How to Generate Images and Video: Director or Manual
Same canvas, same models, two ways in. One of them is faster, the other one is yours. Knowing which to reach for is most of the skill.
There are two ways to make something in MITO, and they end up in the same place.
Describe it to Director and it writes the prompt, picks the model and sets the options for you. Or open the generation panel and choose the model, the ratio, the resolution and the references yourself.
Same canvas. Same models. The difference is who makes the decisions, and that is worth knowing because the right answer changes depending on what you are doing.
The two routes, in one line each
Director is the panel on the right. You tell it what you want in plain language and it handles the rest. It is the fastest way from an idea to something you can look at.
Manual is a double-click on the canvas. That opens a New image or New video panel with the model selector at the top, an optional reference slot, the prompt box, and the size and resolution behind the chip in the bottom left. Nothing is chosen for you.
Neither is the beginner option. They are for different moments.
Making an image
Both routes to an image, start to finish. Three minutes.
The manual panel is where the recent changes are most visible, so it is worth knowing what is in it.
Size. Ten ratios rather than the usual three: 21:9, 16:9, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2 and 1:1 across the top, then 4:5, 2:3, 3:4 and 9:16 for vertical. Pick the one you are delivering in rather than cropping later.
Resolution. 1K, 2K or 4K. Test at 1K. It is faster and cheaper, and you will know whether the idea works before you pay for the pixels.
Model effort. A slider from Low to Max. It trades render time for quality, and the sensible habit is to leave it low while you are still deciding what you want.
References. The reference slot is optional and it is the thing most people underuse. Point it at an image already on the canvas, or upload one. A reference does in one picture what a paragraph of description does badly.
The chip in the bottom left summarises all of it, something like 1K · High · 1:1, and the credit cost sits next to the Generate button and updates as you change things. You always know what a run costs before you commit to it.
Making a video
The full video workflow, from a text prompt and from an image.
Video works the same way, with one extra decision: which model.
The selector opens on Auto, which resolves to a balanced default rather than the most expensive thing available. Open it and you get the featured models with the three facts that actually decide it:
| Clip length | Cost | Does | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Omni 1.1 Flash | 3 to 10s | 40/s | Start/End, Video, Audio |
| H3 Max | 5 to 15s | 85/s | Start/End, Audio |
| Seedance 2.5 | 4 to 30s | 110/s | Start/End, Video, Audio |
| Kling 3.0 Pro | 3 to 15s | 400/s | Start/End, Multi-shot, Audio |
Two things to read off that table. Video pricing is per second, so a model that costs ten times more costs ten times more on every second you generate. And the capability chips matter more than the price: if you need a clip to start and end on specific frames, you need a model with Start/End. If you need several shots from one generation, that is Kling’s Multi-shot.
Underneath the featured list are the full families, Kling, Google, Seedance, MiniMax and Wan, plus a Compare models link when you want to see them side by side rather than guess.
The other route into video is from an image. Generate a still you like, then use it as the starting frame. If that is new to you, start here.
Which one to reach for
| Director | Manual | |
|---|---|---|
| Best at | Getting started, exploring | Pinning something down |
| Picks the model | It does | You do |
| Settings | Chosen for you | Ten ratios, 1K to 4K, effort slider |
| Use it when | You are not sure yet | You know exactly what you need |
The honest answer is that most people use both in the same session. Director to get something on the canvas worth reacting to, then the panel to lock the model, ratio and resolution on the shot that worked.
If you want the settings to hold across every generation without setting them each time, that is what a Document is for: write the rules once and Director follows them.
The short version. Director decides for you, the panel lets you decide. Start with whichever matches how certain you are, and switch the moment that changes.
Both of these walkthroughs are inside MITO too, under Tutorials, alongside the rest.
Frequently asked
- What is the difference between generating with Director and generating manually?
They produce work on the same canvas from the same models. With Director you describe the idea in plain language and it chooses the model and the settings. Manually, you open the generation panel and pick the model, size, resolution and references yourself. Director is faster to start, manual is exact.
- How do I open the manual generation panel?
Double-click anywhere on the canvas. You get a New image or New video panel with the model selector at the top, an optional reference slot, the prompt box, and the size and resolution controls behind the chip in the bottom left.
- Which model does MITO use if I do not pick one?
The selector sits on Auto, which resolves to a balanced default rather than the most expensive option. You can see what it picked in the selector itself, and override it at any point without starting again.
- How do I know what a generation will cost before I run it?
The panel shows the credit cost next to the Generate button, and it updates as you change the settings. Video models are priced per second of output, so the cost moves with the clip length as well as the model.
- What aspect ratios and resolutions can I choose?
Ten ratios, from 21:9 and 16:9 through square to 9:16, and three resolutions at 1K, 2K and 4K. There is also a model effort slider from Low to Max, which trades render time against quality.
- Can I use my own images as references?
Yes. The panel has an optional reference slot, and the picker lets you search what is already on the canvas or upload something new. References steer the look without you having to describe it in words.
- Do I have to choose one route and stick with it?
No, and most people do not. Starting with Director to get something on the canvas and then switching to the panel to pin down the settings on the shot you like is the normal way to work.
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