Which AI video model gives the stronger performance?

Updated 2026-10-27·2 min read·Rendering

The setup

In this short we asked three video models to play the same elf delivering the same line:

• A: MiniMax H3, $0.53 per 7-second shot
• B: Wan 3.0, $0.53 per 7-second shot
• C: Seedance 2.0 Fast, $0.84 per 7-second shot

Every model got the identical character still, the identical ElevenLabs voice line and the identical prompt. The prices are what each render actually cost us. We left the verdict to the viewers in the comments, and then ran a second round against a premium model.

The part worth copying is the setup, more than our pick.

Why most model comparisons don't tell you much

If you type the prompt fresh into three different apps, you change the face, the voice and the wording all at once. One model gets a better start frame, another gets a louder line, and you end up rating your inputs. A fair test has exactly one variable.

In ShowMaker that's easy to keep, because the cast is fixed. The character sheet and the voice belong to the character, and every shot sends the same @reference to whichever model you choose for it.

How to run a fair actor test

1. Make the character once. Build the character sheet and give the character a fixed voice.
2. Draw one start frame. Use the same still as the opening frame for every model.
3. Record the line once. Voice the dialogue line and reuse that take, so delivery and timing don't change between runs.
4. Write one prompt. Say what the character does while speaking, and leave it untouched for every render.
5. Match the length. Same duration on every model. We used 7 seconds.
6. Render one take each and note the cost. A model that needs three tries isn't really the cheap one.
7. Level the audio and watch blind. Label the takes A, B, C. Judge the mouth, the eyes and whether the body acts the line, then look at the prices.

What to look for

• Does the mouth land on the words, or drift away from them?
• Does the face play the emotion of the line, or does it just move?
• Is it still the same elf from the start frame by the last second?
• Did the model add something nobody asked for?

Use the result

Once you know which model plays your character well, keep using it for that character's dialogue shots and send wides and cutaways to whatever's cheapest. ShowMaker chooses the model per shot, so one episode can mix them.

Watch round one: Which AI Actor Wins?. For keeping one face across a whole show, read AI character consistency, and for mouths that miss the words, AI video lip sync.