Kling 3.0 Motion Control API

Animate a character image from a reference video through one API. Pricing starts at $0.1134 per second for 720p output, supports 1080p, and reaches up to 30-second clips depending on orientation mode.

Model Type:

Motion Control Custom Element

Motion transfer API

Animate a character image from a reference video with orientation control, optional original audio, and async API delivery for production workflows.

Starts at $0.1134/s
720p / 1080p
Inputs: image + video
Up to 10s / 30s

Hero showcase of Kling 3.0 motion control capabilities

Reference video motion, image character guidance, and async delivery in one production-ready route.

Reference Type

Image Reference

Fixed Price

1 Credits

per element

Output

Element creation returns an element_id

Use it in Kling video generation

Reference Type*

Choose whether to create element from images or video

Reference Video *

Upload a video showing the subject clearly — must contain a visible human face (max 8s, 720-2160px)

Click to upload or drag and drop

Supported formats: MP4, MOV, WEBM
Maximum file size: 100MB; Maximum files: 1

Element Name*

Name of the subject element (max 20 characters)

Element Description*

Description of the subject element (max 100 characters)

Click Generate to see preview

History

Max 20 items

0 running · 0 completed

Your generation history will appear here

Billing Rules

•Fixed price: 1 Credit per element creation
•Full refund on failure
•Estimated processing time: ~10 minutes

Pricing

Model	Mode	Type	Price
Kling Custom Element	Element Creation	Element Creation	Popular $0.0139/ request(1 Credits)

Popular

Kling Custom Element

Element Creation

Type:Element Creation

Price:

$0.0139/ request

(1 Credits)

If it's down, we automatically use the next cheapest available—ensuring 99.9% uptime at the best possible price.

What can you build with the Motion Control API?

Avatar and character animation from reference video

Animate a still character image from a reference performance video without manual rigging or frame-by-frame editing. This workflow is useful for creator tools, virtual avatars, short-form content, and character-driven video production where natural human motion matters.

Start creating

Dance, gesture, and performance transfer for social content

Transfer dance moves, gestures, and body performance from one clip to a different character for social media production, marketing assets, and creator workflows. Teams can turn a single motion source into multiple character-led outputs for faster iteration across campaigns.

Explore use cases

Reference-driven motion workflows with orientation control

Control whether the generated character follows the direction of the source image or the reference video, then choose 720p or 1080p output based on budget and production needs. This gives developers a more structured motion-control pipeline than generic image-to-video generation.

View controls

Motion control workflow with orientation settings

Why teams choose Motion Control

Kling 3.0 Motion Control gives teams a more controllable way to turn real performance footage into character animation, with predictable per-second pricing and a production-ready API workflow.

Faster production without manual rigging

Teams can turn a still image plus a motion clip into usable animated output without building a traditional animation pipeline. This reduces setup friction for prototypes, campaign assets, and creator tools.

Predictable API pricing for repeated workflows

Per-second billing, 720p and 1080p modes, and explicit duration limits make it easier to estimate cost before production. That matters for batch jobs, user-generated workflows, and automated content pipelines.

How to integrate the Motion Control API

From reference inputs to delivered animation in three practical steps.

Prepare a clean character image and motion source video

Upload a reference image for the target character and a reference video containing the performance you want to transfer. Clear body visibility and stable source motion improve output consistency.

Submit an async generation request with motion settings

Send the image, video, quality mode, and orientation parameters to the API. The task runs asynchronously, which makes it easier to integrate into production pipelines, queue systems, and automated workflows.

Poll task status, review output, and iterate

Check task status until the result is ready, then review the generated clip and refine inputs when needed. This iteration loop works well for creator products, internal tools, and repeatable video workflows.

View API Docs

Core capabilities of the Motion Control API

Reference-driven character animation with production-oriented controls

Motion

Reference video motion transfer

Use a source performance video to drive movement in a target character image, making motion output more repeatable and easier to control than prompt-only generation.

Orientation

Character orientation control

Choose whether the output character follows the facing direction of the reference image or the source video, depending on the type of motion transfer you need.

Consistency

Subject element consistency support

Combine Motion Control with Kling Custom Element workflows when you need more stable character identity across repeated generations and production variations.

Audio

Original sound preservation

Keep the original sound from the reference video when the workflow calls for motion plus source-audio continuity in the final output.

Pricing

Per-second pricing with explicit output limits

Estimate cost more easily with per-second billing, visible duration constraints, and clear quality tiers. This helps teams plan usage for creator tools and automated pipelines.

Quality

720p and 1080p delivery modes

Choose a lower-cost or higher-quality output path based on production goals, turnaround needs, and budget sensitivity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about the product and billing.

The Motion Control API transfers human motion from a reference video onto a character in a reference image. It uses Kling's 3.0 model to synthesize natural-looking animation. Both the reference image and reference video are required inputs.

You need a reference image (the character to animate) and a reference video (the motion source). The character should have clear upper body or full body visible. The video should contain clear human motion without cuts or camera movement.

Maximum duration depends on character_orientation: up to 10 seconds when set to 'image' (character faces like the image), or up to 30 seconds when set to 'video' (character faces like the video). Minimum is 3 seconds. Actual duration depends on extractable motion from the reference video.

Motion Control uses per-second billing at 8.1648 credits/second base rate (720p). 1080p quality is 1.333x the base rate. Billed by actual generated duration, rounded up to the nearest second. Check your EvoLink dashboard for your group's specific pricing.

This parameter controls the facing direction of the generated character. Set to 'image' for the character to face the same direction as in the reference image (max 10s video). Set to 'video' for the character to face the same direction as in the reference video (max 30s video).

Yes, you can reference subject elements created via Kling Custom Element using element_list. When using elements, character orientation is currently limited to video orientation only. Maximum 1 element is supported.

Limits, pricing, and available modes are determined by your provider and region. Use your EvoLink dashboard and API responses as the source of truth. Check the API documentation for the most current constraints and parameters.

API Reference

Select endpoint

Authentication

All APIs require Bearer Token authentication.

Header

Authorization: 
Bearer YOUR_API_KEY

Get API Key

POST

/v1/videos/generations

Create Element

Kling Custom Element (kling-custom-element) creates reusable subjects (elements) from reference videos. Created elements can be referenced in Kling V3 Motion Control, Kling O3 series, and Kling V3 Image-to-Video video generation via element_list for consistent character appearance.

Asynchronous processing mode, use the returned task ID to query status.

Upon completion, result_data will contain the element_id for use in video generation.

Important Notes

This model creates reusable elements (subjects), not videos. No prompt/duration/quality/aspect_ratio parameters needed.
The reference image or video must contain a clearly visible human face.
Fixed pricing: 1 Credit per element creation. Full refund on failure.
Estimated processing time: approximately 10 minutes.
After successful creation, use the returned element_id in Kling V3 Motion Control, Kling O3 series, and Kling V3 Image-to-Video video generation via element_list.

Request Parameters

modelstringRequiredDefault: kling-custom-element

Model name for custom element creation.

Examplekling-custom-element

model_params.element_namestringRequired

Name for the element (subject) being created.

Notes

Max 20 characters

ExampleMyCharacter

model_params.element_descriptionstringRequired

Description of the element, used to help the model understand the subject characteristics.

Notes

Max 100 characters

ExampleA young male character with short hair, wearing a white T-shirt

model_params.reference_typestringRequired

Type of reference material used to create the element.

Value	Description
video_refer	Use reference video to create element

Examplevideo_refer

model_params.element_video_listobjectOptional

Reference video for element creation. Required when reference_type is video_refer.

Notes

Conditionally required: must be provided when reference_type = video_refer
video_url (string): URL of the reference video
The reference video must contain a clearly visible human face

Example{"video_url": "https://example.com/reference.mp4"}

callback_urlstringOptional

HTTPS callback address after task completion.

Notes

Triggered on completion, failure, or cancellation
HTTPS only, no internal IPs
Max length: 2048 chars
Timeout: 10s, Max 3 retries

Examplehttps://your-domain.com/webhooks/element-task-completed

Request Example (Video Reference)

{
  "model": "kling-custom-element",
  "model_params": {
    "element_name": "CharacterA",
    "element_description": "Middle-aged female with long hair, wearing a red dress",
    "reference_type": "video_refer",
    "element_video_list": {
      "video_url": "https://example.com/reference.mp4"
    }
  }
}

Response Example

{
  "created": 1739500000,
  "id": "task-video-xxxxxxxx",
  "model": "kling-custom-element",
  "object": "video.generation.task",
  "progress": 0,
  "status": "pending",
  "task_info": {
    "estimated_time": 600,
    "can_cancel": true
  },
  "usage": {
    "credits_reserved": 1,
    "billing_rule": "per_call"
  }
}

Kling 3.0 Motion Control API

What can you build with the Motion Control API?

Avatar and character animation from reference video

Dance, gesture, and performance transfer for social content

Reference-driven motion workflows with orientation control

Why teams choose Motion Control

More controllable than generic video generation

Faster production without manual rigging

Predictable API pricing for repeated workflows

How to integrate the Motion Control API

Prepare a clean character image and motion source video

Submit an async generation request with motion settings

Poll task status, review output, and iterate

Core capabilities of the Motion Control API

Reference video motion transfer

Character orientation control

Subject element consistency support

Original sound preservation

Per-second pricing with explicit output limits

720p and 1080p delivery modes

Frequently Asked Questions

API Reference

Authentication

Create Element

Important Notes

Request Parameters

Notes

Notes

Notes

Notes

Request Example (Video Reference)

Response Example