Cinema Studio vs Veo 3.1: directing a scene or prompting a clip
Veo 3.1 is the model people search for when they want cinematic AI video. Cinema Studio is built for the person who wants to direct it: you pick the camera, the lens, the movement, the era and the light, instead of hoping the prompt gets them. Both are on Mina Labs.
Head to head
| Cinema Studio | Veo 3.1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Scene length | 4 to 30 seconds | 4, 6 or 8 seconds |
| Direction | Camera model, lens, aperture, movement, era, genre, light, pacing and colour palette as controls | Written into the prompt |
| References | Up to 30 images or videos, plus audio clips | Reference images, first and last frame |
| Sound | Generated for the scene | Native audio |
| Credits at 720p | 5 s: 63 credits · 30 s: 380 credits | 4 s: 46 credits · 8 s: 93 credits |
Prices come from the same table the Generate button charges with, so they are the prices today. Failed generations are refunded automatically.
Choose Cinema Studio when…
- You think in shots: a crane up, an anamorphic lens, 35mm film, golden hour.
- The scene is longer than 8 seconds.
- You have a pile of reference images or clips for the look.
Choose Veo 3.1 when…
- You want a short clip from a plain prompt, with native audio.
- You need 1080p or 4K output.
- You want first and last frame control over a short move.
Verdict: Veo 3.1 for a short, high-resolution clip from a prompt; Cinema Studio when you want to direct the scene and run it longer than eight seconds.
Questions
Is Cinema Studio better than Veo?
They do different jobs. Cinema Studio gives you camera, lens, movement and lighting controls and scenes up to 30 seconds; Veo 3.1 makes short clips from a prompt with native audio at up to 4K.
Can I use my own reference images?
Yes. Cinema Studio takes up to 30 reference images or videos, and audio clips, to set the look of the scene.