Bad Times AI with Cartoon, Animated or Original Characters: What Carries Over

Filmmakers, teachers and artists keep asking us the same question: can one of my own characters do the Bad Times argument? Often it's a character an audience recognizes by its costume and a few distinct features, like eyes without pupils. The short answer is yes for the costume, and maybe for the rest. Here's what the generator does with a character, so you can decide before you spend anything.

The short version

• The costume carries over. Outfit, colours, hair and the room come from your photo and stay the same for the whole clip.
• The style turns realistic. The video is made to look like a real phone recording, so drawn, animated or stylized characters come out more lifelike than the original.
• Unusual features are a gamble. Eyes without pupils or irises, a missing mouth or non-human proportions may be "corrected" during the close-ups.
• Film stills often fail review, even stills from your own film.
• Test one character with a short video first. A rejected photo or failed render is refunded automatically.

What the generator keeps from your character

The video follows the movement and camera of the original Bad Times take. Everything about the performer comes from one photo:

• Wardrobe. The outfit in the photo is kept from the first second to the last. If an audience knows your character by its costume, this is the part that works best.
• Colours, hair and accessories. Hairstyle, hair colour, hats, glasses and jewellery stay as they are in the photo. Nothing is added that the photo doesn't have.
• The room. The photo's background is extended into a vertical frame, so a set or a decorated room can stay in the shot.

What may change

A drawn or animated look becomes realistic

The template is built to look like a friend filmed the argument on a phone: handheld shake, ordinary indoor light, real skin texture. A flat cartoon, an anime-style drawing or a 3D render won't keep its art style. Expect a lifelike version of the character, wearing the same costume.

Distinct eyes and faces may be redrawn

The take includes several close-ups where the performer lunges at the lens. Video models are trained mostly on real faces. In those close-ups they tend to pull unusual features back toward ordinary ones. Solid-white eyes, eyes without pupils, oversized eyes or a face with no visible mouth may come out as normal eyes and a normal mouth. We haven't tested every style, so we can't promise a feature will hold. Try one video before planning a whole cast.

The character needs a mouth

Bad Times is a lip-sync: the performer mouths Imael Angel's song through the whole clip. A character without a visible mouth will either get one or look odd while "singing".

Props are left out

The routine needs both hands (hands on hips, pointing, the palm slapped at the camera), so anything held in the photo is dropped. A character known for a signature prop loses that cue. A prop worn on the body, like a hat or a cape, stays.

Hidden parts of the costume get filled in

Anything the photo doesn't show is filled in with ordinary everyday clothes. Use a photo where the full costume is visible, waist-up at least and full-body if you can.

Why film stills are often rejected

Every photo goes through the video provider's review before rendering. That review turns away celebrities, public figures and copyrighted content, and film or music-video stills count as copyrighted content. The review can't tell that a still comes from a film you made yourself. A frame grab from your movie may be rejected where an everyday photo of the same costume would pass. Well-known characters from other people's films, shows or games won't pass at all.

If a photo isn't approved, you don't pay. Credits go back to your balance automatically, and a single video bought at checkout is refunded to your card. See our refund policy for details.

Which photo to use

1. A real photo of an adult in the costume. This is the most reliable option. It looks like an everyday photo to the review, the face is a real face, and the costume carries over. The person must have agreed to appear in the video.
2. Artwork of the character. This is the least predictable option. Expect a realistic reinterpretation, and expect distinctive eyes or proportions to change.

Characters played by children

If a child plays the character, the same rule as every other photo applies. Don't upload a photo of a child, unless you're their parent or legal guardian and you use the toddler version. A teacher or director can't upload a student's photo, even in costume.

Test a character cheaply

Start with the character whose look matters most, often the one with the most unusual eyes, and make a short Budget video at 480p. If it holds up, make the same photo again in a longer or sharper version without a new upload. Prices for every length and quality are on the pricing page.

Keep in mind that a rejected photo or failed render is refunded, but a finished video that simply doesn't look like your character isn't. That's why one short test first is worth it.

Quick checklist

1. The full costume is visible in the photo.
2. The character has a face with a visible mouth.
3. Hands are empty, or you're fine losing the prop.
4. It's a real photo of an adult who agreed, not a film still.
5. You've tested one short video before doing the rest of the cast.

Try your character in the studio →

For general photo tips, see our Bad Times AI photo guide.

Bad Times AI is an independent tool, not affiliated with Imael Angel, the song's label or the trend's original creator.