AI video got cheaper again this week, and two companies built “brand kits” so generated images stay on-brand. Anthropic’s new animation tool also arrived, with Runway as a launch partner. Here is what was announced between 7 and 9 October 2026, and how firm each claim is.
Spotted via Grok Imagine (@imagine) on X.
xAI: Grok Imagine Video 1.5 Lite
Confirmed (xAI’s developer docs). xAI has added grok-imagine-video-1.5-lite to its API. The model page lists output pricing of $0.02 per second at 480p, $0.03 at 720p and $0.14 at 1080p, a limit of 10 requests per second, and support for batch jobs [1]. Image or video inputs are charged on top [1].
xAI’s video overview says the Lite model does “text-to-video and image-to-video with lip-synced speech at the lowest price per second, reaching 1080p by upscaling 720p”, in clips of 1 to 15 seconds [2]. Unlike the full Video 1.5, it takes no reference images, voice references or pinned keyframes. The full model is listed at $0.08, $0.14 and $0.25 per second for the same three resolutions [2].
The official @imagine account announced on 8 October: “Video 1.5 Lite is live in the Grok Imagine API” [3].
Vidu Q4 Preview
Confirmed (company release); a preview. Shengshu Technology’s Vidu launched Q4 Preview on 7 October, “the first public preview of its next-generation flagship model”, with “launch pricing starting at $0.014/sec” [4]. It supports “up to 15 image references, up to 3 audio references”, and “2K or 4K output with 10-bit color depth”, with options from 540p upwards [4]. The company says it offers “up to five times as much output for the same budget” under comparable conditions (company claim) [4]. The release calls that price “launch promotional pricing” and says final pricing “may vary by plan and region”. Vidu says it is releasing the preview “ahead of the full Q4 model” [4].
Magnific One
Reported (VentureBeat). Magnific, the company formerly called Freepik, launched Magnific One on 8 October. It is an image generator that adds an AI “creative direction” step and a Brand Kit that checks results against a company’s colours, typography and logo rules [5]. VentureBeat reports it is “powered by GPT-Image-2”, OpenAI’s image model, according to Magnific’s head of product marketing [5].
Unresolved: in the interview she spoke of “some post training”, but Magnific’s written FAQ states: “No. Nothing was trained.” VentureBeat notes the company has not reconciled the two [5].
Per VentureBeat, images cost 180 to 1,000 credits depending on quality and resolution, annual plans start at $14.50 a month, and unlimited desktop generation on eligible higher tiers runs from 8 to 15 October [5].
ElevenLabs Brand Kit
Confirmed. ElevenLabs added Brand Kit to ElevenCreative on 9 October. It stores “colors, fonts, logos, reference images, and rules”, which users tag with “@” in Image & Video, Flows or the ElevenCreative agent [6]. Planned, not shipped: “We’re already working to extend kits beyond visual identity — starting with your brand’s voice and sound” [6].
Runway and Claude Motion
Confirmed; Claude Motion is in beta. Anthropic launched Claude Motion, which turns a prompt into a short animated explainer and exports it as an MP4. Anthropic says it animates your own text, charts and images in code, and “doesn’t use a video generation model” [7]. Runway, a launch partner, says “any animation you make in Claude Motion can be exported to Runway” for adding generated footage and editing [8]. Claude Motion is “in beta on Claude Team and Enterprise plans” [8].
What this does not prove
- That cheaper means better. Neither xAI nor Vidu published independent quality tests for these models, and Vidu’s “five times” comparison is its own [1][4].
- That Vidu’s price will last. It is launch promotional pricing for a preview [4].
- What Magnific actually trained. The interview and FAQ conflict, and TSN has not read Magnific’s own pages [5].
- That ElevenLabs kits cover voice. That is planned [6].
- That Claude Motion is generally available. It is a beta for Team and Enterprise plans [7][8].
The Bottom Line
AI video now starts at about two cents a second from xAI and $0.014 a second (promotional) from Vidu. Magnific and ElevenLabs are selling “brand kits” so teams’ images stay on-brand. Anthropic’s Claude Motion beta can hand animations to Runway. Prices and features are confirmed by the companies; quality claims are not independently tested.
Related on TSN: Grok Imagine: While OpenAI Retreats, xAI Bets on the Everyday Creator; AI Money and Mood: Agents and Voices Draw Cash While the Public Wants Tighter Rules
Sources
- xAI, “grok-imagine-video-1.5-lite”, model page, developer documentation, read 9 October 2026. https://docs.x.ai/developers/models/grok-imagine-video-1.5-lite
- xAI, “Video” model capabilities overview, developer documentation, read 9 October 2026. https://docs.x.ai/developers/model-capabilities/video/overview
- Grok Imagine (@imagine), X post, 8 October 2026, 20:35 BST (read via the X API; official account). It matches the docs on price but goes beyond them by calling the model “the new workhorse for text-to-video and image-to-video”, which is xAI’s marketing. It does not mention that 1080p is upscaled from 720p or that inputs are charged extra. https://x.com/imagine/status/2108280250673352929
- Shengshu Technology, “Vidu Launches Q4 Preview, Making Flagship AI Video Creation Accessible to Everyone”, PR Newswire, Singapore, 7 October 2026, 19:00 BST (company release). https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vidu-launches-q4-preview-making-flagship-ai-video-creation-accessible-to-everyone-302901266.html
- Carl Franzen, “Magnific One launches to give teams an image generator that avoids the ‘AI look’ and automatically upholds their brand kit”, VentureBeat, 8 October 2026, 22:11 BST (trade press; interview and company FAQ). https://venturebeat.com/orchestration/magnific-one-launches-to-give-teams-an-image-generator-that-avoids-the-ai-look-and-automatically-upholds-their-brand-kit
- ElevenLabs, “Introducing Brand Kit”, ElevenLabs blog, 9 October 2026, 13:00 BST. https://elevenlabs.io/blog/introducing-brand-kit
- Anthropic, “Build live dashboards and animate explainers with Claude”, Claude resources, read 9 October 2026 (Claude Motion in beta on Team and Enterprise). https://claude.com/resources/articles/dashboards-and-motion
- Runway, “Runway is in Claude Motion”, Runway News, 8 October 2026, 18:29 BST. https://runway.com/news/company-news/runway-claude-motion
