Stability AI has unveiled a novel AI model, dubbed Stable Virtual Camera, which is designed to convert 2D images into immersive videos, complete with lifelike depth and perspective, according to the company’s claims.

In the realm of digital filmmaking and 3D animation, virtual cameras are commonly utilized tools for capturing and navigating scenes in real-time. By integrating generative AI into the Stable Virtual Camera, Stability aims to provide users with enhanced control and customization options, as outlined in a blog post published by the company.

The Stable Virtual Camera model is capable of generating novel views of a scene from a single image or multiple images (up to 32) at user-specified camera angles. It can produce videos that move along dynamic camera paths or employ presets such as Spiral, Dolly Zoom, Move, and Pan.

The current research preview version of Stable Virtual Camera supports video generation in square (1:1), portrait (9:16), and landscape (16:9) aspect ratios, with a maximum length of 1,000 frames. However, Stability cautions that the model may yield lower-quality results in certain scenarios, particularly when dealing with images featuring humans, animals, or dynamic textures like water.

As Stability notes in its blog post, “highly ambiguous scenes, complex camera paths that intersect objects or surfaces, and irregularly shaped objects can cause flickering artifacts, especially when target viewpoints differ significantly from the input images.”

Stable Virtual Camera is available for research purposes under a non-commercial license and can be downloaded from the AI development platform Hugging Face.

Stability, the company behind the popular image generation model Stable Diffusion, secured new funding last year from investors including Eric Schmidt and Napster founder Sean Parker, who aim to revitalize the business. The company’s co-founder and former CEO, Emad Mostaque, had reportedly mismanaged Stability into financial troubles, leading to staff resignations, a failed partnership with Canva, and concerns among investors about the company’s prospects.

In recent months, Stability has appointed a new CEO, added “Titanic” director James Cameron to its board of directors, and released several new image generation models. Earlier in March, the company collaborated with chipmaker Arm to bring an AI model capable of generating audio, including sound effects, to mobile devices powered by Arm chips.