How to Use MiniMax H3: A Complete Beginner Guide (2026)
MiniMax H3 (also called Hailuo 3.0) is MiniMax’s omni-modal video model: one model that reads text, images, video and audio together and outputs 2K clips with native stereo sound. This guide walks through a full first generation, from mode selection to export. If you are coming from Hailuo 2.3, the workflow is familiar — the reference system is the new part.
Step 1 - Pick a generation mode
H3 exposes three entry modes:
- Text-to-video: describe the shot in plain language (up to 7,000 characters).
- First/last-frame image-to-video: supply a start frame, an end frame, or both for tight control over how a shot begins and ends.
- Omni-reference: combine up to 9 images, 3 video clips and 3 audio clips as one combined context.
Step 2 - Set duration, ratio and resolution
Clips run 4 to 15 seconds in whole-second steps at native 2K (2560×1440, 24fps). Six aspect ratios are available, from 21:9 cinematic to 9:16 vertical. Longer durations cost more — start at 5–6 seconds while you iterate.
Step 3 - Write the prompt
A barista in a sunlit cafe pours latte art, slow push-in, steam rising; she says "one flat white, extra hot" with a smile; soft jazz and cup clinks in the background.
Write what the camera records: one main action, one camera movement, and the sound environment. See the full MiniMax H3 prompt guide for more patterns.
Step 4 - Add references (optional)
Assign each reference slot a single job: photos for character identity, a video for camera motion, an audio clip for voice. The first five reference images are free, so identity anchoring costs nothing extra.
[INSERT_IMAGE: screenshot of the H3 omni-reference panel with a character photo, a camera-motion reference video and a voice clip loaded in separate slots]
Step 5 - Generate, review, iterate
Check three things on every output: identity stability, motion coherence, and audio sync. If audio drifts, describe the sound more explicitly in the prompt. If the shot feels rushed, split it into two clips and extend.
Next steps
Read the MiniMax H3 review for quality benchmarks, or see how it stacks up in MiniMax H3 vs Veo 3.1.