Setting Video Duration and Aspect Ratio

Duration and aspect ratio are two fundamental settings that determine the length and shape of your video.

Written By Rishikesh from ngram

Last updated About 1 month ago

Getting these right before you start ensures your video fits its intended platform and audience.

Duration

The duration setting is in the settings bar below the prompt box. It displays the currently selected duration (e.g., "15s").

Click the duration button to cycle through the available options. Each click advances to the next duration in the list.

Duration	Best For
15s (default)	Quick teasers, social media clips, attention grabbers
30s	Standard product demos, feature highlights, social media posts
60s	In-depth walkthroughs, comprehensive product overviews
90s	Extended demos, detailed tutorials, multi-step walkthroughs

Free plan users are limited to 15s and 30s durations.

The duration setting tells the AI how long the final video should be. This influences several things:

Number of scenes: Longer videos have more scenes. A 30-second video might have 4-5 scenes, while a 60-second video might have 7-10.
Script length: The text model writes a script that fits the target duration, adjusting the amount of narration accordingly.
Pacing: Shorter videos move quickly between points. Longer videos allow more time per scene for detail and transitions.
Credit usage: Longer videos require more scenes, which means more image generation and more video animation, resulting in higher credit usage.

15 seconds is the default and is great for quick social content. Here is when to choose differently:

15 seconds: Quick hooks for social media, teasers, and short attention grabbers. Great for Instagram Reels, TikTok, or YouTube Shorts.
30 seconds: The sweet spot for most product demos, feature announcements, and social clips. Long enough to explain a key benefit, short enough to hold attention.
60 seconds: For comprehensive overviews, detailed tutorials, or videos where you need to walk through a multi-step process.
90 seconds: For extended demos, detailed walkthroughs, or multi-feature product tours. Best for website landing pages or email campaigns where the audience is already engaged.

Start shorter, then go longer. It is easier to expand a concise script than to cut a long one. Begin with 30 seconds and only increase if you genuinely need more time.
Match the platform. Social media platforms favor shorter content (10-30 seconds). Website landing pages and email campaigns can support longer videos (45-60 seconds).
Consider your audience's attention. If your audience is browsing a social feed, keep it short. If they are on your product page actively evaluating, a longer video is fine.

The aspect ratio selector is in the settings bar, next to the duration button. It shows the current ratio (e.g., "16:9").

Click the button to see the available aspect ratio options.

Ratio	Orientation	Dimensions	Best For
16:9 (default)	Landscape (wide)	Standard HD	YouTube, websites, presentations, LinkedIn
9:16	Vertical (tall)	Full portrait	TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, mobile-first content
1:1	Square	Equal sides	Currently not available

The aspect ratio determines the shape of every visual element in your video:

This setting is applied from the very beginning of the creation process, so it is important to choose the right ratio before you send your prompt.

16:9 (Landscape) is the default and the most versatile:

9:16 (Vertical) is essential for mobile-first platforms:

1:1 (Square) is noted in the selector but is not currently available. Square format may be added in a future update.

Decide before you start. Changing the aspect ratio after generating your storyboard means regenerating all images and video clips. Set it upfront to avoid wasted effort and credits.
Create multiple versions. If you need the same video for both YouTube (16:9) and TikTok (9:16), create two separate videos with the same prompt but different aspect ratios. The AI will compose each version appropriately.
Vertical is not just cropped landscape. When you select 9:16, the AI generates entirely different compositions optimized for vertical viewing. Subjects are centered differently, text is positioned for portrait orientation, and the overall layout is designed for the tall format.
Think about where the video will live. If your video will be embedded on a website, 16:9 is almost always the right choice. If it is going directly to social media, match the platform's preferred format.

Selecting a Voice for Narration -- choose the voice that will narrate your script
Choosing a Visual Style -- set the art direction for your video's look
Choosing a Text Model -- the script length adapts to your chosen duration