| name | ai-media |
| description | Generates images, videos, and audio via AI models (fal-ai MCP): cheap iteration models, expensive production finals, cost-estimate before generation. Trigger for 'generate an image', 'create a thumbnail', 'make a voiceover', 'AI video', 'text to speech for'. Not for design composition; use /ai-visual instead. Not for animation specs; use /ai-animation instead. |
| effort | mid |
| argument-hint | image|video|audio [description] |
| tags | ["media","generation","fal-ai"] |
| requires | {"mcp":["fal-ai"]} |
Media
Generate images, videos, and audio via fal.ai models over MCP with progressive quality — iterate cheap, finalize expensive. Modes: image (text-to-image + editing), video (text/image-to-video), audio (speech, music, SFX, video-to-audio).
Workflow
Applies §10.2 YAGNI (don't pay for production models until composition is locked) and §10.1 KISS (simplest model that meets the need).
- Gate: MCP — verify the fal.ai MCP server is configured. If missing, give setup instructions (key at fal.ai):
"fal-ai": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "fal-ai-mcp-server"],
"env": { "FAL_KEY": "YOUR_FAL_KEY_HERE" }
}
- Estimate cost before generating; report the estimate for expensive runs (video especially):
estimate_cost(model_name: "fal-ai/...", input: {...}).
- Gate: ElevenLabs — for TTS via ElevenLabs, verify
ELEVENLABS_API_KEY; else fall back to csm-1b or inform the user.
- Generate progressively — cheap model for prompt iteration, lock with
seed, then switch to the production model for finals.
- Deliver — file path/URL, model + parameters, cost incurred, iteration suggestions if quality is low.
Progression: nano-banana-2 -> nano-banana-pro · seedance-1-0-pro -> veo-3 · csm-1b -> ElevenLabs.
Model Reference
| Model | Type | Best For | Cost Tier |
|---|
fal-ai/nano-banana-2 | Image | Quick iterations, drafts, image editing | Low |
fal-ai/nano-banana-pro | Image | Production images, realism, typography | Medium |
fal-ai/seedance-1-0-pro | Video | Text-to-video, image-to-video, high motion | High |
fal-ai/kling-video/v3/pro | Video | Text/image-to-video with native audio | High |
fal-ai/veo-3 | Video | Video with generated sound, high visual quality | High |
fal-ai/csm-1b | Audio | Conversational text-to-speech | Low |
fal-ai/thinksound | Audio | Video-to-audio (matching sounds from video) | Medium |
- Image params:
prompt (required); image_size (square, portrait_4_3, landscape_16_9, portrait_16_9, landscape_4_3); num_images (1-4); seed; guidance_scale (1-20, higher = more literal).
- Video params:
prompt (required); duration ("5s", "10s"); aspect_ratio ("16:9", "9:16", "1:1"); seed; image_url (source for image-to-video).
- MCP tools:
search, find, generate, result, status, cancel, estimate_cost, models, upload.
Image Editing
Nano Banana 2 with an input image for inpainting, outpainting, or style transfer:
upload(file_path: "/path/to/image.png")
generate(model_name: "fal-ai/nano-banana-2", input: {
"prompt": "same scene but in watercolor style",
"image_url": "<uploaded_url>",
"image_size": "landscape_16_9"
})
For non-MCP integrations (ElevenLabs, VideoDB), follow handlers/external-apis.md.
Common Mistakes
Using pure text-to-video when image-to-video would be more controllable; assuming fal.ai access covers ElevenLabs credentials (separate key).
Integration
- Called by: user directly,
/ai-build, ai-video-editing (Layer 5 generated assets)
- Calls: fal.ai MCP, ElevenLabs API, VideoDB API
- See also:
/ai-visual (composed visuals), /ai-slides (deck visuals), /ai-animation
Examples
/ai-media image hero for parallel agent planning blog
Iterates with nano-banana-2 (cheap), locks composition with seed, switches to nano-banana-pro for the production final, returns URL + cost.
$ARGUMENTS
