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AI video · Plan, costs, demo

Creating an AI video: what it costs, how it's made — with a finished demo.

Claude Code can build a short video on its own: write the script, generate scenes and voice, match the lips, add captions and export an MP4 file. Only scenes with a face are expensive: with Sync Lipsync 3, approx. 18 credits per second. Graphics cost 0. Here you'll find the plan, checked prices and a demo.

In the example below, generating everything as a face costs 2.5 times as much as necessary. The edit decides the cost, not the tool.

Watch the demo (22 s) Calculate costs

No sign-up, no account, no cost.

1 prompt drives 6 tools in a loop In the centre is the prompt to Claude Code. Around it, the 6 steps: script, scenes, voice, lips, captions, export. 1 prompt CLAUDE CODE 1Script 2Scenes 3Voice 4Lips 5Captions 6Export
Claude Code costs credits at Higgsfield runs locally, €0
approx. 18credits per second of face with Sync Lipsync 3
0credits per second of graphics
15 smaximum per clip with Sync Lipsync 3
€0was the cost of the demo

Cross-check

6 gaps in the 1-sentence prompt

A prompt like “Create a finished video, no follow-up questions” works technically. But it leaves 6 points open that cost money or matter legally. Each point below was checked with Higgsfield, HeyGen or the EU AI Act, as of 17 September 2026.

01No spending cap

Via the API, every generation deducts credits. According to Higgsfield there is no built-in cap. Failed attempts cost full price.

02No subscription, no access

The connection for AI agents requires a paid plan. Seedance 2.5 is only available from the Plus plan: €59 a month, plus tax.

03No length limits

Clips with Sync Lipsync 3 last at most 15 seconds, scenes from Seedance 2.5 at most 30. A longer text has to be split into sections.

04No AI label

In the EU, deceptively realistic AI videos must be recognisable as AI-generated since 2 August 2026. Article 50(4) of the EU AI Act requires this.

05No consent

A voice may only be cloned with the person's consent. Higgsfield asks for this consent when the voice sample is uploaded.

06No approval step

“No follow-up questions” means the agent also starts expensive attempts on its own. Better: an approval before every step that costs credits.

Workflow

6 steps from prompt to MP4 file

An AI agent is a program that completes a task in steps on its own and checks every result. The prompt names 6 tools: 3 run at Higgsfield and cost credits, 2 run free of charge on your own computer. Not every Higgsfield tool is directly available to Claude Code; the line “Via Claude” shows which.

6 steps, each with tool, result and limit.

  1. 1

    ScriptClaude Code

    Task
    Write the text and split it into sections. Each face section lasts at most 15 s.
    Result
    script.md with timing
    Via Claude
    yes, that is Claude Code itself
    Cost
    0 credits at Higgsfield
  2. 2

    ScenesSeedance 2.5 · Higgsfield

    Task
    Generate scenes, using your own footage as reference.
    Limit
    at most 30 s per scene, up to 1080p, up to 50 references
    Via Claude
    yes, according to Higgsfield help
    Cost
    90 credits per 10 s in 1080p
  3. 3

    VoiceHiggsfield Audio · e.g. ElevenLabs v3

    Task
    Speak the script in your cloned voice.
    Needs
    a short voice sample, your consent and the Plus plan
    Via Claude
    yes, also with your own voice, according to Higgsfield help
    Cost
    in the studio with ElevenLabs v3 and a ready-made voice: 0.3 credits per 100 characters
  4. 4

    LipsSync Lipsync 3 · Higgsfield studio

    Task
    Match the lips in the clip to the new voice.
    Limit
    at most 15 s per clip, up to 4K
    Via Claude
    not documented. There, Seedance 2.5 handles the lips using your audio track as reference.
    Cost
    in the studio approx. 18 credits per 2 s
  5. 5

    CaptionsHyperFrames · free to use

    Task
    Build titles, subtitles, graphics and the notice “Made with AI” as a web page. Place all clips on 1 timeline.
    Needs
    Node.js 22, FFmpeg, Chrome
    Via Claude
    yes, runs locally
    Cost
    €0
  6. 6

    ExportFFmpeg

    Task
    Export portrait and landscape, compress the file, make it start quickly on the web.
    Example
    Demo: 13.5 MB down to 490 KB
    Via Claude
    yes, runs locally
    Cost
    €0

Sources: Higgsfield: Seedance 2.5 · Higgsfield: Lipsync Studio · Higgsfield: voice cloning · Higgsfield help: lips and voice · Higgsfield help: what works via agents · Higgsfield skills: audio track as reference · HyperFrames on GitHub · retrieved 17 September 2026

Edit

60 seconds, 432 credits: how the agent splits the video

The agent plans only 18 seconds with a face, split into 2 clips of 9 seconds each. Add 12 seconds of AI scene without a face and 30 seconds of graphics. That keeps every clip for Sync Lipsync 3 under 15 seconds. With 1 attempt per scene, this costs 432 credits instead of 1,080.

Second0
On screen nowTitle
Credits so far0
Picture
Title Face 1 AI scene Graphic Face 2 Closing
Voice, cloned
9 s9 s
Subtitles and graphics
Notice: Made with AI
Voice
Lips
Caption
Notice
Face with Sync Lipsync 3: approx. 18 credits per s AI scene: 9 credits per s Graphics: 0 credits Mandatory notice

Calculated with 1080p and 1 attempt per scene. Face = Seedance 2.5 at 9 credits per second plus Sync Lipsync 3 in the studio at approx. 9 credits per second. Failed attempts double or triple the total. Via Claude, Seedance 2.5 handles the lips; higgsfield generate cost shows the cost in advance.

Demo

A 22-second demo for €0: steps 5 and 6 in real use

Claude Code built this video by itself on 17 September 2026: captions with HyperFrames, export with FFmpeg, all on a MacBook. It shows the free part of the workflow. Face, voice and lips are deliberately missing because these steps need a paid Higgsfield account. The text in the video is German; an English translation is next to it.

Cost
€0no credits, no account
Render time
24.2 sMacBook Pro M1 Pro
File size
490 KBbefore: 13.5 MB
Format
9:16, 720 × 1280H.264, 30 frames per s
Check
58 of 58texts with sufficient contrast
Tools
HyperFrames 0.8.46FFmpeg 8.1.1
Read the video text in English

Scene 1: 1 prompt. 6 tools. 1 finished video. How Claude Code plans a video from idea to MP4 file.

Scene 2: 6 steps, 3 colours. Script with Claude Code. Scenes with Seedance 2.5, voice with ElevenLabs v3, lips with Sync Lipsync 3; all 3 cost credits. Captions with HyperFrames and export with FFmpeg cost €0.

Scene 3: Short scenes save money. At most 15 s per clip with Sync Lipsync 3, at most 30 s per scene from Seedance 2.5. 1 s of face costs approx. 18 credits, 1 s of graphics 0. A 60-second video with 1 attempt per scene: face only 1,080 credits, mixed 432 credits, so 60% less.

Scene 4: This video costs €0. Captions with HyperFrames, export with FFmpeg, all on a laptop. Made by Claude Code, without AI images.

What the demo proves: the agent can build graphic scenes, check them itself and export them as a finished file. The HyperFrames check reported 0 errors. What's still missing: steps 2 to 4 with a real face and a real voice.

Costs

What 1 video costs: calculator with prices from 17 September 2026

On the Plus plan with monthly payment, 1 credit works out at approx. 4.9 euro cents. With Sync Lipsync 3, a 60-second video with 18 seconds of face and 12 seconds of AI scene costs approx. €21 with 1 attempt per scene. Face only costs approx. €53. A ready-made voice costs 0.3 credits per 100 characters. All prices in euros as retrieved, plus tax.

60 s
30%
20%

The rest is graphics and costs 0 credits.

1

Unticked: lips via Claude with Seedance 2.5, whose price for the audio track is not included here.

432credits for this video

approx. €21.24 (calculated), plus tax

Split of seconds18 / 12 / 30
FaceAI sceneGraphics
Share of monthly credits36%
Face only, for comparison1,080 credits

60% less than face only

Not included: the voice. Ready-made voices cost 0.3 credits per 100 characters.

Prices at Higgsfield, retrieved 17 September 2026
ItemPriceStatus
Seedance 2.5, 480p30 credits per 10 schecked
Seedance 2.5, 720p65 credits per 10 schecked
Seedance 2.5, 1080p90 credits per 10 schecked
Sync Lipsync 3, 4K, in the studioapprox. 18 credits per 2 schecked
ElevenLabs v3, ready-made voice, in the studio0.3 credits per 100 characterschecked
Voice cloningfrom the Plus planchecked
Starter plan€19 a month, 270 creditswithout Seedance 2.5
Plus plan€59 a month, 1,200 creditschecked
Ultra plan€129 a month, 3,000 creditschecked
Annual paymentprice changes with promotionsnot fixed
Price per credit, Plus monthlyapprox. 4.9 euro centscalculated
HyperFrames and FFmpeg€0checked

Sources: Higgsfield: pricing · Higgsfield: Seedance 2.5 · Higgsfield: connecting AI agents · Monthly prices plus tax. Voice price (ready-made voice) and cloning availability read in the signed-in audio studio. Higgsfield only shows the price with a cloned voice from the Plus plan.

Trust

5 rules before the first credit is spent

The agent does the work; the human keeps the account, the money and the approval. This split protects against expensive failed attempts and trouble with platforms. It follows from Higgsfield's rules and the EU AI Act. The sources are below the rules.

1. A human sets up the account and subscription

The agent creates no account and never pays by itself. You sign in yourself in the browser. Automatic top-up is off by default and stays off, so the monthly credit balance is the upper limit.

2. Test 10 seconds first

A test clip with a face costs approx. 180 credits with Sync Lipsync 3: 90 for the scene, approx. 90 for the lips. Only then comes the full video.

3. Approval before every credit

Before each generation, the agent states the planned credits. It only starts after your yes.

4. Only your own voice

Only the voice of the person who has consented is cloned. Higgsfield asks for this consent.

5. Label it visibly

“Made with AI” appears in the video and in the post text. In the EU, the law requires the notice at the latest at the first contact with the video.

Unlimited offers don't apply to agents

According to Higgsfield, the free and unlimited offers of the plans only apply on the website. Via the API, every generation costs credits.

Sources: EU AI Act, Article 50 · Higgsfield: pricing and plan rules · Higgsfield: consent for voice cloning · Higgsfield: automatic top-up · not legal advice

Plan

5 stages to the first finished video

Each stage ends with proof; only then does the next one begin. Stage 1 is done and cost €0. From stage 2, running costs of €59 a month apply. The budget of each stage is fixed in advance. The agent spends more only with your approval.

  1. Build the demo locally done

    HyperFrames and FFmpeg on the computer, a 22-second video in the Teddynews style.

    Proof: MP4 file, 22.0 s, 490 KB, check without errors. Budget: €0.

  2. Account and connection Human

    Take out the Plus plan at Higgsfield. Then the agent connects Claude Code to Higgsfield; you do the sign-in in the browser.

    npm i -g @higgsfield/cli
higgsfield auth login
npx skills add higgsfield-ai/skills
npx skills add heygen-com/hyperframes

    Proof: The agent lists the available models. Budget: €59 a month.

  3. Record material Human

    Your own footage as reference for face and surroundings. A short voice sample with consent to cloning.

    Proof: Voice saved at Higgsfield, references uploaded. Budget: 0 credits.

  4. Test clip of 10 seconds Agent

    All 6 steps on one short clip: scene, voice, lips, caption with notice, export. Beforehand, a cost estimate without generation shows whether the lips are cheaper via Seedance 2.5.

    Proof: Clip approved by you, lips match. Budget: approx. 180 credits with Sync Lipsync 3, plus voice.

  5. First 60-second video Agent

    Edit as in the timeline above, export in portrait and landscape. Publication only after your approval.

    Proof: 2 MP4 files, notice “Made with AI” visible. Budget: 432 credits per attempt, according to the calculator.

Questions

6 answers about AI video with an agent

Can Claude Code really finish a video on its own?

Technically, yes. Via Higgsfield, Claude Code generates scenes and voice; Seedance 2.5 matches the lips to the audio track. Graphics and export run with HyperFrames and FFmpeg. Higgsfield only lists Sync Lipsync 3 in the web studio. A human provides the account, subscription, voice sample and approvals.

What does a 60-second video cost?

With 18 seconds of face, 12 seconds of AI scene and 30 seconds of graphics, it's 432 credits with 1 attempt per scene. On the Plus plan that works out at approx. €21. Face only costs 1,080 credits, approx. €53. The voice comes on top; a ready-made voice costs 0.3 credits per 100 characters.

Why not 60 seconds of face in one go?

The lip model Sync Lipsync 3 processes at most 15 seconds per clip, Seedance 2.5 at most 30 seconds per scene. With these models, short sections are therefore a must. Graphics in between lower the cost further.

Do I have to label an AI video?

In the EU, for deceptively realistic videos, yes. Article 50(4) of the EU AI Act has required the notice since 2 August 2026, at the latest at the first contact. A cloned face with a cloned voice falls under this. This is not legal advice.

What is HyperFrames?

HyperFrames is a free-to-use tool from HeyGen under the Apache 2.0 licence. It turns a web page with timing information into an MP4 video. It needs Node.js 22, FFmpeg and Chrome.

Does this work with other AI agents too?

HyperFrames names Claude Code, Cursor, Gemini CLI and Codex. Higgsfield offers the connection for Claude and ChatGPT. Every generation via an agent costs credits at the normal price.

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