Midjourney, the popular AI company known for its artistic image tools, has launched its first video-generation model, V1, just days after Disney accused it of copying famous characters. V1 turns still images into short, five-second video clips and works only through Discord on web browsers for now.
With V1, users can animate their own pictures or images made using Midjourney’s tools. There are two motion options: auto, where the AI creates the animation, and manual, where users give text instructions for how things should move. Videos can be calm or full of motion, and users can stretch the length from 5 to 21 seconds.
Midjourney says this is only the beginning. CEO David Holz shared plans to expand into 3D and real-time worlds in the future. While rivals like OpenAI’s Sora, Adobe’s Firefly, and Google’s Veo 3 focus on studio-quality videos, Midjourney continues with its signature surreal, dreamlike style. It aims to be a creative space for artists, not just filmmakers.
However, V1 comes at a price. Making videos takes eight times more credits than images. The basic $10 (₹866) plan gives access, but for unlimited video generation, users need the $60 (₹5,200) Pro or $120 (₹10,400) Mega plans, and even then, only in a slower “Relax” mode. Midjourney says it may change pricing later based on feedback.
Meanwhile, Midjourney faces a lawsuit from Disney and Universal, who claim the company’s AI tools can create unauthorized versions of famous characters like Darth Vader and Homer Simpson. This adds to growing concern in Hollywood about AI replacing artists and using copyrighted content for training.
Despite the controversy, early reactions to V1’s output have been mostly positive.
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