat | Unchanged pixels | Free in most editors |
| This AI Ken Burns maker | The camera, between two framings of your photo | The prompt asks for parallax; varies by photo | The prompt asks them to stay still; small changes are possible | From 10 credits |
| AI image-to-video | Subjects and camera | Generated | They move and can change | Per clip, by model |
Can you make the Ken Burns effect on iPhone or Android?
Yes. This Ken Burns maker runs in Safari or Chrome on a phone, with no app to install: pick a photo from your library, choose the move, and save the MP4 to Photos or Gallery. On iPhone, iMovie adds a Ken Burns effect to photos automatically; on Android, CapCut keyframes do a manual version. If your phone saves HEIC, choose a JPG, PNG or WebP copy.
Ken Burns effect pricing and credits
TryH3 shows the price before you submit: a Ken Burns clip starts at 10 credits, about $0.28 on Studio monthly. The same quote supplies this table and the generation request; the model, length and resolution set the charge. Dollar figures use Studio monthly credits and are not checkout prices. The smallest purchase is $5.00 for 24 credits.
| Model | Resolution | Length | Credits | Studio monthly equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seedance 2.0 Mini | 480p | 5 s | 10 | $0.28 |
| Seedance 2.0 Mini | 480p | 10 s | 18 | $0.50 |
| Seedance 2.0 Mini | 720p | 5 s | 19 | $0.53 |
| Seedance 2.0 Mini | 720p | 10 s | 37 | $1.03 |
| Seedance 2.0 Fast | 480p | 5 s | 19 | $0.53 |
| Seedance 2.0 Fast | 480p | 10 s | 37 | $1.03 |
| Seedance 2.0 Fast | 720p | 5 s | 40 | $1.11 |
| Seedance 2.0 Fast | 720p | 10 s | 79 | $2.19 |
| Seedance 2.0 Pro | 480p | 5 s | 31 | $0.86 |
| Seedance 2.0 Pro | 480p | 10 s | 61 | $1.69 |
| Seedance 2.0 Pro | 720p | 5 s | 65 | $1.80 |
| Seedance 2.0 Pro | 720p | 10 s | 129 | $3.58 |
| Seedance 2.0 Pro | 1080p | 5 s | 161 | $4.46 |
| Seedance 2.0 Pro | 1080p | 10 s | 321 | $8.90 |
| Seedance 2.5 | 480p | 5 s | 45 | $1.25 |
| Seedance 2.5 | 480p | 10 s | 88 | $2.44 |
| Seedance 2.5 | 720p | 5 s | 99 | $2.74 |
| Seedance 2.5 | 720p | 10 s | 196 | $5.43 |
| Seedance 2.5 | 1080p | 5 s | 242 | $6.71 |
| Seedance 2.5 | 1080p | 10 s | 484 | $13.42 |
| MiniMax H3 | 768P | 5 s | 27 | $0.75 |
| MiniMax H3 | 768P | 10 s | 53 | $1.47 |
| MiniMax H3 | 2K | 5 s | 43 | $1.19 |
| MiniMax H3 | 2K | 10 s | 84 | $2.33 |
| Seedance 1.5 Pro | 480p | 5 s | 11 | $0.30 |
| Seedance 1.5 Pro | 480p | 10 s | 20 | $0.55 |
| Seedance 1.5 Pro | 720p | 5 s | 21 | $0.58 |
| Seedance 1.5 Pro | 720p | 10 s | 41 | $1.14 |
| Seedance 1.5 Pro | 1080p | 5 s | 50 | $1.39 |
| Seedance 1.5 Pro | 1080p | 10 s | 99 | $2.74 |
Studio monthly: $49.90 for 1800 credits.
| Item | What you get |
|---|---|
| Examples and framing preview | Free; nothing is generated until you submit. |
| Current signup allowance | The 5-credit signup allowance is below one clip. |
| Downloads | Free-account downloads carry a moving site watermark; accounts with a purchase download without it. |
| Smallest purchase | $5.00 / 24 credits |
| Failed generation | Provider failures before a usable result refund credits. If paid output exists but finishing fails, contact support to recover it. |
What this Ken Burns maker cannot do
The Ken Burns maker asks a model to move the camera between two framings of one photo. It cannot promise pixel-identical faces, hands, text or logos, convincing depth on every photo, or a frame-perfect start and end. It makes one photo per clip in 16:9 or 9:16 and does not add captions or your own music.
- Low-resolution scans can look soft: zooms enlarge the photo by 25% and pans by 15%.
- For a slideshow of many photos, make one clip per photo and join them in your editor.
- The prompt asks for quiet ambient sound with no speech or music; results vary by model. Add your own soundtrack when editing.
- Your photo and its two framings are stored at unlisted links so the model can read them; anyone holding a link can open it.
Ken Burns effect FAQ
Why is it called the Ken Burns effect?
The name comes from American documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, who used slow pans and zooms over still photographs so often that the technique became tied to him. He did not invent it: he has cited the 1957 National Film Board of Canada film City of Gold as an earlier example. Steve Jobs asked his permission to use the name for the effect in Apple’s iMovie.
How do I turn off the Ken Burns effect in iMovie?
In iMovie on iPhone, tap the photo in the timeline, then tap the Ken Burns control in the viewer to switch it off. In iMovie on Mac, select the photo, click the Crop button above the viewer and choose Fit or Crop to Fill instead of Ken Burns.
Can I use the clip in Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro or DaVinci Resolve?
Yes. The Ken Burns maker exports a standard MP4 that you can import into Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, CapCut or iMovie and place on your timeline like any other clip. It is a rendered video, not a plugin or an editable keyframe preset.