Vidu AI generates video with AI: upload a photo to animate a still frame, describe a scene in words to get a clip, or use reference images so the same character stays consistent across several shots.
Vidu AI: making a still photo or a single sentence move
What it is
Vidu AI is an AI video generation tool from Beijing-based Shengshu Technology. Built on its own model, it lowers the barrier to video production to roughly "write one sentence, upload one photo". It offers four main routes: reference-to-video, image-to-video, text-to-video and effect templates.
For most people the hard part of making video was never the idea, it was execution: sourcing footage, cutting, grading, scoring, each step demanding software and hours. Vidu's approach is to absorb that execution layer so the user only decides what should be on screen.
Core capabilities
- Reference-to-video: the capability it most wants to be known for. After you upload reference material, the model keeps the same subject or element coherent from shot to shot, and can hold several subjects or elements consistent at once. For a short film where one character appears in different settings, this patches the usual weak spot of AI video, where every clip looks like a recast actor.
- Image-to-video: upload a still frame and the model adds motion and camera movement. Illustrations, product shots and landscapes all work as starting points.
- Text-to-video: describe a scene in words and get a clip back, compressing the distance from idea to image into a single generation.
- Effect templates: a set of popular looks applied in one click, removing the need to compose prompts yourself.
How to use it
- Decide what you already have. A photo on hand means image-to-video. A fixed character or product that must stay consistent across shots means reference-to-video. Nothing but a thought means start with text-to-video.
- Prepare the input. Reference-to-video wants a clear subject against an uncluttered background. For image-to-video, prefer a high-resolution photo with the subject centred; it animates more naturally.
- Write the description. State the subject, the action, the camera and the mood. "A person by the sea" usually returns something generic; adding "dusk, backlit, slow push-in" makes it specific.
- Generate more than once. The same prompt run several times often produces very different results, so treat it as repeated draws plus selection rather than one-shot delivery.
- Finish in post. Apply an effect template when you want a stylised look, then cut, caption and score in an editor.
Where it fits
- Short-form and social content: accounts that need a lot of footage with limited budget and hands.
- Advertising and e-commerce: turning static product shots into motion.
- Narrative shorts and previz: keep a character consistent with reference-to-video and test the shot language before committing to a shoot.
- Teaching and demos: turning abstract ideas into something visible.
Limits worth knowing
- Specs are not public: the official page does not state clip length, resolution or concurrency, so confirm the practical range inside the product.
- Consistency is not absolute: reference-to-video improves coherence markedly, but wide changes in camera angle or an occluded subject can still break it.
- Text and hands remain weak: AI video distorts both easily, so avoid shots that depend on legible captions or complex gestures, or fix them in post.
- Rights need checking: commercial scope for generated output and licensing of reference material depend on the official terms, and you should not upload other people's work.
- Output is not fully controllable: plan for several rounds of generation and selection, not a single perfect take.
In one line
The real differentiator is reference-to-video: it moves AI video from "every clip looks nice but unrelated" toward "a coherent story can be told". If you just want a few moving images, image-to-video is enough; for a short with characters, consistency is the feature that matters.
Frequently asked questions
Which of the three modes should I use?
It depends on what you already have and how much consistency you need. With a photo in hand, use image-to-video. When the same character or product must appear across several shots, use reference-to-video. With nothing but an idea, start from text-to-video. The three can be mixed and cut together afterwards.
Can the generated video be used commercially?
The collected material does not state commercial terms, so check the current wording on the official page. Before uploading reference images, also confirm you have the right to use them rather than feeding in someone else's work.
What if I cannot write prompts?
Effect templates can be applied in one click without composing a description. Still, getting value from image-to-video and reference-to-video means spelling out subject, action, camera and mood; the more specific the description, the closer the result.
