Correction, 2026-10-02: we re-audited this page against the 8frame tool registry. The prices were right, but the page did not say that most tools open on other settings: the Nano Banana tool opens on Nano Banana 2, so you switch it to Pro (21 credits); the Seedance tool opens on Seedance 2.5 (157 credits for 5 seconds at 720p), so you switch it to 2.0 (108); the Veo tool opens on Veo 3.1 Fast at 8 seconds with sound (168), so the 4-second plates (84) need the length changed; and the Kling tool opens on Kling v3 Standard, 5 seconds with sound (86), so the 3-second silent detail shot (35) needs both changed. The wheel-arch shot ran on Kling v3 without saying that Kling v3 on 8frame needs a start image; it now starts from a wheel close-up, one of the three reference stills, and the total is unchanged. Several lines stated untested things about how models render cars as fact: that a matte finish stays more consistent than gloss, that a reference still keeps paint and silhouette consistent, that badge errors concentrate on the grille, that wheels turning backwards are a common error, that invented plates won't be real registrations, and that AI footage is common for carmakers' pre-viz and raises a trademark question. They are now things to check, or gone. "Final mix in your editor" now says where: 8frame's Video Editor mode has a timeline with sound layers, and the canvas Montage node drops sound. That also corrects the 2026-09-30 note below, which said 8frame has no editing timeline; we removed that phrase from it. The walkthrough now says that its costs cover one aspect ratio.
Correction, 2026-09-30: the first version of this page described "tested" prompts with results, timings and a wheel-error rate we cannot reproduce, compared costs to production budgets we cannot source, generated the reference still with Kling v3 (a video model), wrote Veo prompts for 5-second clips (Veo runs 4, 6 or 8 seconds), gave a walkthrough whose totals contradicted each other, and pointed to a car commercial template we don't have. This version uses registry prices and settings.
You can make a car commercial with AI in four steps: a vehicle reference still, motion with Seedance 2.0, environment and road plates with Veo 3.1, and sound. A 10-shot, 30-second EV teaser with 2 to 4 takes per shot costs about 2,660 credits at 8frame's prices, roughly $26.60, including music and one voice line. This guide covers the steps, which formats it fits, and what to check before you spend more credits.
TL;DR
- Best fit: dealership and social spots, EV teasers, and pre-viz for bigger productions. A final spot for a carmaker needs the real badge and paint checked frame by frame.
- Four steps: vehicle still (Nano Banana Pro, 21 credits; the tool opens on Nano Banana 2), motion (Seedance 2.0, 108 credits for 5 seconds at 720p; the tool opens on 2.5), road plates (Veo 3.1 Fast, 84 credits for 4 seconds with audio; the tool opens at 8 seconds, 168), sound.
- What to check: the badge on the grille, reflections on curved gloss panels, wheel rotation against road speed, and any plate text.
- 30-second EV teaser: about 2,660 credits with takes, music and a voice line, in one aspect ratio.
- Where to cut it: the timeline in 8frame's Video Editor mode, with music and voice on sound layers. The canvas Montage node drops sound.
What format is this right for
Dealership local spots and pre-roll. A good fit. They need the vehicle, a price and a call to action more than badge-accurate close-ups. Use a photo of the actual car as the reference.
OEM social ads. Reels, TikTok, Shorts. Motion and atmosphere carry these, so you can frame around the badge: a six-second Reel of an EV in a wet urban canyon works with the grille in shadow.
EV launch teasers. A good fit. The visual identity is still being set, so generated shots can define the look rather than match an existing one.
OEM broadcast spots. The hardest. The badge and paint have to match the real car exactly. Use AI for pre-viz and pitch; plan compositing or a shoot for the final.
The 4-step workflow
Step 1: Vehicle still or reference image
The motion model needs to know the car. If you have the physical vehicle, photograph it three-quarter front, three-quarter rear and side profile, in even light (overcast or a shaded lot); harsh sun puts hard reflections on the paint.
Without the car (EV teasers, concept work), generate a studio still first with Nano Banana Pro (21 credits at 1K or 2K; the Nano Banana tool opens on Nano Banana 2, so switch the model) and use it as the reference for Seedance. Make one still for each angle you plan to animate, plus a close-up for any detail shot, set in the scene you want: Kling v3 starts from that image.
Matte black electric sedan, aerodynamic body, flush door handles, no visible exhaust, 21-inch alloy wheels with turbine spoke design. Three-quarter front angle, studio lighting, clean white background, hero product shot. No badges. No text.
What to check: consistent wheel spoke geometry, smooth panel shading, and no badge or text anywhere. If gloss or chrome flickers once the car moves in Step 2, try the same prompt with a matte or satin finish and compare.
Step 2: Motion with Seedance 2.0
Pick Seedance 2.0 in the Seedance node's model picker (the node opens on Seedance 2.5, 157 credits for 5 seconds at 720p). Attach the Step 1 still as a reference image, so the prompt has your car to work from rather than a generic one; attach it as the first frame instead only if the still already shows the scene you want. Seedance 2.0 runs 4 to 15 seconds, 48 credits for 5 seconds at 480p and 108 at 720p, with sound; a reference image doesn't change the price. Set length and shape on the node. Then compare paint and silhouette from clip to clip, and rerun any take that drifts.
Prompt structure:
[Vehicle description, consistent with reference], [motion type], [environment], [camera angle], [lighting condition].
Matte black electric sedan accelerates through a rain-slicked urban tunnel, low-angle tracking shot, wet reflections on road, sodium-vapor overhead lights, cinematic motion blur on wheels.
Matte black electric sedan rounds a mountain switchback at dusk, drone-style overhead descending shot, orange-pink sky, empty road, light lens flare, wheels rotating at speed matching vehicle velocity.
Interior dashboard shot, hands on steering wheel, blurred highway through windshield, blue ambient lighting, modern minimalist interior.
What to check: shimmer in the badge area (crop tighter on the front if you see it), wheel speed against road speed, a wet road that reads as wet, and in the interior shot, whether the view through the windshield matches the road in your other clips. A mismatched view is fine for a quick cutaway, not for a hero shot.
Generate 2 to 4 takes per shot.
Step 3: Environment and road plates with Veo 3.1
A 30-second spot has a few hero shots of the car and several mood cuts. Use Veo 3.1 for the mood cuts, from text: empty roads, weather, the car as a silhouette or headlight glow. The Veo tool opens on Veo 3.1 Fast at 8 seconds with sound (168 credits); for shorter plates, set 4 seconds (84 credits) or 6 (126). Veo makes 16:9 or 9:16 only: set the shape on the node rather than cropping later. If you attach your car still as a start image, Veo runs 8 seconds whatever length you set (168 on Fast).
Empty coastal highway at golden hour, camera mounted low on road, slight camera shake, no vehicles visible, warm lens flare, cinematic.
Rain falling on a mountain road, headlights approaching from around a bend, no vehicle visible yet, misty atmosphere, night.
Aerial view of a desert highway at dusk, long straight road to horizon, faint dust on either side, no vehicles, wide cinematic.
What to check: motion blur on the road surface, light that matches the time of day in your Seedance clips, and a headlight glow that cuts cleanly into the hero reveal.
Step 4: Sound and the cut
Veo 3.1 and Seedance 2.0 can generate sound with the picture; prompt for road noise, rain or wind. For music, ElevenLabs Music on 8frame costs 81 credits per started minute; for a voice line, ElevenLabs text to speech is 13 credits per started 1,000 characters.
Cut and mix in 8frame's Video Editor mode, separate from the canvas: its timeline has video, text, caption and sound layers, so the clips, the text supers, the music bed and the voice line all go there. Or use your own editor. Don't use the canvas Montage node (Merge Videos) for the final cut: its merged file has no sound, so the clips' own audio is dropped, and it uses at most 15 seconds of each clip.
For EV spots, try near-silence with light road noise and a clean music bed. An EV has no combustion engine, so a generic engine roar works against the positioning.
Routing by tier
| Tier | Lead models | Takes per shot |
|---|---|---|
| Luxury OEM pre-viz | Veo 3.1 + Seedance 2.0 | 5 to 8 |
| Mass-market OEM social | Seedance 2.0 + Veo 3.1 | 2 to 3 |
| Dealership local | Seedance 2.0 with a photo of the real car | 2 to 3 |
| EV launch teaser | Nano Banana Pro, Seedance 2.0, Veo 3.1, Kling v3 | 3 to 4 |
For luxury pre-viz, don't deliver as final broadcast without badge and paint review. For EV teasers, check the front-grille close-ups first: the badge is where a made-up logo would show, so if those takes keep failing, use fewer of them.
Walkthrough: a 30-second EV teaser, costed
Brief: a 30-second teaser for a fictional EV sedan. Cinematic, no dialogue, one voice line at the end, text supers. YouTube pre-roll and a 9:16 Reels cut.
| Shot | Model and setting | Takes | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reference stills: three-quarter front, side profile, wheel close-up | Nano Banana Pro | 3 | 63 |
| 1. Aerial desert highway open | Veo 3.1 Fast, 4 s, audio | 2 | 168 |
| 2. Vehicle reveal, tunnel exit | Seedance 2.0, 5 s, 720p | 4 | 432 |
| 3. Wet road tracking shot | Seedance 2.0, 5 s, 720p | 3 | 324 |
| 4. Interior cutaway | Seedance 2.0, 5 s, 720p | 2 | 216 |
| 5. Mountain switchback | Seedance 2.0, 5 s, 720p | 4 | 432 |
| 6. Wheel arch detail | Kling v3 Standard, 3 s, silent, from the wheel close-up still | 3 | 105 |
| 7. Headlights approach | Veo 3.1 Fast, 4 s, audio | 2 | 168 |
| 8. Coastal cliff highway | Veo 3.1 Fast, 4 s, audio | 2 | 168 |
| 9. City night approach | Seedance 2.0, 5 s, 720p | 3 | 324 |
| 10. Final vehicle silhouette | Veo 3.1 Fast, 4 s, audio | 2 | 168 |
| Music bed | ElevenLabs Music, under 1 minute | 1 | 81 |
| Voice line | ElevenLabs text to speech | 1 | 13 |
| Total | 2,662, about $26.60 |
These are per-take prices at the settings shown, so change the tool defaults first: Nano Banana to Pro, Seedance to 2.0, Veo to 4 seconds, and Kling to 3 seconds with sound off. The Veo plates and the interior cutaway are made from text; the other Seedance shots and the Kling detail work from your stills.
The table prices one aspect ratio. For a native 9:16 Reels cut, run the video shots again in 9:16, from 9:16 stills where a shot starts from one, at the same per-take prices.
The Seedance shots are two thirds of the bill. At 480p (48 per take) the same 16 takes cost 768 instead of 1,728, which is fine for a pitch or pre-viz cut. Veo 3.1 Lite (27 for 4 seconds with audio, 720p) brings each plate take down further.
Pitfalls
Badge and logo. Don't count on a model to draw a real badge correctly; check every frame where the grille shows. Crop around the badge in hero shots, or keep the front in silhouette and add the real logo in post if the client supplies it.
Reflections on curved gloss panels. Check whether reflections on a curved hood or door move with the car and the camera. If they don't, run more takes and pick the cleanest, try matte or satin paint, or ask for "subtle matte sheen".
Wheel rotation. Check that the wheels turn the right way, at a speed that matches the road. If they don't, add "wheels rotating at speed matching vehicle velocity, correct rotational direction" and run a few takes.
License plates. A model can invent plate text that looks like a real registration. Ask for blank plates in the prompt, review every shot, and blur or replace any plate text in post.
FAQ
Is AI-generated car footage allowed for OEM brand work?
That is the brand's decision, so ask what its review requires before you start. On 8frame, commercial use of what you generate is cleared on paid plans; that covers 8frame's side, not the brand's approval. A practical route: use AI for pre-viz and to get the layout approved, then shoot or composite the final with the real car, so the badge and paint come from the real thing.
Can I composite my real vehicle into AI-generated environments?
Yes. Photograph the car in even outdoor light, cut it out, and composite it onto Veo 3.1 road plates. The photo carries the real badge and paint; the work is in matching shadows and ground contact. Prompt the plate with the light direction you shot the car in ("low sun from front-left").
Can AI handle sound design for the whole spot?
Partly. Veo 3.1 and Seedance 2.0 generate ambient sound with the picture, and ElevenLabs Music makes a bed at 81 credits per started minute. For a dealership or social cut that can be the whole package. For a luxury pitch or broadcast, commission original music.
Can I cut the whole spot on 8frame?
Yes, in the Video Editor mode: its timeline has video, text, caption and sound layers, so the shots, supers, music and voice line go together there. The canvas Montage node joins 2 to 10 clips for 10 credits a run, but its merged file has no sound and it uses at most 15 seconds of each clip, so use it for a rough look at the shot order, not for the finished spot.
Sources
- 8frame prices and lengths (Nano Banana Pro, Seedance 2.0 and 2.5, Veo 3.1 Fast and Lite, Kling v3 Standard, ElevenLabs Music and text to speech, Montage): the 8frame tool registry and content fact sheet, checked 2026-10-02
- Tool defaults (Nano Banana opens on Nano Banana 2, Seedance on 2.5 at 720p, Veo on 3.1 Fast at 8 seconds with sound, Kling on v3 Standard at 5 seconds with sound), Seedance's first frame or reference images, Kling v3 needs a start image, Veo from a start image runs 8 seconds, Veo shapes 16:9 and 9:16, the Montage node (no sound in the merged file, at most 15 seconds of each clip) and the Video Editor mode (a timeline with video, text, caption and sound layers): 8frame front-end, video generation and render code, checked 2026-10-02
- Commercial use cleared on paid plans: 8frame content fact sheet, checked 2026-10-02
For how these models compare across video types, see AI video price per second by model. To board the spot before you generate it, see the AI storyboard workflow for commercials.
Try it without signing up: the 8frame canvas opens on a real board. The canvas is free and unlimited; generation is paid from $19/month.