Plan the whole project.
Not just the next generation.
Estimate credits for usable footage, reserve for retries, and understand the cost of finishing an AI video project—before you spend.
No account, payment, tracking, or vendor affiliation. Assumptions stay editable.
Three numbers are more useful than a price tag.
Price per generated second hides the work between first output and final deliverable.
Define usable runtime
Count accepted footage required, not every second the model generates.
Reserve for attempts
Make retries explicit with a realistic range, then update it using your own results.
Check the full stack
Include script, rights, editing, captions and delivery—not credits alone.
Decisions worth making before you generate.
Ten practical frameworks with worked examples. All sample prices and attempt rates are explicitly hypothetical—not vendor quotes or claimed benchmark tests.
Budget by Usable Minute, Not Generated Minute
A usable-minute model for estimating AI video work before you commit credits, with a fully worked 180-second example.
Read the guide Worked example Guide 02How to Budget a 12-Shot Storyboard Before Generating
Prioritize difficult shots and allocate retry reserves intentionally with a 12-shot example budget.
Read the guide Decision model Guide 03Should You Upgrade a Plan or Buy Extra Credits?
A neutral break-even worksheet for comparing unused plan allowance, upgrade cost, and one-time credit top-ups.
Read the guide Workflow design Guide 04Budget for Vertical and Horizontal Video Deliverables
Estimate when a second aspect ratio needs an edit, a crop, or an entirely new generation.
Read the guide Production QC Guide 05A Five-Gate Acceptance Test Before Paying for More Generations
Turn vague “looks good” reviews into repeatable pass, revise, or stop decisions.
Read the guide Planning Guide 06Build a Four-Week AI Video Release Budget
A rolling weekly forecast that accounts for content inventory, revision buffers, and differing deadline risks.
Read the guide Comparison method Guide 07Compare AI Video Prices When Vendors Use Different Units
Normalize per-second, per-generation, credit-pack, and subscription pricing without misleading comparisons.
Read the guide Freelance operations Guide 08How to Quote Revision Rounds for an AI Video Client
A contract-friendly revision model that separates scope changes from model retries and editing fixes.
Read the guide Project accounting Guide 09The Full AI Video Cost Stack Beyond Generation Credits
Account for research, rights, narration, editing, review, and exports so a low credit estimate does not hide total cost.
Read the guide Templates Guide 10An Audit-Ready AI Video Estimate: Assumptions, Changes, and Evidence
A practical estimation record that remains understandable after pricing, models, deadlines, and project scope change.
Read the guideThe credit rate changes. Your planning method shouldn't.
Check the current billing rules in your own account and enter the numbers you see. We won't invent a universal cost per clip.