Count how many generations you need for each usable clip. Add the discarded attempts, then include editing, voice, storage, and the other work needed to finish the video.
01Count usable clips and discarded attempts
An accepted shot is a short clip that stays in the finished video. If the AI-generated portion is 60 seconds and each retained shot contributes 5 seconds, you need 12 accepted shots. At an average of 3 total attempts per accepted shot, that means 36 generations: 12 retained results and 24 discarded ones. “Three attempts” includes the first generation; three retries after the first would mean four attempts. Use the generated duration for billing and the retained duration for the finished-video estimate. If all 36 attempts are 5 seconds long, you generate 180 seconds to retain 60. Trimming an 8-second generation down to 5 usable seconds does not turn it into a 5-second billed generation.
02Separate the monthly fee from generation credits
Credits are units spent on generation or processing; they are not a common currency across services. For the exact model, mode and plan, check access, credits per generated second or attempt, monthly allowance, additional purchases, expiry, output options and applicable commercial-use terms. An unknown price stays unknown, not zero. Keep two views separate. A cash budget includes the subscription charge and additional purchases. A usage-cost estimate allocates that spending to the work that uses it. Do not add the full subscription again after allocating it to each clip. A per-credit estimate also needs to account for unused or expired credits and minimum purchases. The AI video calculator expects a price per generation attempt. With a hypothetical rate of 0.08 currency units per generated second and an 8-second generation, enter 0.64 per attempt—not 0.08. Calculate different modes separately when their rates differ.
03Measure how often your own clips are usable
Test a small set of briefs representative of your actual work. Classify each result as usable, usable after editing, or unusable, and record the reason and editing time. Decide in advance whether “usable after editing” meets the same acceptance standard. Acceptance rate is accepted results divided by total attempts. Accepting 12 results from 36 attempts gives about 33% and an average of 3 attempts per accepted result. With no accepted results, cost per accepted shot is not a meaningful finite estimate; report the test spending and zero accepted shots instead of a zero unit cost. Repeat the test after changing the model or method, and do not treat a small sample as a guaranteed production rate.
04Add the rest of the work needed to finish the video
Generation is only one part of the cost. Add editing, image-quality improvement, voice, music, storage, review and working time. Use the generation calculator for the AI-produced footage, then the cost-per-finished-video calculator for the broader budget. Keep the time basis consistent. In the generation calculator’s example, 60 currency units for four videos per month means 15 per video. Do not enter the monthly 60 as the generation cost of each video. Include each subscription, purchase and labour cost only once, and identify costs that remain unknown.