Pika, Runway, Luma, or Animated Drawings: Which One Fits a Saved Image?
Compare the task you want to complete: directing and editing a video, or turning one chosen image into a five-second Moment with sound. Includes official product links.
Start with the task you want to complete. You may want to direct a scene, edit existing footage, or turn one image into a short moving interpretation.
Several services can work from images. Having a saved image alone does not determine which one fits; the controls and result you need matter too.
Broad video tools start from a bigger canvas
The official pages below were reviewed on October 26, 2026:
- Pika presents video, image and audio tools, including video extension and motion transfer.
- Runway presents a creative workspace for generating and editing video, images and audio.
- Luma presents creative work across video, images, audio and text, with generation and refinement tools.
If you need a particular camera move, editing step, duration or output format, check that exact feature in the provider's current documentation. Plan terms and available controls can change. These links describe product offerings; this article does not report a side-by-side output test.
Animated Drawings starts from one chosen image
Animated Drawing starts with one image you choose: a photo, drawing, painting or character image. It creates one five-second, 1080p video with generated sound. You do not write a prompt, mark joints or select a model.
The result is a new interpretation. Exact choreography, spoken dialogue, lip sync and frame-by-frame editing are not controls in this experience. Generated movement can change details.
A successful Moment is saved automatically. You can view it again, use private Like, download or share it. Choose New when you want to start with an image for another generation; there is no new-direction control on the saved Moment.
When each category fits
| Your task | What to check |
|---|---|
| Direct a particular scene, motion or edit | Check the exact controls in the official Pika, Runway or Luma documentation. |
| Turn one chosen image into a short video with generated sound | Animated Drawing offers a five-second result with a simple image-first flow. |
| Add your own song, make a slideshow or control lip sync | Those are outside the current Animated Drawing flow; check a tool that explicitly supports the task. |
| Study Meta's drawing-animation research | Start with the official research and code linked in our Meta explanation. |
Match the required task before judging an example output. A promotional example cannot guarantee the result from your own image.
A practical way to choose
Check the required input, output, controls and price before paying. If Animated Drawing fits, the current walkthrough explains the separate purchase and generation steps. New accounts do not receive free generation credits, and each new generation uses credits.