Keyframe
A keyframe is an image marking a fixed state: a position, a size, a colour at a given moment. What happens between two keyframes is computed by the software or the model. The term comes from animation and has taken on a second meaning in AI production.
The classic meaning
In animation and in an editing suite you set keyframes to describe a change over time. A logo should travel in from the left over two seconds: one keyframe at the start with the position outside, one at the end with the position centred. Everything in between is calculated, which is called tweening.
The same applies to volume, opacity, blur and colour values. Many keyframes close together give control but also a movement that feels mechanical. The craft lies in few keyframes with well chosen transitions.
Keyframes in AI production
Generative video models often take a first and a last image and produce the way between them. Both are called keyframes here, but they mean something different from the editing suite: they do not describe numeric values, they describe whole images.
For us that is the most reliable way to steer a movement. When the first and last image are fixed and approved, the model's room for interpretation is limited and the outcome predictable. Pure text-to-video without a reference surprises in both directions.
How we work with them
The approved styleframe becomes the opening image. We generate the closing image out of the same one so that light and figure stay consistent, and only then commission the movement. On shots with strong camera movement we add an image in the middle, because models drift over longer stretches.
Frequently asked questions
What is a keyframe?
A keyframe is an image that fixes a state at a given point in time. Between two keyframes the software or the AI model computes the frames in between. In animation a keyframe describes values such as position or opacity, in AI production a complete image.
What is the difference between a keyframe and a styleframe?
A styleframe fixes the visual language and serves approval before production. A keyframe marks a point in a movement. A styleframe can be reused as a keyframe, which is the normal case with us.
How many keyframes does a shot need?
For generated scenes usually two, start and end. A third in the middle helps with strong camera moves or when a figure changes direction. More input means more control but less natural movement.
Related terms
Read on: All terms in the glossary • Pricing
Movement you see in advance
We show motion tests before production. In the first call we explain how that runs.
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