Master the Craft
The Complete Prompting Guide
Everything you need to write prompts that produce cinematic-quality results.
Every great Seedance prompt follows one formula:
Subject
→
Action
→
Camera
→
Style
Subject
Who or what. Be specific — age, clothing, expression, distinguishing features. "A weathered fisherman in his 60s with sun-creased skin" beats "a man."
Action
One clear verb, present tense, single movement per shot. "walks slowly through" not "walks and then runs and jumps." Keep it focused.
Camera
Shot size, angle, and movement. "Medium close-up, low angle, slow dolly in" gives the model exact framing instructions.
Style
Cinematic, commercial, documentary, animated, whimsical, timelapse. Sub-styles: hyper-realistic, film grain, slow motion, moody lighting, vibrant color grading.
Seedance 2.0 accepts up to 12 multimodal inputs: 9 images, 3 video clips (15s total), and 3 audio files (15s total). Reference them by name in your prompt.
@Image1@Image2…@Image9
@Video1@Video2@Video3
@Audio1@Audio2@Audio3
@Image1 shows the main character appearance. @Video1 demonstrates the camera movement I want. @Audio1 sets the pacing and mood. Create a scene where the character walks through a rain-soaked city street at night.
Shot Sizes
Extreme Close-UpClose-UpMedium Close-UpMedium ShotMedium WideWide ShotExtreme Wide
Angles
Eye LevelLow AngleHigh AngleDutch/TiltedBird's EyeWorm's Eye
Movement
PanTiltDolly In/OutTrackingCraneSteadicamHandheldZoomWhip PanArc
Special
Rack FocusPull FocusShallow DOFDeep DOFLens Flare
1
Master Lighting & Composition
Golden hour, dramatic shadows, rule of thirds, leading lines, Wes Anderson symmetry, Blade Runner color grading. Reference specific looks for best results.
2
Control Camera Movement Intentionally
Upload reference clips via @Video tags. Specify smooth, deliberate movement. Avoid generic "cinematic" — describe the exact motion you want.
3
Build Cinematic Pacing
Match clip duration to content type. Use @Audio to control rhythm. Slower movements for drama, faster cuts for action. Let audio drive the edit.
4
Maintain Visual Consistency
Use color reference images, keep the same character refs across shots, reference specific cinematographers or films for a consistent visual language.
5
Add Production Value
Volumetric fog, lens flares, rain on camera, practical effects, depth of field control. These details separate amateur prompts from professional results.
Cinematic / Drama
"A lone astronaut stands on the edge of a Martian canyon at sunrise. Camera starts with a wide aerial shot, slowly pushes into a medium close-up. Golden-orange light spills across the visor, reflecting the red landscape. Cinematic style, IMAX quality, Hans Zimmer atmosphere."
"A detective in a 1940s noir fedora lights a cigarette in a rain-soaked alley. Low angle shot, slow dolly in. Harsh streetlight creates dramatic shadows. Black and white with selective warm highlights on the cigarette ember. Film grain, 35mm aesthetic."
"A samurai unsheathes a katana in slow motion during cherry blossom season. Tracking shot circles 180 degrees around the subject. Petals drift through shallow depth of field. Akira Kurosawa composition, natural lighting, anamorphic lens flare."
Dance / Music
"@Audio1 sets the rhythm. A street dancer performs a fluid popping sequence in an abandoned warehouse. Tracking shot follows the movement. Dramatic side lighting with dust particles visible in light beams. Match all movements to the beat. Urban, raw, cinematic."
"Two dancers perform contemporary ballet in an empty theater. Crane shot slowly descends from above. Spotlight creates pool of light, rest is darkness. Movements are graceful, connected. Slow motion 120fps feel. Ethereal, dreamlike."
Action
"A parkour runner vaults over rooftops at sunset in a Mediterranean city. POV shot alternating with wide tracking shots. Dynamic camera shake on impacts. Warm golden light, lens flares. Fast-paced, adrenaline, practical stunt feel."
"A martial artist performs a spinning kick that shatters a wooden board. Super slow motion close-up. Camera orbits 360 degrees during the kick. Wood splinters fly toward camera. Sharp lighting, clean background, hyper-realistic detail."
Commercial / Product
"A luxury watch rotates slowly on a black reflective surface. Extreme close-up macro shot. Studio lighting with precise reflections on the crystal and steel. Smooth 360-degree orbit. Premium commercial style, 4K product photography quality."
"Coffee being poured in slow motion into a ceramic cup. Steam rises in backlit morning sunlight through a kitchen window. Shallow depth of field, warm tones. Close-up with subtle camera drift. Lifestyle commercial, cozy atmosphere."
Sci-Fi / Fantasy
"A massive spaceship emerges from hyperspace above Earth. Camera starts tight on the hull details, pulls back to reveal the full scale against the planet. Lens flare from the sun. Epic orchestral mood. Interstellar meets Blade Runner 2049."
"A wizard conjures lightning between their hands in a stone tower. Low angle medium shot. Lightning illuminates the face from below. Particles and energy swirl. Camera slowly pushes in. Dark fantasy, volumetric fog, dramatic chiaroscuro lighting."
Nature / Documentary
"A hummingbird feeds from a tropical flower in super slow motion. Extreme close-up on the iridescent feathers. Shallow depth of field, jungle bokeh background. Wings create visible air distortion. BBC Earth quality, natural lighting."
"Timelapse of a thunderstorm rolling over the Grand Canyon. Wide shot from the rim. Lightning strikes illuminate the layers of rock. Stars wheel overhead between flashes. Dramatic, epic scale, National Geographic style."
Horror / Mood
"A figure in white stands motionless at the end of a long dark corridor. Static wide shot. Single flickering fluorescent light overhead. Slight camera drift. The figure's head slowly tilts. Psychological horror, unsettling, The Shining atmosphere."
Food
"Chocolate sauce pours over a stack of pancakes in extreme slow motion. Macro close-up. Steam rises. Warm studio lighting from the side. The chocolate creates beautiful fluid dynamics as it cascades. Food commercial, appetizing, premium production."
Multi-Shot Storytelling
"Three-shot sequence: Shot 1 — Wide establishing shot of a neon-lit Tokyo street at night, rain falling. Shot 2 — Medium shot of a woman opening an umbrella, looking up. Shot 3 — Close-up of rain droplets on the umbrella with neon reflections. Consistent character, moody cyberpunk atmosphere, Blade Runner color grading."
"@Image1 defines the hero character. Three-shot chase sequence: Shot 1 — Hero runs through a crowded market (tracking shot). Shot 2 — Hero slides under a market stall (low angle). Shot 3 — Hero leaps onto a rooftop (crane shot following upward). Consistent character appearance throughout. Fast pacing, handheld energy."
Audio-Synced
"@Audio1 is the music track. @Image1 is the lead singer. Music video: Singer performs passionately under stage lights. Camera alternates between close-ups on emotional delivery and wide shots of the empty venue. Movements sync to musical peaks. Concert film aesthetic, anamorphic, smoke and haze."
Style Transfer
"@Video1 is the reference style. Recreate the exact camera movement and pacing from @Video1 but set in a futuristic cityscape. Flying cars pass in the background. Holographic billboards. Subject walks through the scene. Maintain the timing and rhythm of the original."
"Split-screen comparison: Left side shows a 1920s silent film style (black and white, high contrast, slightly sped up, intertitles). Right side shows the same scene in modern 4K cinematic style (color, slow motion, depth of field). A couple dances in both. Creative, meta-commentary on cinema evolution."