As we move further into 2025, AI video generators are advancing rapidly, unlocking new possibilities and reshaping the technological landscape for both businesses and content creators.

The latest tool is Amazon Nova Reel, a powerful AI-driven video generation model introduced by Amazon Web Services (AWS) in late 2024.

Nova Reel is designed for users with technical expertise, requiring a working knowledge of Python to configure parameters and generate prompts. This technical approach offers significantly more control and precision, with early adopters reporting significant productivity gains, increasing creative output fivefold while cutting costs by 75%.

This guide provides an in-depth look at Amazon Nova Reel, including its features, setup process, and practical use cases. We’ll also explore how it integrates into the broader Amazon Nova ecosystem and highlight its potential to transform video production for marketing, content creation, and beyond.

Table of Contents

• What is Amazon Nova Reel?
• Amazon Nova Reel Pricing
• How to Sign Up and Access Amazon Nova Reel (via Bedrock)
• How to Use Amazon Nova Reel
• Uses and Limitations of Amazon Nova Reel
• How to Resize a Reference Image for Nova Reel Using Kapwing

What is Amazon Nova Reel?

Amazon Nova Reel is a video generation model within the Amazon Nova family. Using advanced generative AI, Nova Reel enables users to create high-quality videos in seconds by inputting text prompts, reference images, or a combination of the two. The model's processing speed and cost-efficiency make it a valuable tool for content creators, marketers, and businesses aiming to produce visually compelling videos at scale.

Key features of Nova Reel include:

• Text-to-Video and Image-to-Video: Seamlessly generate six-second videos tailored to your needs by uploading an image or entering a short text description.
• Video Generation Specs: Video generation is currently limited to 720p and 24 frames per second, but will likely increase in the near future. This also leads to a standard aspect ratio of 16:9.
• Customization Options: Fine-tune visual styles, pacing, and other elements for precise results.

Amazon Nova Reel Pricing

Nova Reel is priced at $0.08 per second for videos generated at 720p resolution with a frame rate of 24 frames per second (fps). The Amazon Nova AI toolset is built with scalability in mind, meaning pricing may adjust as Nova Reel introduces support for higher resolutions or frame rates in the future.

Overview of Amazon Nova Models

The Amazon Nova toolset extends beyond Nova Reel, offering specialized models for a range of enterprise needs:

• Nova Micro: A text-only model optimized for speed and cost, ideal for summarization, translation, and interactive chat.
• Nova Lite: A multimodal model handling text, images, and video designed for tasks like document analysis and customer interactions.
• Nova Pro: A high-performance multimodal model excelling at financial document analysis, complex workflows, and large-scale code processing.
• Nova Canvas: An AI image generator that creates studio-quality pictures alongside editing tools like inpainting and background removal.

For those considering any of the tools within the Amazon Nova lineup, AWS offers comprehensive pricing details for each model, allowing businesses to choose solutions tailored to their specific needs. As reflected in the pricing chart above, the more advanced models cost more per use than the less advanced models.

How to Sign Up and Access Amazon Nova Reel (via Bedrock)

To start creating videos with Nova Reel, you’ll first need access to Amazon Bedrock, a hub within AWS for AI platforms. Here’s how to get started:

1) Create an Amazon Web Services Account

Navigate to the AWS account creation page, where you'll be guided through six steps to create your account.

1. Enter Account Information: Provide your email address, AWS account name, and a secure password.
2. Add Contact Information: Indicate whether your account is for personal or business use, then enter your contact details. Read and accept the AWS Customer Agreement.
3. Add a Payment Method: Enter your payment details to enable billing, including verifying your payment address.
4. Verify Your Phone Number: Confirm your identity by entering a code sent to your mobile device and completing a CAPTCHA if prompted.
5. Choose a Support Plan: Select from available plans like Developer, Business, Enterprise On-Ramp, or Enterprise. Each offers varying levels of support and account management.
6. Complete Your Signup: Your account will typically be activated within minutes, although processing may take up to 24 hours.

2) Access Amazon Bedrock

Once your AWS account is active, log in to the AWS dashboard. From the dashboard, locate the menu with the nine-dot icon in the top left-hand corner to expand it.

Either search for “Amazon Bedrock” in the search bar or find it listed on the right-hand side.

Clicking on Amazon Bedrock will navigate you to a new page where you can begin setting up your Nova AI models.

3) Access Amazon Nova Reel

The Amazon Bedrock dashboard provides a user-friendly interface for configuring and selecting AI models that suit your requirements. The Overview screen includes tools such as prompt management, knowledge bases, and guardrails, enabling you to fine-tune and customize the outputs generated by your chosen AI models.

To access a specific model like Nova Reel, navigate to the Bedrock configurations dropdown and select Model Access. This will display a list of models available in your region. From here, you can request access to any eligible model.

As of 2025, the US East (N. Virginia) server offers the broadest access to models, including Nova Reel. If your current server does not meet your needs, you can switch by selecting your server location in the top-right corner and choosing a new server from the dropdown menu.

For more guidance on selecting the most appropriate server, check the official Amazon Bedrock server guide.

Once you’ve confirmed your server location, locate Nova Reel in the model list. Then, select it to display the model access prompt. Within this prompt, click Request model access.

After receiving access, you can start using Nova Reel to generate innovative video content.

How to Use Amazon Nova Reel

Creating a video with Amazon Nova Reel requires a working knowledge of Python, as the process involves configuring parameters and generating prompts using Python.

While this guide provides a general overview, users should be familiar with Python programming to effectively initiate and manage video generation tasks. For detailed technical steps, refer to the official Amazon Nova Reel guide.

Input Parameters for Your Video

To generate a video, you’ll need to input the following details:

• Text Prompt: This serves as the foundation of your video. Enter a description or theme in 1 to 512 characters, including descriptive phrases.
• Optional Reference Image: If desired, include a single JPEG or PNG image to act as the starting keyframe. Images must be 1280x720 in resolution, with no transparent areas.
• Duration: Currently, Nova Reel supports videos with a fixed duration of six seconds.
• Frame Rate: Set the desired smoothness of your video. The frame rate is currently capped at 24 frames per second (fps).
• Dimensions: Videos are generated in a standard 1280x720 resolution.
• Seed Value (Optional): This controls the initial settings for video generation. Adjusting the seed can create variations in output while keeping other parameters the same.

Note: While the parameters are currently limited, AWS plans to expand customization options in 2025, offering greater flexibility for creators.

Generating Your Video

Once your inputs are defined, follow these steps:

1. Write a Python script or use existing AWS SDK libraries (like boto3) to configure and send your parameters to Nova Reel.
2. Nova Reel processes the request asynchronously, typically completing a six-second video within three minutes.
3. Your completed video will be saved as an MP4 file in your designated Amazon S3 bucket, along with a manifest file containing metadata about the generation process.

For a step-by-step coding guide, check out the official Amazon Nova Reel documentation.

Accessing Your Video

Once the generation is complete, Nova Reel automatically saves two files to your specified S3 bucket:

• manifest.json: Contains metadata about your video request.
• output.mp4: The final video file, ready for download and use.

Uses and Limitations of Amazon Nova Reel

Amazon Nova Reel provides users with a higher degree of control over video production compared to other one-click AI video tools.

Uses

By leveraging Python, users can craft detailed and precise prompts, ensuring videos align closely with their creative vision. Additionally, the platform supports post-creation editing, allowing for manual adjustments to refine the final output further.

• Short-Form Video Production: Ideal for creating social media clips, ads, or explainer videos up to six seconds long.
• Marketing and Advertising: Combine branded product images with descriptive text to create promotional videos that closely align with your brand’s tone and messaging.
• Content Creation at Scale: Generate multiple unique videos in minutes, significantly increasing output for marketing campaigns, e-commerce listings, or digital storytelling.
• Customizable Visuals: Fine-tune pacing, style, and transitions to ensure every video matches specific branding and creative needs.

Limitations

While Nova Reel excels in many areas, users should be aware of the following constraints:

• Skill Requirements: Users must be experienced in coding.
• Video Duration: Limited to generating videos up to 6 seconds in length.
• Input Restrictions:
  • Text prompts must not exceed 512 characters.
  • Reference images must be formatted as PNG or JPEG with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels.
• Output Variability:
  • Nova Reel occasionally produces inconsistencies in lighting, proportions, or object arrangements.
  • May not perform as well for niche artistic effects or highly specific visual styles.
• Focus on Realism: While Nova Reel specializes in generating realistic video content, it is less suited for abstract or stylized projects.

How to Resize a Reference Image for Nova Reel Using Kapwing

To meet Nova Reel's requirements, reference images must be precisely 1280x720 pixels. You can use Kapwing to quickly resize your image to this resolution for free.

1. Start a New Project: Upload your image to a new Kapwing canvas. Then, click on the project background to access the Resize Project options in the menu on the right.

2. Set Custom Dimensions: In the resize menu, select "Custom dimensions" and input the required dimensions of 1280x720 pixels. Once entered, click "Use this Size" to adjust the image to the desired resolution.

3. Export Your Image: After resizing, export the adjusted image as a JPEG file using the "Export project" in the top right-hand corner. This ensures compatibility for use as a reference image in your Nova Reel video generation prompt.

Likewise, Kapwing also supports video resizing, meaning you can quickly adapt your Nova Reel video creations to fit varying aspect ratios.

Simply download your Noval Reel video and upload it to Kapwing for instant resizing, streamlining the process of repurposing your content for different projects.