Is 1080p worth 2.5x? Seedance 2.5 12-second clip by resolution
A 12-second Seedance 2.5 clip costs $3.22 at 480p, $6.93 at 720p and $17.06 at 1080p on Sume. 1080p is 2.46x the 720p price and 5.29x 480p.
A 12-second Seedance 2.5 clip costs $3.224124 at 480p, $6.9336 at 720p and $17.0586 at 1080p on Sume. Going from 720p to 1080p multiplies the price by 2.46 and from 480p to 1080p by 5.29, so 1080p should be reserved for the shots you keep.
The ratios
The per-second prices are $0.268677 (480p), $0.5778 (720p) and $1.42155 (1080p). 720p / 480p = 2.15, 1080p / 720p = 2.46 and 1080p / 480p = 5.29.
For 12 seconds: 12 x $0.268677 = $3.224124, 12 x $0.5778 = $6.9336, 12 x $1.42155 = $17.0586.
| Resolution | Per second | 12 s clip | Multiple of 480p |
|---|---|---|---|
| 480p | $0.268677 | 12 x $0.268677 = $3.224124 | 1.00x |
| 720p | $0.5778 | 12 x $0.5778 = $6.9336 | 2.15x |
| 1080p | $1.42155 | 12 x $1.42155 = $17.0586 | 5.29x |
A draft and final plan
Suppose you need 10 finished 12-second shots and expect to discard 4 takes for each. Everything at 1080p: 50 clips x $17.0586 = $852.93. Drafts at 480p and finals at 1080p: 40 x $3.224124 + 10 x $17.0586 = $128.96 + $170.59 = $299.55.
That saves $553.38 (65 percent). The plan assumes a 480p draft predicts a 1080p final well enough, which you should test on one shot.
Alternatives at the same length
For a 12-second clip at 1080p, Wan 3.0 is 12 x $0.25 = $3.00 and Seedance 2 is 12 x $0.8505 = $10.206. Seedance 2.5 at 720p ($6.9336) is cheaper than Seedance 2 at 1080p. If you do not need Seedance 2.5 behavior, Wan 3.0 is the cheapest 1080p option of the three.
These are price comparisons, not quality rankings. Look at samples from each model on your own prompts before deciding.
- Wan 3.0 1080p: $3.00
- Seedance 2 1080p: $10.206
- Seedance 2.5 720p: $6.9336
A second scenario
Look at a longer clip. A 20-second Seedance 2.5 clip at 1080p is 20 x $1.42155 = $28.431; at 720p it is 20 x $0.5778 = $11.556; at 480p it is $5.37354. The same ratios apply, so a 20-second finish at 1080p costs $17 more than at 720p. Use the cheapest resolution that survives the platform's recompression.
Practical rule
Draft low, finish high, and keep the clip length at the minimum the scene needs. A one-second cut at 1080p saves $1.42; at 480p it saves $0.27. That scales with length: at 30 seconds, the maximum, the 1080p clip is 30 x $1.42155 = $42.6465 and the 480p clip is $8.06031, so a single full-length final can cost as much as five full-length drafts.
Reproduce the numbers
Open https://api.sume.com/v1/catalog, which needs no key, and find the entry for the product. Each model_pricing row carries price, unit, pricing_basis and the estimated, minimum and maximum cents. Multiply the unit price by your quantity and round only at the end. The catalog also has applied_* fields that include an agent fee of 550 basis points; the figures in this post use the base prices.
Sources
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