Testing AI Photo Animations: Which Style Brings Ancestors to Life Best?

Testing AI Photo Animations: Which Style Brings Ancestors to Life Best?

Over the last few years, short-form video has become one of the most effective ways to draw in family members who don’t normally engage with genealogy. Quick, visually interesting clips can spark curiosity in relatives who might scroll past a long family history write-up—but will happily stop for a short animation or video. With this in mind, I’ve been exploring how AI tools can help create brief, eye-catching “animated shorts” featuring ancestors from my own family tree.

For this round of testing, I used an animated version of my 2nd great-grandfather, Samuel Steinman. About six months ago, I generated a stylized animated image of Samuel using ChatGPT, based on my original photograph of him. Because realistic animation of historical individuals can be easily misunderstood, I intentionally focused on tools that produce clearly stylized, cartoon-like results. The goal is to entertain, not to mislead.

To see how different platforms handle animation and movement, I ran Samuel’s two different styles of animated portraits through three major AI tools:

1. MyHeritage
MyHeritage continues to be one of the most accessible platforms for genealogy-friendly imagery and animations. Their tools for movement, facial expression, and video enhancement are extremely user-friendly and tend to produce smooth, subtle animations.

2. Meta AI
Meta’s tools offer a modern, slightly more animated feel—sometimes more dynamic, sometimes a bit bolder. Their animations often introduce movement in the background or in facial expressions, which can add energy to a short clip.

3. Grok
Grok’s animation style leans more heavily into artistic interpretation. Depending on the prompt and output, the results can feel more stylized, bold, or cartoon-inspired, making it an interesting contrast to the other two platforms, while also automatically adding sound.

Comparing the Styles: Subtle, Animated, and Full Cartoon

To make this a meaningful test, I created three slightly different versions of Samuel’s animated portrait—each one with a distinct level of stylization:

• Version 1: A simple animation with minimal movement.
• Version 2: A more animated, lively version.
• Version 3: A fully cartoon-styled interpretation.

Each platform handled these variations differently, which gave me a much clearer sense of what might work best for short-form content geared toward engaging family members—particularly younger relatives who enjoy TikTok, Reels, and YouTube Shorts.

Why These Experiments Matter for Family History

Family history can be deeply meaningful, but not everyone feels naturally drawn to written research summaries or long narratives. Quick, animated shorts offer a different kind of entry point—something fun, visual, and accessible. When a relative recognizes a face, even a stylized one, it opens the door to conversations, stories, and deeper engagement.

At the same time, it’s important to be clear that these animations are creative interpretations, not authentic representations. That’s why the cartoon-style versions are so valuable: they help ensure viewers understand that these clips are playful and imaginative, not historical reconstructions.

Your Turn: Which One Should I Use?

To make this experiment even more engaging, I shared these versions on social media, a few months ago, and asked viewers to vote on their favorite style. Seeing how others respond—especially relatives who aren’t typically invested in family history—helps me understand what resonates most.

Each version offers something unique, and I’ll continue exploring how these tools can be used responsibly and creatively in family history storytelling.

If you’ve tried any of these platforms, or if you’ve experimented with animated ancestor videos yourself, I’d love to hear what worked (and what didn’t!) for you.
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More tests coming soon—Samuel is becoming quite the animated star.

​More AI Tools, Features, and Resources

Learn about more AI in Genealogy tools and features that can be used in your family history and genealogy under the AI in Genealogy  category, and find more of my AI Genealogy Animation experiments on my YouTube Channel.

More ​Genealogy Resources

Learn about more family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.