klingai-camera-control

Kling AI Camera Control

Overview

Add controlled camera movements to text-to-video and image-to-video generation using the camera_control parameter. Supports pan, tilt, zoom, roll, and dolly. Available on v1.6+ models.

Supports: POST /v1/videos/text2video and POST /v1/videos/image2video

Camera Control Parameters

"camera_control": {
    "type": "simple",     # "simple" = one movement axis
    "config": {
        "horizontal": 0,  # Pan: -10 (left) to 10 (right)
        "vertical": 0,    # Tilt: -10 (down) to 10 (up)
        "zoom": 0,         # Zoom: -10 (out) to 10 (in)
        "roll": 0,         # Roll: -10 (CCW) to 10 (CW)
        "pan": 0,          # Dolly: -10 (left) to 10 (right)
        "tilt": 0,         # Dolly: -10 (down) to 10 (up)
    }
}

Rule: For type: "simple", only ONE field in config can be non-zero.

Cinematic Shot Examples

Slow Pan Right

response = requests.post(f"{BASE}/videos/text2video", headers=get_headers(), json={
    "model_name": "kling-v2-6",
    "prompt": "A medieval castle on a cliff at sunrise, fog in the valley below",
    "duration": "5",
    "mode": "professional",
    "camera_control": {
        "type": "simple",
        "config": {"horizontal": 5, "vertical": 0, "zoom": 0, "roll": 0, "pan": 0, "tilt": 0}
    },
})

Dramatic Zoom In

response = requests.post(f"{BASE}/videos/text2video", headers=get_headers(), json={
    "model_name": "kling-v2-6",
    "prompt": "Close-up of a tiger's face, intense eyes, jungle background",
    "duration": "5",
    "mode": "professional",
    "camera_control": {
        "type": "simple",
        "config": {"horizontal": 0, "vertical": 0, "zoom": 7, "roll": 0, "pan": 0, "tilt": 0}
    },
})

Tilt Up Reveal

response = requests.post(f"{BASE}/videos/text2video", headers=get_headers(), json={
    "model_name": "kling-v2-6",
    "prompt": "A skyscraper, starting from the base looking up, glass and steel",
    "duration": "5",
    "mode": "standard",
    "camera_control": {
        "type": "simple",
        "config": {"horizontal": 0, "vertical": 8, "zoom": 0, "roll": 0, "pan": 0, "tilt": 0}
    },
})

Dolly Forward

response = requests.post(f"{BASE}/videos/text2video", headers=get_headers(), json={
    "model_name": "kling-v2-master",
    "prompt": "Walking through a dark forest, trees on both sides, moonlight filtering through",
    "duration": "5",
    "mode": "standard",
    "camera_control": {
        "type": "simple",
        "config": {"horizontal": 0, "vertical": 0, "zoom": 0, "roll": 0, "pan": 0, "tilt": 5}
    },
})

Camera Control with Image-to-Video

# Animate a landscape photo with a slow zoom out
response = requests.post(f"{BASE}/videos/image2video", headers=get_headers(), json={
    "model_name": "kling-v2-1",
    "image": "https://example.com/landscape.jpg",
    "prompt": "Gentle wind, clouds moving slowly",
    "duration": "5",
    "camera_control": {
        "type": "simple",
        "config": {"horizontal": 0, "vertical": 0, "zoom": -5, "roll": 0, "pan": 0, "tilt": 0}
    },
})

Important: For image-to-video, camera_control is mutually exclusive with image_tail, dynamic_masks, and static_mask.

Shot Type Quick Reference

Shot Type	Config Field	Value	Description
Pan right	horizontal	5-8	Slow pan, good for landscapes
Pan left	horizontal	-5 to -8	Reveal from right to left
Tilt up	vertical	5-8	Upward reveal (buildings, trees)
Tilt down	vertical	-5 to -8	Downward motion
Zoom in	zoom	5-10	Focus on subject, dramatic
Zoom out	zoom	-5 to -10	Reveal, establishing shot
Dutch tilt	roll	3-5	Unsettling, artistic angle
Push in	tilt	3-5	Dolly forward (depth effect)
Pull back	tilt	-3 to -5	Dolly backward (reveal)

Intensity Guidelines

Value Range	Effect
1-3	Subtle, barely perceptible
4-6	Moderate, natural-feeling
7-8	Strong, dramatic
9-10	Maximum, may feel unnatural

Recommendation: Start at 4-6 for most cinematic shots. Go higher for dramatic reveals or action sequences.

Error Handling

Error	Cause	Fix
400 invalid camera config	Multiple non-zero values in simple mode	Set only one field to non-zero
Jerky motion	Value too high	Reduce to 4-6 range
No visible movement	Value too low (1-2)	Increase to 3+
Mutual exclusivity error	Combined with masks/image_tail	Use only camera_control OR masks

Resources

• Camera Control Guide
• Motion Control Guide
• Developer Portal