Obvious/Help Center

Generate Video

Published April 15, 2026 · Last updated April 15, 2026 · 3 min read

This guide walks you through generating a video in Obvious from a text prompt or a still image. Covers every setting you can configure before you hit generate.

This feature is currently in beta. Contact help@obvious.ai to request access.

You'll need Edit access to the project and either a text description of what you want or an image file (PNG, JPG, or WebP) to animate.

Create a video artifact

  1. Open the project where you want the video.

  2. Click + in the sidebar or toolbar and select Video. A new blank video artifact opens.

Choose a generation mode

Two modes, two starting points:

  • Text to Video: You describe what you want; Obvious generates it from scratch.

  • Image to Video: You upload a still image and Obvious animates it.

The mode selector sits at the top of the artifact. Pick your mode before configuring anything else.

Generate from a text prompt

  1. Select Text to Video at the top of the artifact.

  2. Enter your description in the prompt field. The more specific, the better. Subject, movement, setting, mood. "A red fox running through a snowy forest at dusk" will get you further than "fox running."

  3. Set Duration to Auto or a fixed length between 4s and 15s. Auto lets Obvious pick the best duration for your prompt.

  4. Set Aspect Ratio to 16:9 for landscape or 9:16 for portrait.

  5. Set Audio to On or Off.

  6. Click Generate, or press ⌘ Enter.

Generate from an image

  1. Select Image to Video at the top of the artifact.

  2. Click Choose a source image and upload a PNG, JPG, or WebP file. A preview appears once it's uploaded.

  3. Enter a prompt describing the motion you want, "gentle waves rippling across the surface" or "camera slowly zooms out" both work well here.

  4. Set Aspect Ratio to 16:9 or 9:16. Obvious auto-detects from your image; override it here if needed.

  5. Set Audio to On or Off.

  6. Click Generate.

Duration is currently fixed at 8 seconds for Image to Video.

Wait for generation

Most videos are ready in 30–60 seconds. Leave the artifact open. It updates automatically when generation completes.

If it's been more than 5 minutes and nothing's happened, Obvious shows a warning with a retry option. Click it to try again with the same settings.

If you see an error message instead of a video, review your prompt and try again. If the problem persists, contact help@obvious.ai.

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