# Which model for stills

Recipes / Prompt guide / Which model. Checked 2026-10-13.

Picks the image model by the job instead of by the hype of the week.

- Use when: Before writing any image prompt.
- Phrase: Nano Banana Pro by default; Nano Banana 2 for cheap test rounds; GPT Image 2.5 when the image carries text or a layout
- Page: https://directorchair.ai/guide/which-model-for-stills
- JSON: https://directorchair.ai/api/guide/which-model-for-stills.json

## Watch out

- A tutorial's model advice is an argument, not a rule: tutorials three weeks apart named different best models for skin. Compare with one image before switching. (measured; Director Chair field notes on image prompting)

## The choice (checked 29 Sep 2026)

| Job | Model | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Any still, by default | Nano Banana Pro | references hold best |
| Test rounds before the final | Nano Banana 2 | close to Pro for a fraction of the cost |
| Text, interface, typography on the image | GPT Image 2.5 | positioned for design and text |
| Character sheets, a second opinion | Seedream 5 | one tutorial's pick, not measured by us |

## Prompts

### Any chat model

```
Give me a filled-in prompt that follows this guide, plus the one thing to check in the result, for a short video about [your product], for [your audience]. The technique is which model for stills: picks the image model by the job instead of by the hype of the week. How it works: nano Banana Pro by default; Nano Banana 2 for cheap test rounds; GPT Image 2.5 when the image carries text or a layout. It is right for: before writing any image prompt. A tutorial's model advice is an argument, not a rule: tutorials three weeks apart named different best models for skin. Be concrete: numbers, seconds and settings, no theory. Ask me one question first if something you need is missing.
```

## Goes well with

- Prompt guide: Nano Banana Pro: https://directorchair.ai/guide/guide-nano-banana-pro
- Prompt guide: GPT Image 2.5: https://directorchair.ai/guide/guide-gpt-image

## Source

Own summary of Director Chair field notes on image prompting

Text CC BY 4.0, Director Chair (directorchair.ai). Reference clips and their card texts belong to their makers.