Which video model should you pick? A plain-language guide

greenbits routes to the best video models on the market — but "best" depends entirely on the shot. Every model in the picker is named for what it does well, and any name with + Sound in it generates its own audio alongside the picture. Here's the cheat sheet we use internally so you can spend credits with intent instead of trial and error.

Start with the question: text or image?

If you're starting from a written idea, you want a strong text-to-video model. If you already have a still you love — a Soul frame, a product shot — reach for an Animate a photo model so the clip inherits that exact composition and identity. And if one character has to survive several shots, the Keep the same character group holds them steady from a reference image.

Cinematic + Sound · the default for finished work

Currently the top-ranked video model in the studio: cinematic motion with natively synced audio, billed per 5-second clip. If a shot is going out the door, start here. It's also where we point people when a model they liked retires.

Action & Sharp Motion · fast physical motion at a low price

The workhorse for sharp, physical motion: a runner mid-stride, fabric in wind, a car cornering. It sits in the fast & affordable group, so it's the pick when the shot is all about movement and the budget is tight.

Camera Moves & Lighting · when the camera is the star

Reach for this one for slow orbits, graceful pull-backs and atmospheric establishing shots. It trades a little raw crispness for a gorgeous sense of movement and light, and it's priced in the fast & affordable group too.

8-Second Cinematic + Sound · eight-second takes with native audio

Flagship 8-second clips with natively generated, synced audio. When the beat needs a full eight seconds in one take, this is the one. 8-Second Fast is the quicker, more affordable version — slightly lower fidelity — for when you're iterating on a hook.

Everyday Clips and Quick Draft Clip · iterate before you spend

Everyday Clips is fast, cheap and clean: the value pick for day-to-day social content. Quick Draft Clip is the cheapest clip in the studio, built for quick drafts and iteration. Between them they cover most of the work that never needed a flagship in the first place.

Animate Photo · Cinematic + Sound · bring a still to life

Already have the frame? This brings it into motion at top-ranked quality, with synced audio, so the clip keeps the exact composition and identity of your still. It's the natural finisher after a Soul shoot or a product render. The Animate a photo group also runs cheaper and longer, from Animate Photo · Cheapest to Animate Photo · Longer Clips 6–12s + Sound.

Same Character · Detail-Faithful · hold a character from a reference

Give it a reference image and it keeps that character or object consistent through the clip. Use it for episodic content, a recurring persona, or a product that has to look identical shot after shot.

True Physics · try it before 24 September

Best-in-class physics and prompt understanding: when a shot has several things happening at once and they all have to stay coherent, this is the one to test. It retires on 24 September 2026, so run your comparisons now — after that, Cinematic + Sound is the stand-in. True Physics, Max Resolution is True Physics at the highest resolution and extended length, and retires the same day.

The quick-reference table

• Finished work, audio included → Cinematic + Sound
• Action / physical motion on a budget → Action & Sharp Motion
• Cinematic camera moves and atmosphere → Camera Moves & Lighting
• Eight-second takes with sound → 8-Second Cinematic + Sound (8-Second Fast to iterate)
• Everyday social clips → Everyday Clips
• Cheapest possible draft → Quick Draft Clip
• Animate a still you already have → Animate Photo · Cinematic + Sound
• Same character across shots → Same Character · Detail-Faithful
• Complex, multi-element scenes → True Physics (until 24 Sep 2026)

All of them bill from the same credit balance, so there's no commitment to any one model — switch per shot. The fastest way to build intuition is to run the same prompt on two of them and compare. Open the studio and try it.