The difference between a mediocre AI video and a stunning one often comes down to one thing: your prompt. This comprehensive guide teaches you how to write prompts that get exactly the results you want from Seedance 2.0.
Why Prompts Matter
AI video generators like Seedance 2.0 are incredibly powerful, but they need clear instructions. A vague prompt produces generic results. A well-crafted prompt produces cinematic magic.
Same concept, different prompts:
❌ Weak prompt:
A woman walking in the rain✅ Strong prompt:
Cinematic shot of a young woman in a red coat walking through
a rainy Tokyo street at night. Neon signs reflect in puddles.
Camera follows from behind, slowly pushing in. Melancholic
piano music, sound of rain and distant traffic. Film grain,
moody blue-orange color grade.The second prompt gives Seedance 2.0 everything it needs to create a specific, beautiful video.
The Perfect Prompt Formula
Every great Seedance 2.0 prompt includes these 6 elements:
[Subject] + [Action] + [Setting] + [Camera] + [Style] + [Audio]1. Subject — Who or What
Be specific about your main subject:
| Weak | Strong |
|---|---|
| A man | A middle-aged businessman in a tailored navy suit |
| A car | A vintage red 1965 Mustang convertible |
| Food | A steaming bowl of tonkotsu ramen with soft-boiled egg |
Pro tip: Include details like age, clothing, expression, and distinguishing features.
2. Action — What's Happening
Describe the motion clearly:
| Weak | Strong |
|---|---|
| Dancing | Performing an elegant waltz with flowing arm movements |
| Running | Sprinting through the finish line, arms raised in victory |
| Cooking | Carefully julienning vegetables with precise knife work |
Pro tip: Use action verbs and describe the quality of movement (slow, graceful, explosive, hesitant).
3. Setting — Where
Paint the environment:
| Weak | Strong |
|---|---|
| In a city | On a rain-slicked Tokyo street at 2am, neon signs glowing |
| At the beach | On a secluded Maldives beach at golden hour, turquoise water |
| In an office | In a minimalist Scandinavian office with floor-to-ceiling windows |
Pro tip: Include time of day, weather, lighting conditions, and atmosphere.
4. Camera — How It's Shot
Seedance 2.0 understands professional cinematography terms:
Camera Angles:
- Low angle (looking up, makes subject powerful)
- High angle (looking down, makes subject vulnerable)
- Eye level (neutral, relatable)
- Dutch angle (tilted, creates tension)
- Bird's eye view (directly above)
- Worm's eye view (from ground level)
Camera Movements:
- Pan (horizontal rotation)
- Tilt (vertical rotation)
- Dolly/Push in (moving toward subject)
- Pull out (moving away from subject)
- Tracking shot (following subject)
- Crane shot (vertical movement)
- Orbit (circling around subject)
- Handheld (slight shake, documentary feel)
- Steadicam (smooth following shot)
Shot Types:
- Extreme close-up (eyes, hands, details)
- Close-up (face)
- Medium shot (waist up)
- Full shot (entire body)
- Wide shot (subject + environment)
- Extreme wide shot (landscape, establishing)
5. Style — The Look
Define the visual aesthetic:
Cinematic Styles:
- Film noir (high contrast, shadows, dramatic)
- Wes Anderson (symmetrical, pastel colors, whimsical)
- Christopher Nolan (epic, IMAX, practical effects feel)
- Wong Kar-wai (saturated colors, motion blur, romantic)
- Blade Runner (cyberpunk, neon, rain, dystopian)
Technical Styles:
- Anamorphic lens (cinematic wide, lens flares)
- Film grain (35mm or 16mm texture)
- Shallow depth of field (blurred background)
- High contrast / Low key lighting
- Natural lighting / Golden hour
- Studio lighting (controlled, professional)
Color Grading:
- Teal and orange (blockbuster look)
- Desaturated (muted, serious)
- High saturation (vibrant, energetic)
- Monochromatic (single color dominant)
- Warm tones / Cool tones
6. Audio — The Sound
Seedance 2.0's unique strength—describe the audio:
Music:
Melancholic piano melody
Upbeat electronic dance music
Epic orchestral score with drums
Soft acoustic guitar
Tense, pulsing synthSound Effects:
Footsteps on wet pavement
Distant thunder rumbling
Busy café ambiance
Wind through trees
Mechanical whirringDialogue/Voiceover:
Confident male voiceover
Whispered narration
Excited crowd cheeringPrompt Templates by Category
Product Showcase
[Product type] product showcase on [surface/background].
[Camera movement] revealing [product details].
[Lighting style], [color mood].
[Music style] background music, [duration].Example:
Luxury perfume bottle product showcase on black marble surface.
Camera slowly orbits 360 degrees, catching light refractions
through the glass. Dramatic rim lighting, deep purple and gold
color mood. Elegant classical strings background music, 15 seconds.Character Action
[Character description] [action] in [setting].
[Camera angle and movement]. [Time of day], [weather/atmosphere].
[Visual style], [color grade].
[Audio: music + sound effects], [duration].Example:
Athletic young woman in black sportswear performing a powerful
roundhouse kick in an industrial warehouse. Low angle tracking
shot following the motion. Late afternoon, dust particles
floating in sunbeams. Gritty, high contrast look, desaturated
with orange highlights. Intense electronic beat with impact
sound effects on the kick, 10 seconds.Landscape/Atmosphere
[Location type] at [time of day]. [Weather conditions].
[Camera movement] across the scene.
[Mood/atmosphere]. [Visual style].
[Ambient audio], [duration].Example:
Misty mountain lake at dawn. Light fog rolling across still
water, pine trees silhouetted against pink sky. Slow drone
shot gliding forward over the water surface. Peaceful,
meditative atmosphere. Soft focus, pastel color palette.
Gentle ambient sounds of water and distant birds, 15 seconds.Dialogue/Story Scene
[Character A description] and [Character B description]
[interaction] in [setting]. [Shot type], [camera movement].
[Emotional tone]. [Lighting], [style].
[Dialogue description] with [background audio], [duration].Example:
Elderly grandfather with kind eyes and young granddaughter
sharing a moment on a porch swing. Medium two-shot, gentle
push in. Warm, nostalgic emotional tone. Golden hour lighting,
soft film grain. Grandfather telling a story with gentle
laughter, crickets chirping in background, 15 seconds.Advanced Techniques
Multi-Shot Sequences
For complex videos, describe shots in sequence:
Shot 1: Extreme close-up of eyes opening suddenly.
Shot 2: Pull back to reveal woman waking in unfamiliar room.
Shot 3: Her POV scanning the mysterious space.
Shot 4: Wide shot as she stands, disoriented.
Tense ambient music building throughout, mysterious atmosphere.Using Reference Inputs
Seedance 2.0 supports multi-modal reference. Combine with prompts:
Reference @image1 for character appearance.
Reference @image2 for location style.
Reference @video1 for camera movement style.
Reference @audio1 for music mood.
Character from @image1 walking through environment like @image2,
camera movement matching @video1, music feeling like @audio1.
Add footsteps and ambient city sounds.Negative Prompts
Specify what to avoid:
Elegant ballet performance in grand theater. Graceful movements,
professional lighting. Classical music accompaniment.
Avoid: jerky movements, empty audience, modern clothing,
pop music, handheld camera shake.Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Mistake 1: Too Vague
Bad: A person in nature
Good: Young hiker in orange jacket standing on cliff edge overlooking misty valley at sunrise. Wide shot, camera slowly pushing in. Peaceful ambient music with wind sounds.
❌ Mistake 2: Contradictory Instructions
Bad: Fast-paced action scene with slow, peaceful music
Good: Fast-paced action scene with intense, driving percussion
❌ Mistake 3: Forgetting Audio
Bad: Beautiful sunset timelapse over ocean
Good: Beautiful sunset timelapse over ocean. Waves gently crashing, seagulls calling, soft ambient piano melody.
❌ Mistake 4: Overloading
Bad: A woman who is tall with brown hair wearing a blue dress with white polka dots and red shoes walking through a busy market in Morocco while it's raining but also sunny with a rainbow and she's carrying three bags and talking on her phone while a cat follows her and street vendors are yelling...
Good: Stylish woman in blue dress navigating a vibrant Moroccan market. Tracking shot following her through colorful stalls. Warm afternoon light, bustling atmosphere. Market ambiance with distant music and vendor calls, 15 seconds.
❌ Mistake 5: Ignoring Physics
Bad: Person flying through the air without any support in realistic style
Good: Person leaping gracefully, captured in dramatic slow motion at peak height. Brief moment of weightlessness before descent.
Prompt Examples by Use Case
Social Media Ad
Energetic unboxing of new smartphone. Hands removing device
from premium packaging, revealing sleek design. Close-up shots
of key features: camera, screen, buttons. Modern minimalist
setting, soft studio lighting. Upbeat electronic music,
satisfying packaging sounds. 15 seconds, vertical 9:16 format.Music Video Style
Singer performing emotional ballad in abandoned cathedral.
Dramatic lighting through stained glass windows creating
colorful light beams. Slow orbit around performer, intercut
with close-ups of expressive face and hands. Cinematic
anamorphic look, film grain. Powerful vocal performance
echoing in space, 15 seconds.Tutorial/Explainer
Step-by-step coffee brewing demonstration. Barista hands
grinding beans, pouring water, extracting espresso. Clean
top-down and 45-degree angle shots. Bright, clean kitchen
setting. Satisfying ASMR-style sounds: grinding, pouring,
machine hissing. Soft background music, 15 seconds.Cinematic Trailer
Epic fantasy battle scene. Armored warriors clashing on
misty battlefield. Mix of wide establishing shots and
intense close-up action. Dramatic slow motion on key impacts.
Dark, desaturated color grade with orange fire highlights.
Thunderous orchestral score with metal clashing sound effects,
15 seconds.Lifestyle/Brand
Morning routine montage. Young professional starting day:
stretching in sunlit bedroom, making pour-over coffee,
choosing outfit. Warm, aspirational aesthetic. Smooth
transitions between scenes. Soft indie acoustic music,
gentle ambient sounds. Golden morning light throughout,
15 seconds.Quick Reference Cheat Sheet
Camera Movements
| Term | Effect |
|---|---|
| Push in | Increases intensity/focus |
| Pull out | Reveals context |
| Pan | Surveys environment |
| Orbit | Showcases subject 360° |
| Tracking | Follows action |
| Crane up | Dramatic reveal |
| Handheld | Documentary/urgent feel |
Mood Keywords
| Mood | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Epic | Dramatic, sweeping, powerful, grand |
| Intimate | Close, warm, personal, soft |
| Tense | Dark, shadowy, suspenseful, tight |
| Joyful | Bright, vibrant, energetic, warm |
| Melancholic | Muted, slow, reflective, blue |
| Mysterious | Foggy, obscured, ambient, ethereal |
Audio Keywords
| Type | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Music | Orchestral, electronic, acoustic, ambient, jazz, classical |
| Mood | Upbeat, melancholic, tense, peaceful, epic, playful |
| SFX | Footsteps, rain, wind, traffic, nature, mechanical |
Practice Exercises
Exercise 1: Improve This Prompt
Original: A dog playing in a park
Your improved version should include: Subject details, specific action, setting details, camera work, style, and audio.
Exercise 2: Write From Reference
Look at your favorite movie scene. Write a prompt that would recreate its style, mood, and cinematography.
Exercise 3: Product Video
Choose any product near you. Write a 15-second showcase prompt including all 6 elements.
Conclusion
Writing great AI video prompts is a skill that improves with practice. Remember the formula:
Subject + Action + Setting + Camera + Style + Audio
Start with the templates in this guide, then develop your own style. The more specific and visual your descriptions, the better Seedance 2.0 can bring your vision to life.
Ready to practice? Try Seedance 2.0 free and test these techniques yourself.
Bookmark this guide and reference it whenever you're crafting prompts. Your videos will thank you.
