higgsfield-cinema

# Higgsfield Cinema Studio 2.5

## QUICK FACTS
*Generated-checked block (build_index.py verifies anchors). Read the linked sections for full context — these lines are routing aids, not the rules themselves.*
- Three Cinema Studio versions coexist (2.5 / 3.0 / 3.5) — user-selected, no auto-routing; always detect the version first [→](#version-detection-ask-first)
- Hard 512-character prompt cap; 2.5 @ Element chips eat ~80–100 hidden chars each [→](#prompt-character-limit-512-characters)
- Elements System: define @Characters/@Locations/@Props once, call everywhere [→](#elements-system-define-once-call-everywhere)
- 3.5 main UI = three pills (Genre / Style / Camera), each Auto by default — override only with a creative reason [→](#the-three-pill-main-surface)
- 7 confirmed 3.5 genres: General · Action · Horror · Comedy · Noir · Drama · Epic — never invent genre names [→](#cinema-studio-35-genres)
- Style presets: 8 Color Palettes · 6 Lighting · 9 Camera Moveset Styles, or free-form Manual Style [→](#style-settings-three-operating-modes)
- Camera axes: 3 bodies · 5 lenses · focal 8/14/35/50/75mm · aperture f/1.4–f/4–f/11; two camera vocabularies coexist — vocabulary follows the selected model [→](#camera-settings-four-axis-panel)
- Output enums: 7 aspect ratios incl. 21:9 · 480p/720p/1080p · duration 4–15s · Sound On/Off [→](#cinema-studio-35-output-controls)
- Lead every delivered shot with the one-line settings strip (UI presets ≠ prompt text; never restate strip values in the body) [→](#per-shot-settings-strip)
- The UI shot counter caps internal cuts — "strictly N shots" must keep N within it (observed cap 4, TODO confirm) [→](#per-shot-settings-strip)
- Manual Style = saved ≤2,000-char block of project LAWS (grade, lighting law, texture, performance register); it replaces the preset axes [→](#manual-style-authoring-guide)
- 480p drafts validate the prompt, NOT the take — no seed param; transfer a look via Hero Frame + start/end-frame pinning [→](#drafts-validate-the-prompt-not-the-take)
- Resolution matrix has two axes: shot physics × delivery context; 4K-finish pipelines master at model max res in std mode [→](#physics-rendering-resolution-decision-matrix)
- Seedance fast mode cannot output 1080p — drafting in fast then "switching up" silently changes mode AND res [→](#physics-rendering-resolution-decision-matrix)


Cinema Studio is Higgsfield's professional filmmaking environment — a full production
workflow for multi-shot, character-consistent cinematic content. It's fundamentally
different from single-clip generation: you're building sequences, not individual videos.

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## Cinema Studio vs Standard Generation

| | Standard Generation | Cinema Studio 2.5 | Cinema Studio 3.0 (Business/Team Plan) | Cinema Studio 3.5 |
|--|--------------------|--------------------|----------------------------------------|--------------------|
| Output | Single clip | Multi-shot sequence | Multi-shot sequence | Multi-shot sequence |
| Character consistency | Manual / Soul ID only | Reference Anchor system | @ reference system (up to 9 images) | @ reference system (extends 3.0) |
| AI actor generation | Not available | Soul Cast — generate actors from parameters (no photos) | Soul Cast — General (2K) / Character (4K) / Location (4K) modes, 0.125 credits | Same Soul Cast surface — see 3.0 |
| Camera control | Named presets | Director Panel (18 movements) | Director Panel + Smart (auto camera planning) | Camera Settings 4-axis panel (Camera Body / Lens / Focal Length / Aperture) — see Cinema Studio 3.5 section |
| Optical physics | Not available | Full camera body + lens stack | Not available | Available — restored via Camera Settings panel (different vocabulary from 2.5 — see Cinema Studio 3.5 section) |
| Color grading | Not available | Built-in suite (temp, contrast, grain, bloom, etc.) | Not available | Available — Color Palette axis in Style Settings panel (8 named palettes) |
| Shot structure | One prompt = one clip | Up to 6 scenes, 12s total max, per-scene config | Smart (auto) + Custom multi-shot (up to 6 scenes, 15s) | Multi-shot supported — Duration 4s–15s |
| 3D exploration | Not available | Gaussian splatting — move inside any generated image | Not available | Same as 3.0 (not available) |
| Batch generation | Not available | Grid generation — up to 16 variations per credit | Not available | Configurable Batch Size (exploration multiplier) |
| Storyboard | Not available | Higgsfield Popcorn integration | Not available | Same as 3.0 |
| Speed control | Not available | Speed Ramp (6 modes) | Speed Ramp (7 modes + Bullet Time, Hero Moment) | Not separately tested in this release — see UI for 3.5-specific surface |
| Genre | Style descriptions | 8 named genres | 7 genres (General, Action, Horror, Comedy, Noir, Drama, Epic) | Manual catalog (General, Action, Horror, Comedy, Noir, Drama, Epic + others surfaced in UI) |
| Audio | Model-dependent | On/Off | On/Off (native dual-channel stereo) | On/Off (generated alongside video) |
| Video resolution | Model-dependent | Up to 1080p | Up to 720p (may increase) | 480p / 720p / 1080p (three-tier) |
| Image resolution | Model-dependent | Up to 4K | Up to 4K (Character/Location) · Up to 2K (General) | Not separately tested in this release |
| Max video duration | Model-dependent | 12s | 15s | 15s |
| Aspect ratios | Model-dependent | 6 options | 7 options (+ 21:9 ultrawide) | 7 options (Auto, 16:9, 9:16, 4:3, 3:4, 1:1, 21:9) |
| Plan requirement | All plans | All plans | **Business/Team plan only** | Plan availability not separately verified in this release — see Higgsfield plan documentation |

**Use Cinema Studio when:**
- You need 2+ shots that must feel like the same film
- Character geometry must be locked across cuts
- You want professional optical physics (lens flare, depth of field, sensor grain) — 2.5 only
- You're building a short film, branded content, or any sequence longer than one clip

**Stick with standard generation when:**
- Single cli