How to Use AI Cinematic Shorts in PhotoDirector

Q: Can I add text, music, or stickers to a short?

Yes. In My Creations , click View on the short, then Further Editing . Choose Background Music , Text , or Sticker , and click Export to save the edited version.

Turn one photo into a film-style short, with camera moves, sound, and music to match.

Updated Oct. 28, 2026 · 3 min read

In a hurry? Use the AI Cinematic Shorts quick guide instead.

PhotoDirector's AI Cinematic Shorts turns a single photo into an 8-second, film-style clip. AI adds camera movement, natural sound, and background music to match the scene, in the style of the template you choose. Use it to turn a favorite still into a short video for social media.

YOUR PHOTO

A woman eating cheesecake at a sunlit café table, with a latte beside her and a tabby cat on the bench — The original photo.

MICRO CINEMA SHORT · SOUND ON

A Micro Cinema short made from it.

⚡ Quick Answer: How to Use AI Cinematic Shorts in 6 Steps

Open PhotoDirector and click AI Cinematic Shorts in the launcher.
Click a template, such as Micro Cinema.
Click the Import your photo box and choose a photo.
Click the crop icon, pick an aspect ratio, frame the photo, and click OK.
Check the aspect ratio and click Generate.
Open My Creations, select the short, and click Download.

Steps to Make an AI Cinematic Short

Step 1: Open AI Cinematic Shorts

Open PhotoDirector and click AI Cinematic Shorts under Home in the launcher.

The PhotoDirector launcher with the AI Cinematic Shorts card highlighted — AI Cinematic Shorts, on the launcher's Home screen.

Step 2: Pick a Template

Each template gives the short its own camera style. Hover over one to preview it, and scroll the row to see all five.

The row of templates, showing Micro Cinema and One-Take Shot, highlighted — Hover to preview, scroll for more.

Template	What it does	Pick it when
Micro Cinema	Dreamy close-ups in a poetic style	The photo has a mood you want to linger on
One-Take Shot	One slow, smooth camera reveal	You want to show a whole scene without cuts
Time Lapse	Time-lapse motion that brings still moments to life	The photo is a city or landscape view
Handheld Camera	Handheld motion with focus shifts	You want a casual, personal feel
Fast Cut	Bold, fast cuts with stylish pacing	The photo has action or a strong pose

Click the template you want, and it appears under Selected template on the right. This example uses Micro Cinema.

The Micro Cinema template selected and shown under Selected template, highlighted — Your pick shows under Selected template.

To describe the motion in your own words instead, see how to use Image to Video.

Step 3: Add Your Photo

Click the Import your photo box. Choose From Local Drive, From Library, or From My Creations. Or drag a photo onto the box.

The Import your photo menu with From Local Drive, From Library, and From My Creations highlighted — Three places to pick a photo from.

A notice lists the kind of photo that works best with your template. For Micro Cinema, mid-distance shots with rich detail work well, while flat compositions, visible text or logos, and extreme close-ups don't. Click Continue at the bottom right of the notice and choose your photo.

The photo appears in the box, already cropped to the current aspect ratio.

The café photo in the Import your photo box and the crop icon beside it highlighted — The crop icon sits beside the photo.

Step 4: Crop the Photo

Click the crop icon beside the photo. In the Aspect Ratio list at the bottom, pick 16:9, 1:1, or 9:16 to match the shape you want for the short.

The Aspect Ratio list open in the Crop and rotate window, with 16:9, 1:1, and 9:16 — Three shapes for the frame.

The short is built from the area inside the frame, so drag the frame over the part that matters. Then click OK.

The Crop and rotate window with a 16:9 frame over the whole café photo, and the Aspect Ratio list and OK button highlighted — Frame the scene, then click OK.

Step 5: Check the Aspect Ratio and Generate

The ratio you picked while cropping is now selected under Aspect Ratio. Change it here if you need to, then click Generate, which shows the credits it uses.

The Aspect Ratio options with 16:9 selected and the Generate button highlighted — Check the shape, then Generate.

The short is made in the cloud, so you can keep working. PhotoDirector notifies you and sends an email when it's done. The 8-second short in this example took about 10 minutes.

The message that the cinematic short is generating and you'll be notified when it's done, highlighted — You'll be notified when the short is ready.

Step 6: Download the Short from My Creations

Click My Creations at the top right of the window. Click View on a short to play it, or select it and click Download. PhotoDirector saves it to the AI Cinematic Shorts folder, under Pictures > PhotoDirector.

My Creations with the café short's checkbox checked, and its View button and the Download button highlighted — Select the short, then Download.

The View window shows the short next to the photo and template it came from. Download it from there too, or click Further Editing to add music, text, or stickers.

The short playing in the View window, with the Further Editing and Download buttons highlighted — Further Editing adds music, text, or stickers.

We tested these steps in PhotoDirector 365 version 18.0.10 on Windows.

Don't have PhotoDirector yet? Pick a photo and a template, and AI Cinematic Shorts turns it into a film-style short with sound.

Download PhotoDirector Free →

FAQ About AI Cinematic Shorts

1. How long is each short?

Each short is 8 seconds long. For a longer video, make several shorts from different photos or templates and join them in a video editor.

2. Can I add text, music, or stickers to a short?

Yes. In My Creations, click View on the short, then Further Editing. Choose Background Music, Text, or Sticker, and click Export to save the edited version.

3. How long does PhotoDirector keep my shorts?

Generated shorts are stored in the cloud for 1 year, and you can find them in My Creations. Download the ones you want to keep to your computer.