Here's a workflow that keeps showing up on Reddit and YouTube: generate an AI image, then turn it into a video. The concept is simple. The execution — using separate tools — is painful.

You generate an image in one tool, download it, upload it to a video generator, adjust settings, wait, download again. If the video doesn't look right, you go back to the image, regenerate, re-upload.

What if the image and video models were connected in one pipeline?

The Chain: Text → Image → Video

The basic chain looks like this:

Text Prompt → Image Model → Video Model → Output

But the real power comes from adding steps:

Text Prompt → Prompt Enhance → Image Model → Upscale → Video Model → Output

Or branching:

Text Prompt → Image Model → Video Model A (Kling)
                          → Video Model B (Veo)
                          → Video Model C (Sora)

Compare three video outputs from the same source image. Pick the best. All in one workflow.

Best Model Chains in 2026

High Quality: Flux 2 Pro → Veo 3.1

Image: Flux 2 Pro generates a sharp, detailed image
Video: Veo 3.1 animates it with up to 4K resolution and native audio

Best for: Professional content, brand videos, high-fidelity output.

Cost: ~$0.03 (image) + ~$1.60 (8s video at 720p) = $1.63 total

Fast & Cheap: Nano Banana 2 → Seedance 1.5 Pro

Image: Nano Banana 2 generates fast at $0.067
Video: Seedance 1.5 Pro animates at $0.05/second

Best for: Social media content, quick iterations, testing ideas.

Cost: ~$0.07 (image) + ~$0.25 (5s video) = $0.32 total

Cinema Quality: GPT Image 1.5 → Kling 3.0 Pro

Image: GPT Image 1.5 for precise prompt following
Video: Kling 3.0 Pro for stunning visual fidelity

Best for: Hero content, ads, portfolio work.

Cost: ~$0.02 (image) + ~$0.42 (5s video) = $0.44 total

Budget: Nano Banana 2 → Hailuo 2.3

Image: Nano Banana 2 at $0.067
Video: Hailuo 2.3 at $0.28 per 6s video

Best for: Volume content, testing, social media.

Cost: ~$0.07 + $0.28 = $0.35 total

Building the Chain in Scenetra

Step 1: Prompt

Drop a Prompt node. Type your scene description.

Tip: Use the Prompt Enhance node between your prompt and the image model. It adds visual detail that makes the image more "animatable."

Step 2: Image Generation

Connect to your chosen image model. The output is an image ID that can flow to any downstream node.

Step 3: Video Generation

Connect the image output to a video model's "First Frame" input. The video model uses your image as the starting frame and animates from there.

Step 4: (Optional) Upscale Between Steps

Insert a Topaz Upscale or SeedVR Upscale node between the image and video model. Higher-resolution source images = better video output.

Step 5: (Optional) Add Audio

Some video models include native audio generation:

Veo 3.1 — native audio synthesis
Kling 3.0 Pro — native audio + voice control
Wan 2.6 — audio support

Or chain a Chatterbox TTS node for custom voiceover.

Advanced: First + Last Frame Control

Some video models accept both a starting and ending frame:

Prompt A → Image Model → Start Frame ─┐
                                       ├→ Video Model → Output
Prompt B → Image Model → End Frame ───┘

The video model generates motion that transitions from frame A to frame B. Available on:

This is incredibly powerful for controlled camera movements, transformations, or story sequences.

Why Chaining Beats Separate Tools

	Separate Tools	Chained Workflow
Image → Video	Manual download + upload	Automatic connection
Iteration speed	Minutes per cycle	Seconds per cycle
Model comparison	One at a time	Side by side
Reproducibility	Manual notes	Saved workflow
First + last frame	Very tedious	One workflow

Try It

Open app.scenetra.com
Drop a Prompt → Image Model → Video Model chain
Connect the nodes
Generate your first image-to-video pipeline

Scenetra is a visual AI workspace where you chain image, video, and audio models together. Build your first chain →