A 30-second Veo 3.1 spot with mixed tiers costs $5.64, not $18

A 30-second spot with 6 seconds of Veo 3.1 Standard at 4K, 12 seconds of Fast at 1080p and 12 seconds of Lite at 720p costs $5.64 at Google's list prices. Making all 30 seconds with Standard at 4K would cost $18.00, so mixing tiers saves 69%.

The saving is only real if the cheaper shots do not look cheap in the cut.

The shot list

Standard 4K is $0.60 a second, so 6 seconds is $3.60. Fast at 1080p is $0.12, so 12 seconds is $1.44. Lite at 720p is $0.05, so 12 seconds is $0.60. Add them for $5.64.

The table compares the mix with single-tier plans for the same 30 seconds.

Where to spend

Spend the top tier on shots the viewer looks at longest and the ones with faces or text on a product. Use the middle tier for establishing shots. Use Lite for shots that will be covered by a title, blurred, or shown for under two seconds.

The mixed plan costs $2.04 more than all-Fast, and $4.14 more than all-Lite. Whether that is worth it depends on whether the hero shot looks better, and that is something to check on your own footage.

Consistency risk

Different tiers are different models, and a character or product may not look the same across them. If a person appears in both a Standard and a Lite shot, the cut may show the difference. Keep a recurring subject on one tier, or use shots where it does not appear on the cheaper ones.

Google's pricing page does not address this, and we did not test it.

On Sume

Sume does not list a Veo model. Its Google video model is gemini-omni-flash-1.1, which takes 3 to 10 seconds at 360p, 720p, 1080p or 4K, in 16:9 or 9:16, with audio always on. Sume bills the provider list rate times 1.25 for each output second, so its rates are $0.0375, $0.125, $0.1875 and $0.375 a second. The same idea works there with resolution: 360p for filler, 1080p for the hero. For the same 30 seconds, 6 at 4K, 12 at 1080p and 12 at 360p cost $2.25 + $2.25 + $0.45 = $4.95.