Midjourney, renowned for its captivating AI image generation, has officially launched V1, its inaugural AI video generation model. This marks a significant expansion for the company, venturing into the competitive landscape of AI-powered video creation.
V1 functions as an image-to-video tool, allowing users to animate their existing Midjourney-generated images or upload their own static visuals. Each “job” produces four distinct five-second video clips, which can then be extended in four-second increments up to a total of 21 seconds. Users have creative control with both “auto” and “manual” motion settings, enabling them to either let the AI determine the movement or provide detailed text prompts for specific animations. “Low motion” and “high motion” options further refine the intensity of movement, catering to subtle shifts or dynamic scenes.
While models like OpenAI’s Sora and Google’s Veo 3 aim for photorealistic, long-form video generation from text, Midjourney’s V1 leans into its signature surreal and dreamlike aesthetic. This positions it as an accessible and user-friendly tool for artists and creatives seeking to add a unique, animated touch to their visual content.
Access to V1 is currently web-only and requires a Midjourney subscription, starting at $10 per month. Video generation consumes significantly more resources, with each clip costing approximately eight times more GPU time than a still image. Midjourney plans to re-evaluate pricing based on user feedback. This release is a “stepping stone” towards Midjourney’s ambitious goal of creating real-time, open-world simulations, with future plans for 3D rendering and real-time AI systems
