Make an anime short film, one Episode long
One idea, a few Characters who stay on model, a Story the AI Director splits into Scenes, and Clips put together as one Episode.
Free: make your Character and its Story as picture-only Slideshows. Real video comes with a plan.
How to make an AI anime short film
Write your idea in one line and make its Characters in the Anime Art style. The AI Director writes a Story and splits it into Scenes. Watch it free as a picture-only Slideshow. With a plan, film each Scene as a short Clip and put them together into one Episode, under a minute to a few minutes long.
Updated November 2026 · Free to start · Web and iPhone
Sample Clips
Real Clips from fictional sample series. Same Cast from shot to shot; tap a Clip for sound.
Last Train, Yellow Umbrella The last train too
Rainy Day Bakery Cat rolls
Hana, a university art student, and Ren, from the bakery by the station · made with H3 Turbo, the default Clip model in Character App · fictional sample series · Made with H3 Turbo, the default Clip model in Character App · fictional sample series
The whole workflow in five steps
Every how-to for AI anime shorts describes the same pipeline. In Character App it is one place, start to finish.
1. The idea
One line: who, where, and what changes by the end.
2. The Characters
Make each one from words, a photo or your own drawing, in the Anime Art style. Their designs are saved.
3. The Story
The AI Director writes the Story and splits it into Scenes. Change any line you like.
4. The Scenes drawn
Every Scene gets its picture. Watch it free as a picture-only Slideshow.
5. The Clips put together
With a plan, film each Scene as a Clip, keep the best takes, and put them together into one Episode.
How long is an anime short film?
As long as its Scenes. Each Clip is a few seconds, so a short film is a sequence of Clips: under a minute for one quiet moment, a few minutes for a full story. Nothing here makes one long unbroken take, and that suits anime, which cuts often.
Short film or series?
This page is the one-off. If the idea keeps going, the same Characters and World carry into a series: see make your own anime. For a love story starring the two of you, see anime couple.
5 anime short film ideas to start from
Press one and it lands in the idea box. Change a word or keep it; the Director takes it from there.
- 01Last Night of the LampA lighthouse keeper's last night before the lamp goes automatic.Use this idea
- 02One BlockTwo strangers share an umbrella for one block, and the whole film is that block.Use this idea
- 03The Same DoorA florist delivers the same bouquet to the same door every year, and this year she knocks.Use this idea
- 04Lost GlovesA robot street sweeper collects lost gloves and builds something with them.Use this idea
- 05Off the MapThe last train of the night stops at a station that is not on the map.Use this idea
From one line to Episode 01
- 1
Make the Characters
One line of idea, then each Character from words, a photo or your drawing, in the Anime Art style.
- 2
Watch it as pictures
The AI Director writes the Story in Scenes; the picture-only Slideshow is free.
- 3
Film the short
With a plan, film each Scene as a Clip and put the Clips together into one Episode.
Pictures free. Filming with a plan.
Free: make your Character and its Story as picture-only Slideshows. Real video comes with a plan. The free Studio is currently one World build, one Character a day, 4 Lite Images a day.
With a plan, a narrated Slideshow Story is 40 Credits for up to 5 slides, narration and music included, and a 5-second Clip on H3 Turbo is 25 Credits. Every button shows its price before you press.
Creator · $39.99 a month 1,600 Credits, spent any of these ways
- 64 HD H3 videos
- 266 Nano Banana 2.1 pictures
- ~29 Seedance 2.5 videos
- 40 Slideshow Stories
Or Characters, Stories and Episodes from the same Credits. Starter ($19.99) makes 32 HD H3 videos; Pro ($99.99) makes 160. Every button shows its price before you press.
Questions, answered
Still curious? The guides go deeper.
Can AI make an anime short film?
Yes, built from Scenes. The AI Director writes the Story, every Scene is drawn with your saved Characters, and with a plan each Scene becomes a Clip you put together into one Episode.
How long can it be?
Each Clip is a few seconds. The film is as long as the Clips you put together.
Are the Clips on this page made in Character App?
Yes. They are from our house sample series, made with H3 Turbo.
Can I start from my own photo?
Yes. Your photo becomes a Character in the Anime Art style. Anyone else in it needs to agree first.
What is free, and what needs a plan?
Free: make your Character and its Story as picture-only Slideshows. Real video comes with a plan. Clips, narrated Slideshows and Episodes use plan Credits, and every button shows its price before you press.
More genres
Every genre
AnimeCel-shaded arcs, rivals and late-waking powers.- Cozy animeGentle slice-of-life anime you can relax into.
- Anime coupleThe two of you, as an anime love story.
Cast for this genre
Plan it as a full season with the AI series maker.
Guides for this genre
- How long can an AI video be?A single AI video Clip is usually 5 to 15 seconds.
- How the Director worksThe Director is the Studio’s conversational planner: you write one line about what should happen, it drafts an outline of Scenes, you push back in plain words until it reads right.
- Scenes, Takes, Clips, EpisodesCharacter App has five production nouns and they nest: a Scene is one dramatic moment, a Take is one filmed attempt at it, a Clip is the take you kept, an Episode is kept Clips assembled in order, and a Season is the run of Episodes.
Your anime short film starts with one line.
Free: make your Character and its Story as picture-only Slideshows. Real video comes with a plan.