What is Motion Transfer?
“Give anyone expert moves. Select one photo of your character and one clip of the move — a dance, a fight, a walk — and they’ll perform it beat for beat, expression included, with the original sound if you want it.”
For the full guide (choosing photos and clips, workflow, fixes), see Pika Motion Transfer: Workflow and Examples.
Source: Pika Motion Transfer.
Motion Transfer at a glance
| Inputs | “One photo of your character and one clip of the move” |
|---|---|
| Example moves | “A dance, a fight, a walk” |
| What transfers | The move “beat for beat, expression included” |
| Sound | “The original sound if you want it” |
| Cost and limits | Shown in the app; see Pika pricing |
Quick steps
- Open Motion Transfer and sign in.
- Select one photo of your character: full body, clearly visible, simple background.
- Select one clip of the move: one person, whole body in frame, steady camera.
- Choose whether to keep the original sound.
- Check the credit cost, then generate.
- Check hands, feet and face against the original move, then download.
Choosing a move
| Move | Works best when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Dance | Full body visible, clear rhythm, plain background | Spins and fast hand moves |
| Fight / action | Stylised, slower moves; one performer | Two people touching; fast blur |
| Walk | Walking toward or across the camera | Legs crossing behind objects |
| Gestures and reactions | Upper-body clips with clear expressions | Faces too small in frame |
Match the photo to the move: a full-body photo for full-body moves, and similar framing in both.
Examples
Example 1 · Dance
A short dance clip with clear full-body moves.
Example 2 · Walk
A confident runway-style walk toward the camera.
Motion Transfer vs other Pika video tools
| Tool | Starts from | Use it to |
|---|---|---|
| Motion Transfer | A photo + a move clip | Make a new character perform an existing move |
| Swap Anything | A video | “Recast anything in your clip — the performance stays as filmed.” |
| Camera Director | A video | “Reshoot your clip from any angle, with any camera move.” |
| Image-to-video | A photo + a prompt | Describe the motion in words instead of showing it |
Consistent characters: Character Studio.
Motion control on the Pika API
Developers will find a related operation in the Pika API catalog: Kling 3.0 Motion Control, which “drive[s] a character image with a reference video.” It costs $0.101 per second at 720p and $0.135 at 1080p, and can keep the reference video’s original audio. We can’t confirm it is the model behind the Motion Transfer app.
Consent and rights
- Character photos: Pika’s Acceptable Use Policy says “You must not upload or submit photographs, portraits, or other likenesses of real individuals without their express consent.”
- Move clips: use your own footage or clips you have permission to use; choreography and music can be protected too.
- Original sound: only keep it if you have the rights to that audio.
- Commercial use: Pika lists a commercial license on Creator, Fancy and Enterprise plans.
Motion Transfer FAQs
What do I need to use Motion Transfer?
Pika says: “one photo of your character and one clip of the move.”
Does it copy facial expressions?
Pika says the character performs the move “beat for beat, expression included.”
Can I keep the music from the move clip?
Pika says you can keep “the original sound if you want it.” Make sure you have the rights to it.
How is this page different from your Motion Transfer guide?
This is a quick app walkthrough. The full guide goes deeper into choosing inputs and fixing problems.
Is this the official Pika website?
No. pikaais.com is an independent informational guide.
Try one short move
Pick a simple 5-second dance or walk, a clear full-body character photo, and compare the result with the original.
Open Motion Transfer ↗Next: Full Motion Transfer guide · Swap Anything · All Pika apps
Sources: Pika Motion Transfer, Pika apps, Pika API catalog, Pika pricing and Pika Acceptable Use Policy, checked September 25, 2026. Images: Pika. Tips are our own.