When a Generation Fails: What the Message Means and What Comes Back

Quick answer: A failed generation never keeps your credits quietly. The card says Failed and the preview pane shows one sentence that tells you which of three things happened: the credits were returned and you can retry; the credits are on hold while support reviews what went wrong, and you should not resubmit; or the clip was blocked by content rules and you need to change the text. Read the sentence, do what it says, and press Retry or Regenerate when it makes sense.

Still from “Neon Debt”, an AI short drama generated end-to-end by SceneMixer (7 characters, 1 episode) — Sample: “Neon Debt” — Game Engine Realism, 1 episode, produced end-to-end by SceneMixer from the script · watch the episodes

Open a finished episode to see where a segment's status and message appear.

Where to look

The segment’s card on the timeline says Failed. Select it and the preview pane shows the message, with Retry where retrying makes sense. Your storyboard text is untouched; so is any earlier version of the clip.

The episode timeline: every segment as a card with its thumbnail and duration — A failed segment on the timeline says Failed; the preview pane carries the message that explains it.

Family one: the credits came back

Messages like The generation service hit a temporary problem. You weren’t charged, or The task was interrupted by a service update. No credits were used, or support has refunded these credits. The held credits are back in your balance. Nothing to fix on your side: press Retry, or wait a little if the message says the service is busy.

Family two: on hold for review

The task was interrupted. These credits are on hold pending a support review — no need to resubmit. Something went wrong after the clip was requested and it is not yet clear whether it was delivered. Support looks at every one of these and either releases the credits or delivers the clip. You do not have to write in, and you should not generate the same segment again in the meantime.

Family three: blocked by content rules

Blocked by content safety rules — edit the script or description and retry, or The provider’s IP check flagged … as resembling a known franchise or brand. The clip was refused, not lost. Change the shot — the words, the character design, the visual style — and generate again. Repeated blocks in a short time pause video generation for a while. What to change when a clip is blocked.

Messages that ask you to retry later

The service timed out, busy (queued / rate-limited), temporarily unavailable, or a platform-side configuration issue that we have been alerted to. These are on our side or the provider’s, not yours. Wait a few minutes and retry; if the message said you were not charged, you were not. Invalid input — check the reference images and duration is the one in this group that is about the segment: an image that could not be used, or a length past the tier’s cap.

If you think it is wrong

Send feedback from the sidebar with a screenshot of the message and the segment number; a reply arrives in the bell and, if you chose it, by email. How to get help.

The message says	Your credits	Do
You weren’t charged / No credits were used / support has refunded	Back in your balance	Retry
On hold pending a support review	Held; released or delivered after review	Wait; do not resubmit
Blocked by content safety rules / IP check flagged	Per the message	Change the text or design, then regenerate
Timed out / busy / temporarily unavailable	Per the message	Retry in a few minutes
Invalid input	Per the message	Check images and the segment’s length, then retry
The generated soundtrack / image was rejected by the provider’s content check	Not charged	Retry; if it repeats, change the dialogue or the description
Generation failed. Please retry	See your credit history: a refund line means they came back	Retry; send feedback with the segment number if it repeats

FAQ

A segment failed. Did I lose the credits?

No. They were returned, or they are on hold while support reviews the failure. The message says which.

What does 'on hold pending a support review' mean?

The clip may or may not have been delivered, and a person checks. Do not resubmit; the credits are released or the clip arrives.

Can I just press Retry?

Yes, unless the message says the clip was blocked — then change the text first — or says credits are on hold — then wait.

Does a failure change my storyboard?

No. The text and any earlier versions of the clip are untouched.

The same segment keeps failing.

If it is blocked, change the shot. If it is a service message, wait and retry; if it persists, send feedback with a screenshot.

Read the message, then act

Most failures are a retry away. The ones that are not tell you exactly what to change.

Open the editor

Updated October 2, 2026