What an AI Short-Drama Episode Really Costs

On VdoBloom, an AI short-drama episode costs a 5-credit storyboard plus the video price, which runs from 16 credits (Seedance 2 Mini, 480p, 10 s) to 1,896 credits (Seedance 2.5, 1080p, 30 s). A 5-episode season with Seedance 2 Mini at 720p and 15-second episodes comes to 290 credits, including two character sheets and one location. The season plan and character voices from descriptions are free, failed steps are refunded, and credits never expire.

Disclosure: VdoBloom is our product. All prices here are VdoBloom credit prices for the AI Drama Series Generator.

This guide lists every per-episode price, shows three full season budgets, and explains where you can save credits. It is pay per use: you pay for what you make, and nothing is charged for parts that fail.

What you pay for, and what is free

A season has a few one-time costs and a per-episode cost.

Item	Credits	When
Season plan (titles, summaries, cliffhangers, shots, dialogue)	Free	Once per season
Character voice from a description (3 tries)	Free	Once per character
Character voice from a 2 to 15 s recording	Free	Once per character
Character sheet	5, or free with your own photo	Once per character (up to 4)
Location image	5	Once per location (up to 3)
Storyboard grid	5	Once per episode
Redraw one storyboard panel	5	Only if you need it
Episode video	16 to 1,896	Once per episode

The episode video is by far the largest cost. The model, resolution and length you pick decide most of your budget.

Per-episode video prices

These are the video prices per episode, in credits. Add 5 credits for the storyboard on top of each.

Model	Resolution	10 s	15 s	30 s
Seedance 2 Mini	480p	16	24	n/a
Seedance 2 Mini	720p	33	50	n/a
Seedance 2 Fast	480p	48	72	n/a
Seedance 2 Fast	720p	100	150	n/a
Seedance 2	480p	76	113	n/a
Seedance 2	720p	163	244	n/a
Seedance 2	1080p	408	612	n/a
Seedance 2.5	480p	112	168	336
Seedance 2.5	720p	252	378	756
Seedance 2.5	1080p	632	948	1,896
Wan 2.7	720p	64	n/a	n/a
Wan 2.7	1080p	95	n/a	n/a

A few things to note:

• 30-second episodes are only on Seedance 2.5.
• Wan 2.7 makes 10-second episodes only. It makes its own voices, so the locked character voices do not apply.
• Locked voices and the eight spoken languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Chinese Mandarin) are on Seedance models.

Three season budgets

Here are three example setups. Each is a 5-episode season with 2 character sheets and 1 location image (15 credits of setup). The plan and voices are free.

Setup	Model and settings	Per episode (storyboard + video)	5 episodes	Setup	Season total
Budget	Seedance 2 Mini, 720p, 15 s	5 + 50 = 55	275	15	290
Standard	Seedance 2, 720p, 15 s	5 + 244 = 249	1,245	15	1,260
Long	Seedance 2.5, 720p, 30 s	5 + 756 = 761	3,805	15	3,820

To scale a budget to a longer season, multiply the per-episode cost by the number of episodes (3 to 10) and add the setup. For example, a 10-episode budget season is 10 × 55 + 15 = 565 credits. If you use your own photos as character references, take 10 credits off each total.

Which setup should you pick?

• Budget is the best way to test a premise. You see the cast, style and story for a small cost.
• Standard is for a season you plan to post, at the same 720p and 15 seconds.
• Long gives each episode 30 seconds, which is more room for a scene and a cliffhanger. Only Seedance 2.5 offers it.

You do not have to use one model for the whole season. You pick the model per episode, so you can draft on Seedance 2 Mini and switch to a higher model for the episodes that matter most.

How storyboard review saves credits

Before each episode is filmed, the tool draws a storyboard grid for 5 credits: 4 panels for 10 seconds, 6 for 15 seconds and 9 for 30 seconds. You check it before you pay for the video.

This is where most savings come from. Say a panel shows the wrong character in a Seedance 2.5 30-second episode at 720p. If you only spot it after filming, a new take costs another 756 credits. If you spot it in the storyboard, you redraw that one panel for 5 credits and then film once.

Habits that keep costs down:

1. Edit the plan first. It is free. Fix weak lines and wrong actions before any storyboard is drawn.
2. Check every panel. Right people, right outfits, right place.
3. Redraw panels, not whole grids. One panel is 5 credits.
4. Draft on a cheap model. A 480p Seedance 2 Mini episode is 16 or 24 credits of video.
5. Use your own photos as character references to skip the 5-credit sheets.

The single-clip Storyboard Video tool uses the same check-then-film idea.

How to estimate your own season

You can work out any season in four steps:

1. Count the setup. Multiply the characters that need a sheet by 5, and the locations by 5. Characters with your own reference photo cost nothing.
2. Find the video price. Pick the model, resolution and length in the table above.
3. Add the storyboard. Add 5 credits to the video price to get the cost per episode.
4. Multiply and add a buffer. Multiply by the number of episodes, then add a few panel redraws at 5 credits each.

Example: a 3-episode test with 3 described characters and 2 locations on Seedance 2 Fast at 720p, 10 seconds. Setup is 3 × 5 + 2 × 5 = 25. Each episode is 5 + 100 = 105, so 3 episodes are 315. With two panel redraws (10), the season is 350 credits.

Length has the biggest effect after the model. On Seedance 2.5 at 720p, a 30-second episode (756) costs exactly twice a 15-second one (378). Before you pick 30 seconds, ask whether the scene needs the extra time or whether two 15-second episodes would tell it better.

Refunds and expiry

• Failed steps are refunded automatically. If a sheet, storyboard or episode fails, those credits come back to your balance.
• Credits never expire. You can make one episode now and the rest next month.
• No subscription is required. You can buy credit packs and pay only for what you make.
• New accounts get 10 free credits.

Related tools

Want to design a voice before you start? Try AI Voice Design. For one-off story clips, see the Creator Reel. For open-ended work with an AI assistant, use AI Studio. For the full step-by-step workflow, read our AI drama series generator guide.

Ready to price your own season? Open the AI Drama Series Generator, pick 3 episodes on Seedance 2 Mini, and see the result before you scale up.

FAQ

How much does one AI short-drama episode cost?

A 5-credit storyboard plus the video price. The video ranges from 16 credits (Seedance 2 Mini, 480p, 10 s) to 1,896 credits (Seedance 2.5, 1080p, 30 s). A common budget choice, Seedance 2 Mini at 720p for 15 seconds, is 55 credits per episode in total.

How much does a full season cost?

A 5-episode season with Seedance 2 Mini at 720p and 15-second episodes, plus 2 character sheets and 1 location, costs 290 credits. The same season on Seedance 2 is 1,260 credits, and 30-second episodes on Seedance 2.5 at 720p come to 3,820 credits.

Is the season plan really free?

Yes. The titles, summaries, cliffhangers, shots and dialogue are written for free, and you can edit them. Voices made from a description are free too.

Do I get credits back if an episode fails?

Yes. Any failed step is refunded automatically.

Do I need a subscription for pay-per-use AI video?

No. You can buy credit packs with no subscription, and the credits never expire.

Which model is cheapest for 30-second episodes?

Only Seedance 2.5 makes 30-second episodes. At 480p it is 336 credits of video per episode, plus the 5-credit storyboard.