Picking a video model by job, not by hype

There are a lot of video models on Tanvo, and the newest one is not always the right one. A better question than "which is best?" is "what is this clip for?" A rough draft, a talking shot, a product close-up and a 30 second take have different needs, and each has a sensible place to start.

The prices below are each model's default setting at the time of writing. Defaults use different resolutions and lengths, so don't compare the numbers directly. The price for your exact settings is always shown before you generate, and the pricing page explains how credits work.

Drafts and tests

When you're still working out the motion, the camera move or the timing, you want cheap and fast.

• Tanvo Video v1 is the in-house engine: 480p drafts from a prompt or a photo, 5 or 8 seconds, at 20 credits for the 5 second default. This is the place to check whether an idea works at all.
• Seedance 2 Mini is the cheapest Seedance tier. It runs at 480p or 720p, 4 to 15 seconds, with sound included, starting at 130 credits for 480p and 6 seconds. It's useful when you need to hear the draft as well as see it.
• MiniMax H3 makes quick clips from a prompt or a photo, up to 10 seconds, from 480p up to 1080p. The default 480p, 6 second run is 90 credits.

A good habit: draft on one of these, and only move up once the shot is locked.

Clips with sound and dialogue

If the clip needs voices, ambient sound or music generated with the picture, pick a model that writes audio in the same pass.

• Veo 3.1 from Google makes cinematic video with sound and comes in Lite, Fast and Quality tiers. The default, Lite at 720p for 6 seconds, is 115 credits. Lengths are 4, 6 or 8 seconds, so it suits short scenes.
• Seedance 2.0 makes video from text or images with native audio, 480p to 1080p, 4 to 15 seconds. The default 720p, 6 second run is 480 credits.
• Seedance 1.5 Pro is a mid-weight option with optional audio, 480p to 1080p, up to 12 seconds, at 115 credits for 720p and 6 seconds.

For a talking shot, keep the prompt specific: who speaks, the exact line in quotes, and the tone. "She says, quietly: 'I told you it would rain.'" works better than "she talks about the weather."

Product shots and high resolution

For product close-ups, the details matter: logos, edges, textures, labels. Resolution helps here.

• Kling 3.0 from Kuaishou is a general-purpose model from text or image, with output from 720p up to 4K and optional audio. Clips are 5 or 10 seconds, and the default 720p, 5 second run is 155 credits.
• FLUX 3 from Black Forest Labs makes text or image to video with sound, at 720p or 1080p, for 5, 10 or 20 seconds. The default 720p, 5 second run is 315 credits.

Start product shots from a clean still of the product, ideally made with an image model first, then ask for one slow camera move: "Slow orbit around the bottle, studio light, label stays sharp and unchanged."

Long takes

Some ideas need one continuous shot: a walk through a room, a slow reveal, a scene that plays out without a cut.

• Wan 3.0 from Alibaba runs up to 30 seconds in one take, with audio written in the same pass. Lengths are 5, 10, 15 or 30 seconds, at 480p to 1080p, with the 720p, 5 second default at 185 credits.
• Seedance 2.5 makes long takes up to 30 seconds with generated audio, 480p to 1080p. The default 480p, 5 second run is 300 credits.
• FLUX 3 also reaches 20 seconds if you want a long clip at 1080p.

Long takes cost more, and they fail in more interesting ways, so draft the first few seconds short before committing to the full length.

Drafting inside one family

If you know the final will be on a Seedance model, you can draft within the family. Seedance 2 Fast is the quicker, cheaper Seedance tier for draft passes, at 480p or 720p and up to 10 seconds, with a 720p, 6 second default of 445 credits. Seedance 2 Mini is the lowest-cost route if sound in the draft is enough.

A simple decision path

1. Not sure the idea works? Tanvo Video v1 or MiniMax H3.
2. Needs sound in a short clip? Seedance 2 Mini to draft, Veo 3.1 or Seedance 2.0 to finish.
3. Needs sharp detail? Kling 3.0 or FLUX 3.
4. Needs one long take? Wan 3.0 or Seedance 2.5.

No map replaces a test. Run the same photo and prompt on two candidates at low resolution, compare them, and pay for full quality once. If a run fails, the credits are refunded. Browse every model on the video page.