Animate old photos: what works
Which family photos animate well, which do not, and the consent questions to settle before you post a moving portrait of a relative.
Good candidates
A single subject, sharp focus and a face that is not obscured. Studio portraits, passport-style photos and well-lit family snapshots animate best, because the model has clear evidence for the face and a simple background to hold steady.
Scans at 300 dpi or better, with dust and scratches cleaned up beforehand, give the model less noise to interpret as movement.
Hard cases
Blurred snapshots, group photos, photos where the face is smaller than about 15% of the frame, and anything with severe damage across the eyes or mouth. The model will still produce a clip, but identity drift and warping are likely, and the result usually reads as uncanny rather than moving.
Sepia and black-and-white photos work; the clip simply stays monochrome.
Consent and posting
Animating a deceased relative for a private family keepsake is one thing. Publishing a moving clip of a living person who has not agreed to it is another, and in several jurisdictions that is a likeness-rights problem regardless of who owns the print.
If the clip will be public, get consent from anyone recognisable, keep the original photo's provenance, and label the video as AI-generated.
Start with the tool
Credits per motion are listed on the tool, packs start at $4.99.