Seedance 2.0 is ByteDance’s latest AI video generation model, released in early 2026. It combines strong semantic understanding with physics-aware simulation to give you director-level control: what you describe is what you get, with consistent characters and scenes across shots.

Core features

• Multi-modal input — mix images (up to 9), videos (up to 3, ≤15s total), audio (up to 3 MP3s, ≤15s total), and text in one prompt; max 12 files.
• Cinematic 2K — professional-quality output, typically ready in 45–60 seconds for 2K, or 10–15 seconds for 4s HD.
• Native audio-visual sync — sound and picture are generated together; lip-sync supports 8+ languages with phoneme-level accuracy.
• Multi-shot storytelling — one prompt can create multiple coherent shots with consistent characters and visual continuity.
• Character consistency — the same character can appear across scenes without "AI face drift."

Seedance 2.0 offers two main modes: Text-to-Video (T2V) for pure description, and Image-to-Video (I2V) when you start from a reference image. For your first video, start with T2V to see how the model interprets language.

The five-element prompt formula

Use: [Subject] + [Action] + [Scene] + [Style] + [Mood]. Example: "A woman in her 30s, brown short hair, vintage denim jacket, photographing autumn leaves in Central Park. She crouches, adjusts the camera, looks through the viewfinder. Golden hour light, documentary style, warm color grade, calm and contemplative mood."

Settings

Generate and download

Click Generate. For 2K cinematic quality expect about 45–60 seconds; for a 4-second HD clip, about 10–15 seconds. Review for mood, style, and action; refine the prompt and regenerate if needed, then download when satisfied.

Seedance 2.0’s @ reference system lets you point each uploaded file to a specific role. In the prompt, type @ to open the list of uploaded images, videos, and audio, then assign them explicitly.

Examples

• @Image1 as first frame — defines character or scene appearance.
• @Video1 reference for camera/motion — reuse movement and framing.
• @Audio1 for background music or lip-sync — drive rhythm and mood.

Best practices

• Character refs: front-facing, well-lit, avoid heavy filters or extreme angles.
• Style refs: lighting and color from the image strongly influence the output.
• Motion refs: clear, simple actions; 3–5 second clips often work best.

You can combine several images, videos, and audio in one prompt (max 12 files total) to get precise control over look, motion, and sound in a single generation.

Seedance 2.0 supports multi-shot narratives in one prompt: describe each shot with a "Shot 1: … Shot 2: …" structure. The model keeps character and visual continuity across shots. You can also describe how a single shot changes over time (e.g. "over 8 seconds, push from wide to close-up; light shifts from warm to cool").

Camera and style terms

• Push in / Pull out — camera moves toward or away from subject.
• Dolly / Tracking — camera moves with or follows the subject.
• Handheld / Steadicam — natural shake vs smooth float.
• POV shot — first-person view. Documentary / Cinematic / Golden hour — style and lighting.

Common issues and fixes

• Face keeps changing: use I2V with a clear reference image and repeat the character description in the prompt.
• Motion looks unnatural: simplify to 1–2 actions per shot; add "natural motion" or "realistic movement."
• Output does not match prompt: remove conflicting instructions; split into simpler parts or multiple shots.
• Audio and video do not match: describe the audio or music style clearly; use @Audio for reference.