AI filmmaking cost: where the credits go in an AI short film
Generating in Nova uses credits. This page uses one of our own timed runs to show where the credits go, which steps cost nothing, and how to save before you start.
The ledger from a real run
We made an English short film, Last Call, from a blank page in Nova: Premium 1080p, 3 scenes, 12 clips, 21 shots. We logged the balance the whole way:
| Step | Credits |
|---|---|
| Writing the script | 80 |
| Starting the project | 0 |
| Character looks | 335 |
| Costumes and locations | 200 |
| Storyboard | 55 |
| Rendering (Premium 1080p) | 6,912 |
| Subtitles and merge | 0 |
| Total | 7,582 (at today's prices) |
Nearly all of it went on rendering. Script, characters and storyboard together came to under a tenth. So that's where to save: the quality tier, and how many times you render.
How rendering is priced
- By the second: prices are listed per 5 seconds but charged per second, so a 7-second shot is billed as 7 seconds, rounded up.
- The quality tier matters: the lesson compares them per 5 seconds: Mini 480p at 55 and Pro 720p at 220, four times as much. The default draft tier in the right panel is Mini 720p, 110 per 5 seconds. Mini tops out at 720p; 1080p is Pro only.
- Ads have a 4-second minimum per shot: the same 15 seconds costs more the more you cut it up. On the other hand, with several shots, re-rendering one only costs that one. It's a trade-off.
→ Lesson 03-02 "Saving credits, part one — film line: draft on Mini, finish on Pro" → Lesson 03-01 "Saving credits, part one — ad line: three things, all before you click Generate" (free)
Steps that cost nothing
- Importing a script and splitting it into episodes
- Red team and brain trust reviews of the script; the judge's QC flags
- Viewing the storyboard and editing shot descriptions
- Combining clips into one film, and post settings like the corner logo, burned-in subtitles, music and transitions (two exceptions: the end-card logo animation is generated, so each click is charged; switching language is charged the first time it translates, not after)
- Playtesting an interactive tree before anything is rendered
- Real failures are refunded automatically
Where it charges without asking
The lessons collect six places. A few common ones:
- A button with a number on it always costs. A button without one doesn't always mean free.
- Some pages run on your first visit, like the Characters page after you import a script: it reads the cast and breaks down outfits, 135 credits in total.
- Regenerate renders again with one click, no confirmation.
- Smart QC re-draws some shots automatically by default.
→ Lesson 12-07 "Buttons that spend without asking: six places" (part of the bonus Q&A lessons, included with any course)
How to work out what you spent
There's no line-by-line usage history. The fix is simple: note the balance in the top right before you start, note it again when you finish, and the difference is what you spent.
→ Lesson 00-K "Balance and spending: four things the buttons don't tell you" (free)
FAQ
How many credits does an AI short film cost? It depends on length, number of shots and quality tier. Our two timed runs, at Premium 1080p with around 20 shots, each came to about 7,600 credits, 6,912 of it rendering. Drafting first and rendering final once it's right costs a lot less.
Do the courses include credits? Every course comes with credits; see the pricing page for amounts.
Am I charged when a render fails? Real failures are refunded automatically.
Where to start
- Watch 00-K and 03-01 free: sign up free, no card needed.
- 03-02 and the other credit-saving lessons are in Creator. Compare courses
- To see a whole short film made start to finish: how to make an AI short film.