Styles & References

Styles are curated visual templates that control how the Video Agent composes your video — scene layout, script structure, pacing, and overall aesthetic. Apply a style by passing its style_id when creating a video. For a fully custom look, you can also describe a style directly in your prompt — see the Prompting Guide.

List available styles

GET /v3/video-agents/styles returns a paginated list (limit 1–100, default 20; pass next_token back as token while has_more is true). Each style carries a style_id, name, thumbnail_url, preview_video_url, tags, and the aspect_ratio it is designed for ("16:9", "9:16", or "1:1").

curl "https://api.heygen.com/v3/video-agents/styles?tag=cinematic&limit=5" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: $HEYGEN_API_KEY"

Filter with tag:

Tag	Description
`cinematic`	Film-inspired looks with dramatic lighting and composition.
`retro-tech`	Vintage technology aesthetics (CRT screens, pixel art, etc.).
`iconic-artist`	Styles inspired by iconic artistic movements.
`pop-culture`	Bold, colorful styles drawn from pop culture.
`handmade`	Handcrafted, organic textures (paper, watercolor, stop-motion).
`print`	Magazine, newspaper, and print-inspired layouts.

Apply a style to a video

Pass the style_id when creating a video with the Video Agent:

curl -X POST "https://api.heygen.com/v3/video-agents" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: $HEYGEN_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "prompt": "Explain the history of jazz music in 60 seconds",
    "style_id": "style_noir_detective"
  }'

The style influences the visual template the agent uses — scenes, transitions, text overlays, and pacing will follow the style’s design system. Your prompt still controls the content and narration.

Preview styles before using them. The preview_video_url on each style object shows a sample video rendered in that style — use it to pick the right look before generating.

Using file references with styles

Styles and file attachments work together. Attach reference images or documents alongside a style to combine the style’s visual template with your own content:

{
  "prompt": "Create a product demo using the attached screenshots",
  "style_id": "style_retro_crt",
  "files": [
    { "type": "url", "url": "https://example.com/screenshot-1.png" },
    { "type": "url", "url": "https://example.com/screenshot-2.png" }
  ]
}

The agent will render your screenshots within the retro CRT visual template, applying the style’s transitions and framing to your content.

Get started

Video

Avatar

Voice

Audio

Image

Decision

Video editing

Brand

Platform

List available styles

Apply a style to a video

Using file references with styles