How the Board's approve → send-to-video flow works

The Board generates keyframes first (cheap), lets you approve the ones worth turning into video, then sends only the approved shots to video generation as one batch — showing the total credit cost before anything is spent. This two-step shape (frame, then video) is the single biggest lever for not burning credits on a shot that was never going to work.

Why frames come before video

A frame generation costs a fraction of a video generation. Generating a keyframe for every shot in a scene, reviewing which ones actually look right, and only sending the winners to video is the cheap way to find out a shot isn't working — instead of finding out after paying for the video.

What "Generate approved" actually does

Clicking Generate approved on the Board doesn't fire off requests one at a time. It:

1. Totals the cost across every approved-but-not-yet-video shot and checks it against your current balance before queuing anything — if it's short, you see Needs 16 credits for 1 shots, you have 4. and nothing is spent.
2. If the balance covers it, you see Queuing 3 shots for video — 48 credits total. and the batch starts.
3. Each shot in the batch is generated one at a time, not all at once — because credits get re-checked live before every single shot, a batch can never overspend past what's actually left partway through.

What happens if you run out mid-batch

If your balance changes mid-batch (say, another generation elsewhere used credits first), the batch doesn't crash or silently skip shots — it stops cleanly and tells you exactly where: Stopped after 2 of 5 — ran out of credits. The two that succeeded are done; the rest simply didn't start, so nothing gets double-charged or left in a broken state.

The failure-refund guarantee

If a video generation itself fails after being queued (a model timeout, for example), the credits for that job are refunded automatically — you're never charged for a take you don't have.

Approve deliberately, not everything at once. The batch cost check only protects your balance — it doesn't stop you from sending ten mediocre frames to video because you approved all of them.