Image tools
Which image model to use for first frames, character sheets and storyboard sheets, with prices and prompts you can copy.
Images are much cheaper than video, so make every still you need before you generate a single clip. A bad keyframe costs one image; a bad clip costs a full video render. Use GPT Image 2.5 or Nano Banana for most work, Midjourney for look development, and Seedream when you need many images on a small budget.
The four options
| Tool | Made by | Where you use it | Best at |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT Image 2.5 | OpenAI | ChatGPT; also inside Dreamina on the Standard plan | Storyboard sheets, legible text in panels, first frames |
| Nano Banana Pro and Nano Banana 2 | Google's Gemini products | Several characters kept consistent, many reference images | |
| Midjourney | Midjourney | midjourney.com | Look development and mood boards |
| Seedream 5.0 Pro | ByteDance | BytePlus, Dreamina and CapCut | Large batches of images at a low price |
- GPT Image 2.5 shipped on 8 Sep 2026, per a vendor page.
- Nano Banana Pro keeps several characters consistent and takes 6 to 14 input images, depending on where you use it (Google blog).
- Midjourney also makes video (V1: image to video, 5 seconds, extendable to 21 seconds, no audio), but most creators use it for stills.
Which tool for which job
| Job | First pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First frames for image to video | GPT Image 2.5 or Nano Banana | Both follow detailed prompts; Nano Banana keyframes feeding Seedance is a published workflow |
| Character sheets | Nano Banana Pro | Built for keeping characters consistent across many inputs |
| Storyboard sheets | GPT Image 2.5 | In one test, a 6 panel sheet took 32.5 seconds and 1 credit; six separate frames took 3 minutes 13 seconds and 6 credits, and broke prop continuity |
| Look and style exploration | Midjourney | Still used by professionals for boards and look development |
| Many product or location variations | Seedream 5.0 Pro | Promo packs cost from about 2.3 cents per image |
Plans and prices
Prices checked on 15 Oct 2026.
| Tool | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| GPT Image 2.5 in ChatGPT | Not covered by our research | Check OpenAI's pricing page |
| GPT Image 2.5 in Dreamina | Standard plan, 450,720 VND first month then 939,000 VND | Checkout says "save 60% credits" on GPT Image 2.5 |
| Nano Banana | Not covered by our research | Check Google's plan page |
| Midjourney | Basic 10 USD, Standard 30 USD, Pro 60 USD, Mega 120 USD per month (third party) | Companies with over 1 million USD revenue need Pro or Mega |
| Seedream 5.0 Pro on BytePlus | Starter 6.99 USD for 300 images, Professional 24.99 USD for 800, Team 49.99 USD for 1,500 | Promo price, first purchase only, valid 30 days (list 13.99, 35.99, 69.99 USD) |
Your first character sheet and keyframe
Write a character bible
List 5 to 7 fixed traits: age, build, hair, one signature item of clothing, colors. Reuse the exact same words in every prompt.
Make the character sheet
Four views on a neutral grey background: front full body, back full body, front close up, side profile close up. No text, no other figures. Approve it carefully; a wrong shoe color repeats in every later image.
Make the storyboard sheet
One sheet with 6 or 9 panels for the whole video, using the character sheet as a reference. Keep panel numbers outside the panels.
Rebuild the keeper frames at full size
A 6 panel sheet at 1K gives panels of about 450x380 px, fine for review only. Rebuild the 2 or 3 frames you will animate as full resolution images in the video's aspect ratio.
Character model sheet, 16:9, neutral mid-grey seamless background, even soft studio light from front-left, no text, no watermark, no other figures.
Four views of the same character at identical scale and head height:
(1) front full body, relaxed A-pose, (2) back full body, (3) front head-and-shoulders close-up, (4) 90 degree left profile close-up.
Character: RIO, early 30s, lean build, short black curly hair, thin silver hoop in left ear, rust-orange work jacket over grey hoodie, dark olive cargo pants, white high-top sneakers, calm half-smile.
Style: stylized 3D animated film look, soft subsurface skin, clean shapes.A storyboard sheet: 3 columns x 2 rows, 6 equal panels with thin white borders, panel numbers 01 to 06 in the margin outside each panel, 16:9 sheet.
Identity reference: the attached character image is MAYA; keep her face, hair, glasses, mustard apron, white tee and proportions identical in every panel.
Continuity lock: small corner cafe, warm morning window light from left, palette cream, teal, brass, same white ceramic cup throughout.
Style: soft painterly illustration, muted palette, not photographic.
01 wide: Maya unlocks the cafe door, cafe empty.
02 medium: Maya ties her apron behind the counter.
03 close-up: espresso pours into the white ceramic cup.
04 over-the-shoulder: Maya slides the cup to a customer (only extra person).
05 close-up: customer's smile, steam rising.
06 wide: cafe now busy, Maya smiling behind counter.
No text inside panels.Packshot of the attached bottle exactly as shown (shape, cap, label layout), centered on wet black slate, single hard rim light from behind right, soft fill from front, shallow depth of field, droplets on glass, 9:16, negative space in the top third for a title added in post. No added text.Settings worth changing
- Aspect ratio first. Set it explicitly and match the final video: 16:9, 9:16 or 21:9. Auto copies the reference image's shape.
- Grid layout at the start of the prompt. Put the panel count and layout first, or you get one big image.
- Scoped negatives. Write "no extra characters except where a panel describes them". A blanket "no extra characters" emptied a café that was meant to be busy.
- Restate the background in close ups. Keyframes made from a character sheet can inherit its grey backdrop.
- Stylized over photoreal. Stylized characters pass video moderation more often and hold identity better.
Gotchas
Real faces
Seedance 2.5 does not accept reference images with real human faces. Build characters from generated or stylized images if you plan to animate them in Seedance.
- Text and logos. Video models garble text. Attach real logos as images and add titles in the edit.
- Commercial rights. Midjourney requires Pro or Mega for companies over 1 million USD revenue. Check each tool's terms for your plan.
- Promo expiry. The Seedream packs are valid for 30 days and only on your first purchase.
- Vendor numbers. The GPT Image 2.5 release date and the storyboard test come from single sources.
Sources
- GPT Image 2.5 storyboard test, JXP
- GPT Image 2.5 model page, VidMuse
- Nano Banana Pro prompting tips, Google
- Nano Banana keyframes for Seedance, dev.to
- Storyboard to Seedance 2.5, Kapwing
- Midjourney video docs
- Midjourney pricing, eesel (third party)
- AI short film under 200 USD, MindStudio
- BytePlus Seedream 5.0 Pro promo and Dreamina checkout, seen by the site owner on 15 Oct 2026