Ken Burns effect
Definition
A slow pan-and-zoom applied to a still image so it feels like motion video.
The Ken Burns effect slowly zooms and pans across a still image, giving a static photo a sense of cinematic motion. Named after the documentary filmmaker who popularized it.
It is the cheapest way to make image-based b-roll feel like a moving film — essential for faceless documentaries built on stock and AI imagery. SceneSynth applies it automatically per scene.