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Every generation in Ozu moves through a predictable set of states. Most of the time it runs quietly. When something stops, the status in that room tells you what happened and what to do next. This page maps the states, explains failed vs error, and covers how to get unstuck.

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Generation states

Idle

Work exists but hasn’t started, waiting on an upstream room or on you to trigger it.

Pending

Queued. Credits are being held. Waiting its turn.

Running

Generation in progress: seconds to minutes depending on the job.

Complete

Finished successfully. Credits settled. Output ready.
And two stop states:
  • Failed: generation was attempted and didn’t succeed. Often transient.
  • Error: generation couldn’t run because something upstream or in the inputs is wrong.
Same urgency in the UI. Different fixes.

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Failed versus Error

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Failed

A failed state means the job started but didn’t return usable output. Common causes:
  • Network hiccup: request timed out
  • Model rate limit: provider throttled the request
  • Provider issue: temporary service problem
  • Safety block: content flagged (see Safety Blocks)
For failed states, retry in that room. Most transient failures clear on a second attempt. Credits from the failed attempt were released; you won’t be double-charged.

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Error

An error state means the job couldn’t even start. Something upstream is wrong:
  • Missing dependency: an input look isn’t present or hasn’t been approved
  • Invalid input: a required field is blank or malformed
  • Looks not approved at Director Review Board: Storyboard can’t run until required assets pass DRB
  • Blocked by an earlier room: Storyboard needs approved looks; Editing Room needs frames before a full animatic export makes sense
For errors, fix the underlying problem before retrying. The UI usually names what’s missing.
Walk the rooms backwardIf Storyboard or Editing Room errors, the cause is almost always an earlier room: unapproved looks at DRB, incomplete breakdown, or a failed frame still sitting in Storyboard. Fix the source room, then retry.

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What happens to your credits

Credits move through three stages:
  1. Held when a generation starts (reserved, not spent)
  2. Settled (debited) on a successful complete
  3. Released (returned) on failure, error, or safety block
You are never charged for a generation that didn’t produce usable output. Balance updates shortly after a release.
If you retried three times and none succeeded, you weren’t charged three times; each failed attempt released its hold before the next started.

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How to retry

The exact control depends on the room, but the pattern is consistent:
  • Single-frame retry: regenerate one frame in Storyboard.
  • Look reshot: regenerate an actor, prop, or set, then re-approve at DRB. Downstream frames rebuild on the next Storyboard run.
  • Room retry: re-run the failed job from its status control.
If a job keeps failing, treat it as a signal. Two failures can be transient. Five in a row means the prompt, input, or provider is systematically wrong. Adjust before retrying again.

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Common scenarios

A single frame keeps failing. Try different wording. If it still fails, check for a safety block. See Safety Blocks. A whole scene errored out. Walk back through the rooms. Something upstream (usually an unapproved look) is blocking. Approve at DRB, then retry Storyboard. Editing Room / export won’t finish the animatic. Every referenced frame needs a successful take. Find failed frames in Storyboard, retry them, then export again. A reshot succeeded but old boards still look wrong. Downstream rebuild is explicit: Storyboard will regenerate affected frames. Give it a minute, then check. Every generation is failing across the project. Likely a provider-side issue. Wait fifteen minutes and try again. If it persists, contact support.

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When to contact support

Most failures resolve with a retry or a small prompt adjustment. Contact support if:
  • Every generation across your project has been failing for more than thirty minutes
  • Credits were debited but the job is marked failed
  • An error message doesn’t match the patterns above
  • You see repeated errors with no clear upstream cause
Email support@ozu.studio. Include your project name, which room failed, and roughly when it started.

Safety Blocks

Content-filter blocks and how to rephrase around them.

Credits and Quotas

How credits are held, settled, and released.

Director Review Board

The approval gate that blocks Storyboard until looks are signed off.

Everywhere in Ozu

How the seven rooms unlock and what each owns.

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FAQ

Does a failed generation cost credits? No. Credits are held at the start and released if the job doesn’t complete successfully. What’s the difference between failed and error? Failed = ran and didn’t succeed; usually retry. Error = couldn’t start; fix the upstream problem first. How many times should I retry? Two or three is reasonable for a transient failure. Five in a row means adjust the prompt, check for a safety block, or contact support. Can I cancel a running generation? When cancel is available, the job returns to idle and held credits release. Jobs near the end of a long run may finish before cancel registers. If my iPad sleeps or I leave the app, does generation survive? Pipeline work continues server-side. When you return, reconnect; you shouldn’t need to reload the whole project for in-flight jobs to heal. Check the room that was running for updated status. I see “credits held” but nothing looks busy. Is that a bug? Holds are brief while a job moves from pending to running. If a hold sits on an idle job for more than a minute, contact support with the project and room.