What This Article Covers
• What AI Video does, and how it differs from VideoFX
• What you need in place before the AI Video tile appears on your Features screen
• How to build an AI Video template, and when to switch to the Advanced editor
• The difference between Use photo as-is and Restyle with AI first, and how to set each one up
• Why testing a prompt is not the same as saving it for your event
• How AI Video credits are charged, and what to do when a guest’s video does not arrive
Before You Start
AI Video is available on Business, Premium, and Scale. It is not available on Starter.
AI Video is currently in beta. Your account needs beta access enabled in addition to a qualifying plan.
AI videos are paid for from the same credit pool as AI photo effects. Your balance is shown in the AI Effect and Test AI Video windows, and each option shows its credit cost before you commit. Top up before your event — a video is not generated if your balance does not cover it.
Tick Do not show original stills in gallery and analytics under Advanced settings to hide the raw guest photo, so only the finished video represents the session.
How AI Video Works
AI Video animates the still photo a guest captures at your booth. The finished video is shared to the guest automatically once it renders, so nobody waits at the booth for it.
AI Video runs inside VideoFX but is enabled separately from it. You can run AI Video with or without normal booth videos on the same event.
Stage | What happens |
1. Capture | The guest takes a photo at the booth and enters their email address or phone number. |
2. Prepare frame | The photo is used as-is, or an AI effect generates a stylised still from it first. |
3. Animate | The video model generates the clip from that still image. |
4. Finish & share | VideoFX builds the final video, adding any pre-roll, post-roll, overlay, and soundtrack. If the guest shares it with themselves, they will receive the final output via text or email. The output will also appear on the booth gallery or share station. |
The two Starting Frame modes
When setting up how AI video works, you are given two options for the videos starting frame.
Starting Frame | What it does | Prompts you set |
Use photo as-is | The booth photo goes straight to the video model. | One video prompt, in Configure Video Generation |
Restyle with AI first | An AI effect generates a stylised image, then that image is animated. | An image prompt per effect, plus a video prompt per effect |
🚫 | Limitation: When you use Restyle with AI first, the AI-processed still is only an intermediate step. It is never shown in galleries, never counted in analytics, and never shared with guests. Guests receive the video. |
How to Enable AI Video on Your Event
⚠️ | Important: You cannot save the AI Video page without at least one template attached. |
Enable the AI Video feature
Event → Features
Open your event and go to the Features screen.
Tick the AI Video tile.
Open the AI Video page
Scroll down the event page to AI Video Templates.
Click Edit.
Create a Template
Click Select from Template Library to use an existing AI video template, or Create New Template to build one from scratch. We recommend creating a new template.
How to Build an AI Video Template using the Simple AI Video Editor
Create New Template opens the Simple AI Video editor. This allows you to adjust the Master Settings (Dimension, Overlay, Soundtrack) and add an optional pre- and post roll video. If you need more advanced editing and effects options, switch to the Advanced Builder in the top right corner.
Set the template basics
Enter a Template Name.
Choose a Video Shape: Portrait, Landscape, or Square. This sets the template resolution, which in turn sets the aspect ratio of the AI video.
(Optional) Upload an Overlay for branding across the AI video segment. Accepts .png, .apng, or .mp4 under 30 MB.
(Optional) Upload a Soundtrack. Accepts .mp3 or .m4a under 5 MB.
Add pre-roll and post-roll video
The timeline plays in order: pre-roll video, then the AI video, then post-roll video. Use pre-roll for an intro and post-roll for an outro or sponsor card. Both are optional.
(Optional) Click + Pre-roll video and upload your intro clip.
(Optional) Click + Post-roll video and upload your outro clip.
Choose the Starting Frame mode
Click the AI video block in the timeline to open AI Video — Clip Settings.
Choose your Starting Frame mode:
Use photo as-is — the booth photo goes straight to the video model. Continue at Setting Up Use Photo As-Is.
Restyle with AI first — an AI effect generates a stylised image, then animates that. Setting Up Restyle with AI First.
Setting Up Use Photo As-Is
This is the shorter path. The guest’s photo is animated directly, and you set a single video prompt.
Select Use Photo As-Is
Open the Select Video Model dropdown.
Choose a model. Each one shows a cost indicator and a short description of what it is good at.
Set the Duration: 5 seconds or 10 seconds. Longer costs more credits.
Set the Resolution: 480p (SD), 720p (HD), or 1080p (Full HD). Higher resolution costs more credits.
Enter your video Prompt, describing the motion, camera movement, and scene details you want.
(Optional) Click Enhance to expand a rough idea into a fuller prompt.
(Optional) Click Test this model to preview the result before saving. See Testing Is Not Saving below.
Click Save.
Setting Up Restyle with AI First
This path uses two prompts per effect, in two different places. The image prompt creates the stylised still. The video prompt animates it. Both must be saved for your event to work.
⚠️ | Important: The prompt you enter inside Edit & Test only creates the still image. It does not animate anything. You must also set a video prompt using the Video Prompt button on the effect card, or your event has no video prompt at all. |
Click + Add AI Effect.
In the AI Filters Gallery, search or browse the category tabs and click a filter to apply it — for example BananaFX 3.0 (All-in-one) or Persona FX 2.0 (All-in-one).
Click Close.
(Optional) Repeat to add more effects. Guests choose between the effects you add.
Each effect card has two buttons: Edit & Test sets the image prompt, and Video Prompt sets the video prompt. Start with Edit & Test.
Click Edit & Test on the effect card.
On the Configure tab, enter the Prompt that describes the still image you want the effect to generate.
(Optional) Click Enhance Prompt to expand it, or Prompt Library to load a saved prompt.
Set Enhance Face Likeness to Yes for realistic effects. Leave it off for stylised effects such as cartoon, where it does not work. This adds 1 credit.
(Optional) Upload up to four reference images.
Choose a Pose: Original Pose or Random.
Set the Aspect Ratio to match your template frame, so the image is not cropped.
Click Save config to save and close, or Save & go to Test to save and open the test tab.
Please note: This next step is the step that is easiest to miss. The video prompt is set per effect, from the effect card — not in Configure Video Generation. In Restyle with AI first mode, the Prompt field in Configure Video Generation is unavailable and reads "Set the video prompt on each effect individually".
Click Video Prompt on the effect card.
Enter your Video Generation Prompt — up to 2048 characters. This overrides the default prompt when generating video with this effect.
(Optional) Click Enhance to expand it, or Library to load a saved prompt.
Click Save Prompt.
Repeat for every effect you added. Each effect needs its own video prompt.
Please note: The Video Prompt window also has a Save & Test button. It tests against whatever image is loaded, so upload a stylised image you have already generated — otherwise you are testing your video prompt against an unstyled photo, which is not what the booth will produce.
Open Select Video Model and choose a model.
In Configure Video Generation, set the Duration and Resolution.
Click Save to save the template.
Back on the AI Video page, click Save changes to attach the template to your event.
Testing Is Not Saving
Testing and setting up your event are separate. A successful test does not configure your event, and it is possible to test a prompt that never reaches your guests. This is the most common setup mistake.
⚠️ | Important: Running a test does not save anything to your event. After testing, go back and set the video prompt, select the model, configure the generation, and save — otherwise your final output will not work. |
What each button actually does
Action | What it does | Saved to your event? |
Run Test (AI Effect window) | Generates one sample still image from your test image | No |
Animate this (AI Effect window) | Opens Test AI Video using that sample still | No |
Test (Test AI Video window) | Generates one sample video from that still | No |
Test this model | Generates one sample video using your current settings | No |
Save config / Save & go to Test | Saves the image prompt and effect settings | Yes |
Save Prompt (Video Prompt window) | Saves the video prompt for that effect | Yes |
Save (Simple AI Video editor) | Saves the template | Yes |
Save changes (AI Video page) | Attaches the template to your event | Yes |
How to test a full guest journey
This runs the whole flow end to end, exactly as a guest would experience it.
1. Click Edit & Test on your effect and go to the Test & Preview tab.
2. Upload a Test Image that matches real booth conditions, or use the default.
3. Click Run Test. The sample still appears under Sample Output.
4. Click Animate this on the sample output.
5. In the Test AI Video window, set the Duration, Resolution, Aspect Ratio, and Prompt.
6. Click Test. Play, view fullscreen, or download the result.
7. Go back and save your prompts and settings for the event.
💡 | Tip: Test with two or three different photos, not one. A prompt that looks great on a posed solo shot can behave very differently with groups, props, or busy backgrounds. |
When to Use the Advanced Editor
The Simple AI Video editor covers the common case: an intro, the AI video, and an outro. Click Advanced editor to open the VideoFX Builder, which is the full video editor. Use it when you want more than a straight intro and outro.
Open the Advanced editor when you want to:
• Apply video effects such as slow motion or black and white
• Build a longer timeline with more elements
• Control the output frame rate
• Add an overlay mask, to give an overlay that has no transparency
• Apply your overlay across the pre-roll and post-roll as well as the AI video
• Upload a preview video to show on the iOS device
Video Model Options
All models are image-to-video: they animate a still image. Cost indicators in the dropdown show relative price rather than an exact figure — the exact per-video cost appears in the credits badge on Configure Video Generation once you have chosen your duration and resolution.
Model | Cost | Character |
Kling 2.5 Turbo Pro | $ | The value pick. Benchmark motion quality; handles hair, fabric, and environments well. Supports start and end frames. |
Kling 2.6 Pro | $ | The latest Kling. Top-tier motion quality and prompt adherence for realistic movement. A good default for the best-looking result. |
PixVerse C1 | $ | Budget-friendly and fast. Good for quick, stylised motion when you do not need premium realism. |
Seedance 1.0 Pro | $$ | Premium quality. Best for high-fidelity detailed results when budget is not the priority. |
🚫 | Limitation: No AI Video model generates audio. If you want sound on your finished video, add a Soundtrack to the template. |
What Happens at the Booth
Generation runs in the background, so guests are not held at the booth waiting for a video.
If you are using Restyle with AI first, the guest chooses an AI effect.
The guest takes a photo and enters their email address or phone number for sharing.
If the event is moderated, the still waits in the moderation queue for approval.
The video model generates the clip. This typically takes a few minutes.
VideoFX builds the final video and the guest’s share goes out automatically. The video will also appear on the in-app gallery at the booth and share station.
AI Video Locations
The finished AI video is the item that gets shared and counted.
Location | Where AI videos appear |
Guest sharing | Sent to the email address or phone number the guest entered at capture. |
Online gallery | A dedicated AI Videos tab. The tab only appears once at least one AI video exists. |
Manage gallery | The same AI Videos tab, with previews, moderation, and visibility actions. |
Analytics | AI videos are counted under their own AI Video stats, not as photos or normal videos, and have their own ZIP download type. |
Dropbox | AI videos upload to MP4s/AI Videos/. Normal booth videos stay in MP4s/Video/. |
Device gallery | Two filters under Event Options: AI Video for the finished videos, and AI Video Original for the source photos. |
💡 | Tip: Tick "Do not show original stills in gallery and analytics" if you want the gallery to show only finished videos rather than both items from each session. |
AI Video Credits
AI videos draw from the same credit pool as AI photo effects. When you use Restyle with AI first, the effect and the video are charged separately, so budget for both.
A worked example
For a BananaFX 3.0 effect with Enhance Face Likeness on, animated by Seedance 1.0 Pro at 5 seconds and 1080p:
Item | Cost |
AI effect (base 3 + 1 for add-ons) | 4 credits |
AI video | 10 credits |
Total per guest | 14 credits |
Your own figures depend on the effect, the model, the duration, and the resolution. Always read the live cost before saving.
What happens in each situation
Situation | What happens |
Normal generation | The cost shown in the credits badge is deducted. Event credits are spent first, then your account balance covers any remainder. |
Not enough credits | The video is not generated and the session shows as Failed. Your balance is never taken negative. |
Generation fails to start | You are not charged, or the charge is reversed. |
Provider retries | Retries of the same generation do not deduct credits again. |
💡 | Tip: The credits badge next to Configure Video Generation updates live as you change the duration and resolution, and the AI Effect window shows both the cost to run and your balance. Check both before your event. |
Troubleshooting
Why has a guest’s AI video not arrived?
The video is either still generating, has failed, or is blocked by moderation.
1. Open the event gallery and check the AI Videos tab.
2. If the session shows as processing, the provider is still working. Give it a few minutes.
3. If the session shows as failed, the failure reason is recorded. Retry the generation from the Failed AI Videos page.
4. On a moderated event, check the moderation queue. An unapproved still blocks video generation entirely.
Why can I not see the AI still that guests’ photos are turned into?
That is by design. When you use Restyle with AI first, the AI-processed still is only an intermediate step for the video model. It is never shown in galleries, never counted, and never shared. Guests receive the video, and the gallery shows the video plus the original photo — unless you have hidden originals.
Why is the AI Video tile not on my Features screen?
Two gates control it. Your plan must include AI Video, and while the feature is in beta your account also needs beta access. If either is missing the tile does not render at all. Contact support to get enabled.
Why do my photo counts look different since enabling AI Video?
Check the "Do not show original stills in gallery and analytics" setting. With it on, guests’ original photos are excluded from the Photos tab and from analytics on purpose. AI videos are counted under their own AI Video stats, not as photos or normal videos.
Why does my video have no sound?
No AI Video model generates audio. Add a Soundtrack to your template if you want sound on the finished video.
Why is my AI image cropped?
The effect’s aspect ratio does not match your template frame. Open the effect with Edit & Test and set the Aspect Ratio to match your template frame. Each effect only supports certain aspect ratios.
AI Video Pre-Event Checklist
Run through this the day before your event.
☐ AI Video tile ticked on the event’s Features screen
☐ Template attached on the AI Video page and Save changes clicked
☐ Starting Frame mode chosen — Use photo as-is or Restyle with AI first
☐ If restyling: an image prompt saved via Edit & Test for every effect
☐ If restyling: a video prompt saved via Video Prompt for every effect
☐ Video model, duration, and resolution set, and the per-video credit cost noted
☐ Effect aspect ratio matches the template frame
☐ Prompts tested against two or three realistic booth photos
☐ Pre-roll, post-roll, overlay, and soundtrack uploaded if you are using them
☐ If using an overlay: decided whether it should cover the pre-roll and post-roll
☐ Do not show original stills in gallery and analytics set the way you want the gallery to look
☐ Credit balance covers expected guests multiplied by the per-guest cost, plus a margin
☐ If moderating: someone is assigned to approve stills during the event
Related Articles
• Setting Up AI-FX
• Setting Up BananaFX Custom Prompt Filters
• Setting Up PersonaFX 2.0
• Comparing Snappic Photo Booth Packages
Need Help?
Visit the Snappic Help Center or chat directly from your dashboard for live support.