---
title: "Animate one character's portrait into a talking loop."
method: POST
path: "/artifacts/{artifactId}/avatar-video"
tags: ["Artifacts"]
---

# Animate one character's portrait into a talking loop.

`POST /artifacts/{artifactId}/avatar-video`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://docs.sleeperhit.studio/api/v1`
- URL: `https://docs.sleeperhit.studio/api/v1/artifacts/{artifactId}/avatar-video`
- Auth: HTTP bearer

Makes a short animated talking portrait from the character's portrait (never the narrator). Queued: poll GET /artifacts/{artifactId}/cast until the character's `avatarVideoStatus` is `ready` and `avatarVideoUrl` is set. While the project's gate is closed it is refused with 409 `project_precondition_failed` before the job is queued. Requires `Idempotency-Key`. Scope: `artifact:publish`.

## Headers

- `Idempotency-Key` string, required

## Request body

- TableReadAvatarVideoRequest
  - `character` string, required: The character whose portrait comes alive (never the narrator).
  - `description` string: Optional direction for the motion.

## Response `200`

The queued animation.

- TableReadAvatarVideoResponse
  - `artifactId` string, required
  - `character` string, required
  - `status` 'queued', required
  - `chatToolJobId` string, required

## Other responses

- `400`: Request payload failed validation. The error message names the offending field.
- `401`: Missing, malformed, revoked, or expired API key.
- `403`: API key is valid but lacks the scope, is blocked by IP allowlist, or the account is disabled.
- `404`: The story artifact does not exist or is owned by another account.
- `409`: The artifact is not in a state where this operation is valid yet (e.g. requesting an MP4 render before the share link exists).
- `429`: Rate limit for this API key + IP + route family was exceeded.
- `500`: The API failed unexpectedly. Safe to retry with the same Idempotency-Key.

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/sleeperhit/apis/sleeper-hit-studio-story-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/sleeperhit/apis/sleeper-hit-studio-story-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/sleeperhit/apis/sleeper-hit-studio-story-api/revisions/64c1102ccb2f?raw)