1. The direct formula
Generated cost = output seconds × price per second × attempts per accepted clip. A finished minute assembled from ten-second clips needs at least 60 generated seconds, but two retries per accepted clip turns that into 180 billed seconds.
2. Why a finished minute costs more
Editing removes weak shots, continuity errors and unusable audio. Add a retry reserve, then budget separately for upscaling, storage and human editing. Do not compare a single lucky generation with a production-ready minute.
3. Budget ranges from tracked rates
At tracked rates from $0.05 to $0.473 per second, 60 clean generated seconds cost roughly $3 to $28.38. With two retries, the generation-only range becomes roughly $9 to $85.14.
Models worth comparing next
Frequently asked questions
How many clips make one minute?
Six ten-second clips cover the timeline, but most projects generate more options than they publish.
Should editing time be included?
Yes. Treat API spend and human production time as separate budget lines.
Next step
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