Animate food and drink photos — steam, pours and sizzle

How to use the animate food and drink photos

1. Step 1

   Upload a food or drink photo

   A sharp JPG, PNG or WebP up to 8 MB. Square-on and 45-degree shots work best. Pick 9:16 for Reels and Stories or 16:9 for a website or menu screen.

2. Step 2

   Say what moves

   For example: “Stationary camera. Steam curls up from the latte; the cup, saucer and pastry do not move.”

3. Step 3

   Generate and post

   Press Generate and download the silent MP4 for your menu, delivery listing or social post.

Why moving food sells

Food photos are everywhere; a cup that steams or a pour that keeps going makes people stop and feel the temperature and the taste. Cafés and restaurants use short loops like these on Instagram and TikTok, on digital menu boards, on delivery-app listings that accept video and on their own websites, often from the same photos they already shot for the menu.

The motion that works is small and specific: steam, a pour, a drip, bubbles, a sizzle. You don't need a food stylist or a slow-motion camera for that, just one good photo and one sentence.

Prompts that work for food and drink

Coffee or tea: “Stationary camera. Steam rises slowly from the cup and curls in the light; the cup does not move.” Pour: “Fixed camera. Coffee pours from the pot into the mug and the surface swirls; the table stays still.” Cocktail or soda: “Locked-off camera. Bubbles rise in the glass and condensation glistens; nothing else moves.”

Hot food: “Stationary camera. Steam rises from the noodles and the broth shimmers; the bowl and chopsticks stay still.” Pizza or melted cheese: “Camera does not move. A slice lifts slowly with a stretch of melted cheese.” Dessert: “Static shot. Chocolate sauce drips slowly down the side; the plate does not move.”

Keep the dish honest

Animate the dish you actually serve. Ask for the plate, portion and garnish to stay exactly as they are, and don't add ingredients, toppings or sizes that aren't on the menu: customers and delivery platforms expect the food to look like what arrives. Steam, pours and bubbles add appetite without changing what's on the plate.

Check every clip before you post it. If the portion grows, a garnish appears or the cup changes shape, try again with “the plate and portion stay exactly as they are” at the start of the prompt.

Shots that animate best

Hot drinks against a darker background, where steam is easy to see; pours caught mid-stream; noodle and soup bowls; pizza and grilled dishes; glasses with ice and bubbles; pastries in warm window light. Cluttered tables with many dishes are harder, because the model may move the wrong one, so crop to the hero item first.

For packaged goods like snacks, sauces or coffee bags, the product photo to video page has camera moves built for packshots.

Commercial use and cost

Clips made on a paid plan, or with credits you bought, can be used commercially on menus, ads and delivery apps, and plans remove the watermark. Starter is $10 a month for 900 credits, with the first month at $4.99 if you have never paid. A 5-second clip at 768p uses 70 credits, and a failed render refunds them.

Tips for better results

• Shoot or pick the photo against a darker background so steam shows up.
• Crop to one hero dish or drink before you upload.
• Start the prompt with “Stationary camera” and end it with “the plate stays exactly as it is”.
• One kind of motion per clip: steam, a pour, bubbles or a drip.
• Use 9:16 for Reels and Stories, 16:9 for menu screens and websites.

FAQ

Only use photos you have the right to use. See our safety guidelines.