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OpenAI released ChatGPT Images 2.6 on November 4, bringing a couple of interesting new features for anyone creating visual content.
Two updates caught our attention:
- Animated GIFs. You can now turn a simple prompt into a short, looping animation.
- Better reference image consistency. You can give ChatGPT an image of your character or product, and it can keep the design more consistent across different generations.
For small teams like ours, this opens up some fun possibilities. Instead of creating every little animation from scratch, we can experiment with bringing our characters and visuals to life in just a few prompts.
So naturally, we had to try it with Miko.
Making Miko Dance
If you've visited our website before, you might have met Miko, our orange tabby cat mascot.
We wanted to see how well ChatGPT could animate an existing character without changing its original appearance.
The idea was simple: give ChatGPT a reference image of Miko and ask it to do a short, cheerful dance.
This is the only image we gave ChatGPT. Every animation below started from this one picture and a text prompt.
Our first try used a quick, casual prompt:
Use this, our Miko character. Make it into a gif, make it dance.
That gave us a gentle sway. Then we tried a more detailed prompt, with specific moves:
Using the attached image as the exact reference, animate this character doing a short, cheerful dance: bouncing side to side with small paw waves, jumps up with both arms raised, then lands and wiggles its tail. Keep the design, colours and proportions identical in every frame. Plain white background, no text. Make it a seamless 2 to 3 second looping GIF.
And that's it! With one reference image and a clear description of the moves, we had a dancing Miko.
Of course, AI-generated animations aren't always perfect. But for something small and playful like this, it's a pretty fun way to bring a static character to life.
A few things we learned
If you're thinking of trying this with your own mascot or character, here are a few tips:
- Use a clear reference image. A simple background and a clear view of your character make it easier for AI to follow the original design.
- Describe the moves you want. Just saying "dance" gave us a gentle sway. Naming specific moves, like a bounce, a jump and a tail wiggle, gave us a much livelier result.
- Make it loop. If you want the animation to repeat smoothly, mention that in your prompt.
- Shorter is usually better. A two- to three-second animation is often enough to give your character a little personality.
Where Can You Use These Animations?
You don't need a big production or a complicated animation to make your content more engaging.
Even a small bit of movement can make a difference.
For example, you could use short animations in blog posts to make an article feel more lively, in product pages to demonstrate a simple interaction, or on social media to catch someone's attention.
And if your brand has a mascot, you could even turn it into a collection of reactions, greetings, or little animations for your team to use in chats and emails.
It's a small detail, but those little touches can make a brand feel more personal.
GIF or Video? Which Should You Use?
One thing worth mentioning: just because you can generate a GIF doesn't mean a GIF is always the best format.
GIFs are convenient. They're easy to share, and most platforms support them. But they can also have surprisingly large file sizes, especially when the animation gets longer.
For websites, a short, muted MP4 or WebM video that plays automatically and loops is often a better option. You get smoother visuals and usually a smaller file size.
That's actually how we handle videos in our blog. They play automatically, stay silent, and loop just like a GIF.
Our general rule is simple:
- For chats, emails, and quick sharing: GIFs are convenient.
- For websites: We usually prefer looping MP4 or WebM videos.
A Few Things to Watch Out For
AI animation has improved, but it's still worth checking the results before publishing.
Sometimes a character's paws might suddenly change shape, or a small detail might disappear between frames. These issues can be easy to miss when the animation plays quickly.
We also recommend keeping text outside the animation whenever possible. It's easier to read, translate, and update later.
And don't forget to add descriptive alt text so your content is accessible to more people.
Give Your Characters a Little Life
Our little Miko experiment was simple, but it gave us a glimpse of how much easier creating animated content is becoming.
You don't always need a complex animation workflow to add some personality to your website or social posts. Sometimes, a cute little dance is enough.
If you've got a mascot, character, or even a product image sitting around, why not try bringing it to life?
And if you're looking to add playful interactions or animations to your website without sacrificing performance, we'd love to help.
Got a wild idea? We want in.
