Unlocking Next-Gen Video Creation with Alibaba WAN 2.6 on WaveSpeedAI

As AI video generation continues to evolve at a rapid pace, Alibaba’s WAN 2.6 model stands out as one of the most advanced open-source solutions available today. Now launched on WaveSpeedAI, WAN 2.6 empowers creators with stronger storytelling abilities, smarter reference-driven generation, and longer, more expressive outputs.

In this article, we highlight the three core features that define WAN 2.6 and explain why they matter for modern creators and developers.

Feature 1: Multi-Shot Narrative Generation

Most open-source video models generate a single continuous clip, often lacking structure or consistency. WAN 2.6 introduces a major breakthrough with its ability to generate multi-shot narratives directly from simple prompts.

The model can:

intelligently split a prompt into multiple camera shots
maintain visual consistency across shots
preserve key elements like character appearance, environment, lighting, and color
produce cinematic, coherent storytelling without manual scene control

This makes WAN 2.6 ideal for creators who want more expressive, narrative-rich video outputs without fine-tuning each segment.

Feature 2: Reference-Based Video Generation

WAN 2.6 supports video-reference generation, allowing users to guide the model with an input video.

It can extract:

character appearance and facial features
clothing, style, and visual details
voice characteristics when applicable

It supports:

humans or any object as the main character
single-person reference generation
two-person co-creation scenarios

This capability unlocks many practical applications:

identity-consistent influencer content
product demonstration videos with stable appearance
animation of objects, toys, or stylized characters
character-driven storytelling with visual continuity

On WaveSpeedAI, this workflow becomes even smoother with our streamlined reference upload and identity-preserving generation pipeline.

character1：

character2:

Final result：（”character1 is eating dinner with character 2 in a restaurant”）

Feature 3: 15-Second Long Video Generation

Many open-source models are limited to producing very short videos, typically only 2–5 seconds, restricting narrative depth. WAN 2.6 breaks this barrier by supporting videos up to 15 seconds long.

The longer duration enables:

more complete story arcs
richer temporal and spatial content
smoother action sequences
multi-shot transitions within a single generation

This expanded capacity makes WAN 2.6 suitable for cinematic clips, ad concepts, short storytelling, product showcases, and creative prototyping.

With WaveSpeedAI’s optimized infrastructure, even the longest outputs remain stable, coherent, and high-quality.

Pro Tips: Get the Best Results with WAN 2.6 on WaveSpeedAI

Enable “multishots” for richer storytelling

Turning on multishots allows the model to automatically generate multiple shots based on your prompt. This boosts narrative depth, improves scene variation, and creates more cinematic sequences without requiring complex prompt engineering.

Use this when you want: multi-scene storytelling, dynamic perspectives, or more cinematic variation.

Use “enable_prompt_expansion” for more detailed outputs

When enable_prompt_expansion is turned on, our system enhances your input prompt by adding relevant descriptive details. This helps the model better understand your intent and produce more polished, coherent, and visually rich results.

Use this when you want: clearer compositions, stronger style consistency, or when you feel your prompt is too simple.

Final Thoughts

Alibaba WAN 2.6 brings powerful advancements to open-source video generation, from multi-shot storytelling to reference-driven creation and extended 15-second videos. With WaveSpeedAI’s optimized workflow, these capabilities become even more accessible and effective for creators.

Visit our platform to try WAN 2.6 yourself and turn your ideas into stunning AI-generated videos with ease.

https://wavespeed.ai/models/alibaba/wan-2.6/image-to-video

https://wavespeed.ai/models/alibaba/wan-2.6/text-to-video

https://wavespeed.ai/models/alibaba/wan-2.6/reference-to-video