Cutting The Branch: price, photos, free options and FAQ
By MimicZip Team · Updated:
Short answer
There is no monthly fee. You pay once for a pack, and the credits remain until used. Each credit gives one 8-second 720p Cutting The Branch video, free of watermarks. Choose 1 at $8.99, 3 at $16.99 or 5 at $25.99, all with watch-only previews.
What a credit buys
A single credit pays for the entire run made from your photo: the chopping, the creak, the fall and the splash, 8 seconds in all. The options on the page are cosmetic as far as price goes. Averaged over the packs, one clip is roughly $8.99, $5.66 or $5.20.
Having another try
Water is hard for a model. If the splash or a face looks off, swap in a sharper whole-body photo and put the two clips side by side. The credit always covers the entire scene, from the first tap to the last bob. A pack of 3 or 5 gives you room for extra attempts, and leftover credits are valid on every template at MimicZip.
Previews, returns and charges
- Previews in the pack: 1 ($8.99), 3 ($16.99) and 5 ($25.99). You can watch them but not download them, and they are not free.
- When a generation fails, the credit is restored at once.
- An unused pack is refundable for 7 days (refund policy); credits that have already produced a clip are not.
- Nothing renews, so there is no billing date to remember.
Is there a free Cutting The Branch video generator?
No. MimicZip has no free Cutting The Branch version and no free preview. A finished 8-second 720p clip costs 1 credit and packs start at $8.99; it covers a branch chopped from the sitting end, a crack and a big splash into the water. Every pack includes watch-only previews, and there is no subscription.
The original trend on TikTok, and what is free there
The trend is a 10-second TikTok by @sylvesterto.ca from 28 October 2026, labelled as AI: a cat on a branch chops it and falls into the water. You can watch it for nothing on TikTok.
What we sell is a version made from your own photo. Our clip is 8 seconds, a little shorter, and the river, the branch and the splash are made for you.
What a Cutting The Branch run takes
- Photos: one sharp photo of an adult or a pet, whole body. No children.
- Free choices: five waters (River by default), five outfits (Dark jacket by default) and five kinds of light (Sunny day by default).
- Cost: 1 credit for the 8-second 720p clip, without a watermark. $8.99 buys 1 video, $16.99 buys 3 and $25.99 buys 5.
- Previews: 1 in the $8.99 pack, 3 in the $16.99 pack and 5 in the $25.99 pack. A preview is the same 5-second scene at 480p, with a PREVIEW badge, and cannot be downloaded.
Why this is a paid tool
Everything around you is generated (the river, the branch and the splash), and each render uses a paid AI video model, so there is no free version. MimicZip is independent and not made, endorsed or licensed by @sylvesterto.ca.
What photo works for a Cutting The Branch video?
Upload one clear photo of an adult or a pet looking at the camera in good light, whole body if you can. The scene is generated around you, so a plain background is fine. Files must be JPG, PNG or WebP, up to 10 MB, with each side between 300 and 6000 pixels.
File rules
- JPG, PNG or WebP, up to 10 MB.
- Each side between 300 and 6000 pixels.
- Width-to-height ratio between 0.4 and 2.5.
What makes a good photo
- One subject, alone in the photo, looking at the camera.
- Whole body, crouching or standing: the subject sits on a branch.
- A clear face, so the model can keep it through the fall.
- Good light and a plain background; the model copies your colours.
Who you may upload
The person must be an adult who agreed to appear, or else your pet; children and celebrities are blocked. See the photo consent rules and the acceptable use policy.
Can I change the water, the outfit and the light in a Cutting The Branch video?
Pick from five waters (River by default), five outfits (Dark jacket by default) and five kinds of light (Sunny day by default). The camera, the order of the beats and the subject are the same in every option. The options do not change the price.
Water
River (default), Lake, Garden pool, Swamp and Village pond.
Outfit
Dark jacket (default), T-shirt, Raincoat, Lumberjack shirt and Swimwear.
Light
Sunny day (default), Golden hour, Overcast, Misty morning and Dusk.
What stays fixed
The camera, the order of the beats and the subject are the same in every option. Nothing in the options changes the price.
Questions people ask
Do credits expire?
No. Credits wait on your account for as long as you need.
Will I be charged again automatically?
No. Every pack is a single payment and nothing renews.
Can I get a refund?
Only a sealed pack, within 7 days. A credit that has already made a clip is final.
What does a failed video cost?
Nothing. A failed run puts the credit back on your balance by itself.
Do I need a credit card for a free preview?
No. You can look at the options (the water, the outfit and the light) with one photo of an adult or a pet before paying; you pay once, at checkout, when you choose a pack.
Can I watch the original for free?
Yes. The original post by @sylvesterto.ca plays on TikTok, and this page links to it. We only make your own version from your photo.
Is the preview the whole clip?
Close. A preview shows the same 5-second scene at 480p instead of 720p, so you can check your photo first. It carries a badge and cannot be downloaded.
Can I use a photo of the person in the original post?
No. Photos of celebrities or famous characters are blocked, and so is anyone who looks like a child. Use yourself, an adult friend who agreed, or your pet.
Does the photo need a river behind?
No. The river, the branch and the trees are generated, so any background works.
How long is my photo kept?
It is stored privately and deleted automatically 14 days after upload.
Do the options cost more?
No. The price is the same for every option.
Are the options tested?
The defaults are the ones the scene was written around; the others are marked New in the generator and have not been run on their own yet.
Can I type my own option?
No. This template has presets only, with no free-text prompt.
Make your own Cutting The Branch video
Upload one photo and make an 8-second HD video from $8.99. No subscription, and the full video has no watermark.
Make my video