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Which AI video model for which shot: a cheat sheet

A shot-by-shot cheat sheet for picking AI video models by length, resolution, sound and cost, plus a decision flow and a test you can run on your own prompt.

, 4 min read

How to pick a model in four questions

Pick a model by asking what the shot needs: how long it runs unbroken, whether it needs sound rendered with it, what resolution it must come out at, and how much you want to spend. Those four answers narrow the field to one or two models, and a quick side-by-side render settles the rest.

This cheat sheet uses only the published specs of each model in ClickPop. It does not rank quality, because quality depends on your subject and style. Use it to choose what to test, not to skip testing.

The specs at a glance

  • Auto: uses fast Seedance. About 72 credits for 10 s at 720p. The default for drafts.
  • Seedance 2.5 (ByteDance): up to 30 s, 480p or 720p natively, native sound. About 208 credits for 10 s at 720p. Available on Pop and up.
  • Seedance 2.0: up to 15 s, up to 1080p. Fast and Mini versions for cheaper drafts.
  • Veo 3.1 (Google): up to 8 s, 720p or 1080p, sound. Veo 3.1 Fast and Lite are cheaper.
  • Kling 3.0 Pro and Standard: up to 15 s, 720p, strong motion.
  • Hailuo 3 (MiniMax): up to 15 s.
  • Wan 3.0 (Alibaba): up to 30 s, up to 1080p, long takes.
  • FLUX.3 Video: up to 20 s.
  • Runway Aleph 2 and FLUX Video Edit: edit existing footage.
  • HeyGen Avatar IV: talking avatars.

Any 720p result can be upscaled in ClickPop to 1080p or 4K.

The cheat sheet by shot type

  • Testing an idea: Auto, Seedance 2.0 Fast or Mini, or Veo 3.1 Fast or Lite.
  • Short hero shot with sound, under 8 s, at 1080p: Veo 3.1.
  • A scene with sound or dialogue, 8 to 30 s: Seedance 2.5.
  • Silent shot up to 15 s that must be 1080p from the model: Seedance 2.0.
  • Dance, sport, chase or any motion-heavy shot up to 15 s: start with Kling 3.0.
  • Long unbroken take up to 30 s at 1080p: Wan 3.0.
  • Mid-length silent shot, 15 to 20 s: try FLUX.3 Video alongside Wan 3.0.
  • Changing an existing clip, its style, light or contents: Runway Aleph 2 or FLUX Video Edit, through Edit Video.
  • A presenter speaking to camera: HeyGen Avatar IV, or UGC for creator-style formats.
  • A character copying moves from a reference clip: Motion Control.

Where two models fit, render the shot on both and compare. If a shot fits none of these lines, it is usually two shots pretending to be one. Split it and run each half through the sheet.

Worked example: a 45-second product video

A promo for a fictional hiking backpack, planned with the cheat sheet:

  • Hook, 4 s, Veo 3.1: close-up of a zipper pulled open with a sharp zip sound.
  • Trail montage, three shots of 5 s, Kling 3.0: a hiker scrambling over rocks, crossing a stream, reaching a ridge.
  • Product detail, 8 s, Seedance 2.0 at 1080p: slow orbit around the backpack on a rock, silent, music over it.
  • Summit moment, 15 s, Seedance 2.5: the hiker sets the pack down, breathes out and looks at the view. Sound: wind, the pack thudding onto rock.
  • End card, 3 s: brand name and tagline added as text in the edit.

Every shot draft goes on Auto first. Only the takes that work get rendered on the models listed.

A decision flow you can follow

  • Is this a draft? Use Auto or a Fast, Mini or Lite version. Stop here.
  • Are you changing existing footage? Use Edit Video. Stop here.
  • Does it run longer than 15 s unbroken? Seedance 2.5 if it needs sound, Wan 3.0 if it needs 1080p.
  • Does it need sound rendered with it? Veo 3.1 if it fits in 8 s, otherwise Seedance 2.5.
  • Is it mostly movement? Start with Kling 3.0.
  • Otherwise: Seedance 2.0 for 1080p, or test Hailuo 3 and FLUX.3 Video against it.

Running the side-by-side

When the cheat sheet gives you two candidates, settle it with one test. Keep everything the same except the model: the prompt, the length, the aspect ratio and, if you use one, the first frame or character references.

Draft the shot on both at a short length first. Watch both on a phone with sound on. Check motion at the busiest moment, check faces and hands, and check whether any sound matches the action. Then compare the credit price each one showed before rendering.

Pick the winner and render the full length on that model only. The test costs a little more up front and saves you from finishing a whole project on the wrong model.

Make the cheat sheet your own

Published specs only tell you what a model can do. Your tests tell you what it does well for your subjects. Keep a simple note: shot type, models tried, winner, cost. After ten or so shots, your note will be a better guide than this one.

Re-test when models update. Makers release new versions regularly, and a model that lost a test last quarter may win it now.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Using one model for an entire project.
  • Choosing by reputation without a side-by-side test.
  • Asking an 8-second model for a 12-second shot.
  • Paying for native sound on shots covered by music.
  • Mixing 720p and 1080p shots in one cut without upscaling.

Questions

What is the best AI video model?

There is no single best model. Pick by length, sound, resolution and cost, then test the top one or two options on your own prompt.

Which AI video model makes the longest clips?

In ClickPop, Seedance 2.5 and Wan 3.0 both go up to 30 seconds per generation.

Which AI video models render in 1080p?

Seedance 2.0, Veo 3.1 and Wan 3.0 render up to 1080p. 720p models can be upscaled to 1080p or 4K in ClickPop.

Which AI video model for which shot: a cheat sheet | Click Pop