Turn a product photo into an ad you would actually run

Step one composes your product into the scene as a still image. This is the cheap step, and it is where things go wrong if they are going to, so it is also where you get to look.

Step two animates only the stills you approved. That order is the whole design: the expensive part never runs on a frame you did not want.

The camera moves and the product holds still, which is what keeps a logo or a label from warping. It is also how real product films are shot.

A watch, a plate of food, a bottle of serum and a pair of headphones do not belong in the same set. Scenes are grouped by what the product is: signature shots, category settings for food, beauty, electronics, home and jewellery, and building blocks for a full ad such as a detail macro or a closing pack shot.

Festival and sale packs cover the weeks when it matters: Diwali, Black Friday, Christmas, New Year and Valentine.

A large item is understood as a large item. An appliance is not shown miniature in someone hands, because the scene knows the difference between something you hold and something that stands on a floor.

The clips come back silent, which is a fine place to stop if you want footage for a story.

For an ad that runs on its own you want a voice, captions and a closing line, because most people watch with the sound off and decide in the first two seconds.

That step assembles your approved clips into one video with narration, burned captions, music and your call to action, and never charges again for the clips you already made.