JSON to video & image

Use code to create graphics

Creatomate allows you to make videos and images using JSON, similarly to the way you would use HTML and CSS to build a website. A simple open source format is used to describe how the output file (an mp4, a gif, or a jpg) is rendered. Check out the template page to get a sense of what's possible.

This format was designed to provide developers with an easy, yet powerful way to create highly dynamic graphics. The way this works is that a developer can generate JSON using any programming language (for example, JavaScript, Ruby, or Python), and Creatomate can take that JSON and turn it into either a video or an image via the API.

You can find the specification of this format in the following sections of the documentation. This is a reference for developers that wish to have full control over the rendering process. It is not a requirement for you to work with Creatomate since it is possible to generate this JSON automatically through our template editor.

The quick start examples that we have included will help you get started right away if you are in a hurry. Otherwise, read on for an in-depth guide to the format.

Basic structure

In order to compose your render, you may use text, image, video, audio clip, shape, and composition elements. As an example, here is a render with a single text element that will produce a PNG:

1{
2  "output_format": "png",
3  "width": 1920,
4  "height": 1080,
5  "elements": [
6    {
7      "type": "text",
8      "text": "My text",
9      "fill_color": "#ffffff",
10      "font_family": "Open Sans"
11    }
12  ]
13}