AI video terms explained: motion transfer, face swap, image to video and more

Updated October 21, 2026 · Reviewed by The Rift team

Short answer

Motion transfer copies movement from one video onto someone else. Face swap replaces only a face. Character swap replaces the whole person, body and clothes included. Image to video makes a photo move. Text to video makes a clip from words. A reference video shows the look or movement you want. A remake recreates a video you saw with new people in it. Rift, an iPhone app, does all of these with Spark.

AI video comes with a lot of jargon. Here’s what each term means, in one or two lines, with what it looks like in Rift. For the pair people mix up most, see motion transfer vs face swap.

Motion transfer

Movement from one video, put on a different person, pet or character. A dance from a TikTok, done by you from a photo. In Rift: share the video, add a photo, “same moves, it’s me”.

Face swap

Only the face changes; the body, hair and clothes stay the original person’s. Fast, but it often looks pasted on.

Character swap

The whole person is replaced, so face, body, hair and outfit all match. In Rift: “replace the dancer with me”.

Image to video

A still photo starts to move: a smile, a turn, wind, a camera push. In Rift: add a photo, “turn this into a video”.

Text to video

A clip made from words alone. In Rift: tell Spark the scene.

Reference video or reference photo

An example that shows the look, movement or camera you want, without being the thing you remake.

Remake

A new version of a video you saw: same moves, camera and timing, new people or setting. Rift’s main use.

Consistent character

A person or creature that stays the same across videos. In Rift: a character saved from a few photos.

Restyle

The same video or photo in a new look: anime, clay, film, oil paint.

Draft

In Rift, Spark’s plan for your video, with the price on the Make button, before anything is made.

Questions people ask

Is a remake the same as motion transfer?

A remake usually includes motion transfer, but also keeps the camera, place and timing of the original.

What's the difference between face swap and character swap?

Face swap changes only the face. Character swap replaces the whole person, so body, hair and clothes match too.

What is a consistent character?

A person or creature that looks the same across many videos. In Rift you save one from a few photos.

Do I need to know these words to use Rift?

No. You tell Spark what you want in plain words.