What is the difference between Cinematic Avatar and AI Avatar?

AI Avatar makes a talking head that says a script or a voiceover. Cinematic Avatar makes a short cinematic scene from a prompt, featuring 1 to 3 avatar looks, with no script and no voice.

How long can a Cinematic Avatar clip be?

From 4 to 15 seconds, 10 seconds by default. Turn on Auto duration to let HeyGen choose the length.

How many credits does Cinematic Avatar cost?

The price depends on the resolution and the length of the clip. Credits are reserved when the run starts, and the final charge follows the real length, with the rest refunded. With Auto duration, the reservation is made at the 15-second price.

Can I use more than one avatar in a scene?

Yes. Pick up to 3 avatar looks when the scene has several characters. Pick one look for a clear single subject.

Cinematic Avatar node — prompt-driven cinematic clips with 1 to 3 HeyGen avatar looks

Make a short cinematic clip with 1 to 3 HeyGen avatar looks from a text prompt. No script or voice; the prompt directs the scene, action and camera.

The Cinematic Avatar node makes a short cinematic clip that features 1 to 3 HeyGen avatar looks. There is no script and no voice: a text prompt describes the scene, the action and the direction, and HeyGen renders the clip with the looks you chose.

When to use it

A cinematic intro, a teaser or a stylized moment for a presenter you already use in AI Avatar.
A story beat with a consistent set of avatar looks.
A quick generative clip that needs no lip-synced narration.

For a talking-head video with a script or a voiceover, use AI Avatar instead.

Quick start

Add the node

Press Tab on the canvas and choose Video › Animate & Perform › Cinematic Avatar.

Pick the avatar looks

Select the node. Under Avatar Looks, pick 1 to 3 looks from the searchable avatar catalog, with a preview of each.

Describe the scene

Write the Prompt: the scene, the mood, the camera and the action. Or connect a text node to the Prompt input.

Set the clip and run it

Choose the Duration, Aspect Ratio and Resolution, then click Run. The clip appears on the node.

A written scene and a Mood picker direct a Cinematic Avatar clip, which opens a longer edit.

Inputs

Input	Accepts	What it does
Prompt	Text nodes and pickers	The scene to render. You can also type it in the settings panel.
Video ref	Video nodes	Optional. A reference clip that guides the generation.
Audio ref	Audio nodes	Optional. A reference sound that guides the generation.
Image ref	Image nodes	Optional. A reference image that guides the generation.

The output, Video, is the URL of the clip.

Settings

Setting	What it does
Prompt	The generative prompt, from 1 to 10,000 characters. It describes what happens; it is not spoken. Required.
Avatar Looks	1 to 3 HeyGen avatar looks to feature. Required.
Duration	The clip length, from 4 to 15 seconds. The default is 10.
Auto duration (let HeyGen decide)	Lets HeyGen choose the length. Duration is ignored while it is on. Off by default.
Aspect Ratio	16:9 (the default), 9:16 or 1:1.
Resolution	720p (the default) or 1080p.
Enhance prompt	Asks HeyGen to improve your prompt before it renders. Off by default.
Pre & post text	Text always added before and after the prompt. It is hidden from people who use your workflow as an app. See Prompt pre and post text.

Because the prompt is a real generative prompt, the Prompt Wizard and field mappings work on this node.

Credits

The price depends on the resolution and the length of the clip. The editor shows the cost before you run.

A hold, then the real charge. Credits are reserved when the run starts. The final charge follows the real length of the clip, and the rest is refunded.
Auto duration does not know the length in advance, so it reserves the price of a 15-second clip at your resolution, and refunds the difference when the clip is ready.
The cheapest clip is 4 seconds at 720p; the most expensive is 15 seconds at 1080p.

When HeyGen is not set up

On a self-hosted install without a HeyGen key, the avatar picker is empty and shows a notice, and a run fails with the error heygen_not_configured. Add a HeyGen key or connect to Nodaro Cloud. See Cloud connect.

Tips

Direct, do not narrate. Describe the scene, the mood, the camera and the action. The prompt is not read aloud.
One look for one subject. Use 2 or 3 looks only when the scene needs several characters.
Draft short. Start at 720p with a short duration, then raise the resolution and the length for the final clip.
Go vertical or square for social. 9:16 suits TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts; 1:1 suits square posts.

Cinematic Avatar