How to prompt Seedance 2.0 from a first frame: describe the motion, use Shot headings and add a Sound line. A template, three example prompts and mistakes.
Seedance 2.0 is a ByteDance model that turns a still into a moving shot. Because the picture comes from your first frame, the prompt has one job: say what moves, how the camera behaves and what the scene sounds like. This guide covers how Seedance 2.0 reads its inputs, a template built around motion, three example prompts and the habits that keep your takes usable.
In its frame mode, Seedance 2.0 needs a first frame. A last frame is optional and pins where the shot lands. The alternative is Seedance 2.0 References, which drops frames and takes up to 9 reference images, 3 videos and 3 audio clips instead. The same split applies to Seedance 2.0 Fast and its References lane.
Clips run from 4 to 15 seconds. Seedance 2.0 renders at 480p, 720p or 1080p, while Seedance 2.0 Fast offers 480p and 720p at lower latency. Sound is optional on both.
Multi-shot prompts are documented here too, with one rule that differs from Seedance 2.5: write "Shot 1", "Shot 2" headings in order, and never write times or second ranges. Cinemagiq rewrites Seedance prompts automatically into the structure ByteDance recommends, but it still pays to give each shot one clear action.
Since the still already decides the subject, framing, light and style, do not describe the picture again. Describe the change.
For one continuous shot:
The [subject in the frame] [main action], [secondary motion in the scene], [camera move or "the camera holds"]. Sound: [the one or two sounds that matter].
For a short sequence from the same first frame:
Shot 1: the [subject] [first action], [camera note]. Shot 2: [new framing] as the [subject] [next action]. Sound: [ambience and effects].
If the still has a strong look, name a matching motion style first, such as "Stop-motion style:" or "Time-lapse:".
Made in Cinemagiq. The exact prompt is under each one.
PromptThe hummingbird hovers and dips its beak into the flower, wings blurring, the petals trembling. Sound: rapid wingbeats.
First frame made with Seedream 5.0 Pro in Cinemagiq.
PromptTime-lapse: the daylight slides across the desk from morning to evening as sketches are turned over and pencils roll.
First frame made with FLUX.2 Pro in Cinemagiq.
PromptStop-motion style: the clay astronaut plants the flag, waves at the camera and slips on the cheese, comedic timing.
First frame made with Grok Imagine 2.0 in Cinemagiq.
Example 1 starts from a macro still made with Seedream 5.0 Pro in Cinemagiq. The prompt never describes the bird or the flower. It says "The hummingbird hovers and dips its beak into the flower", then adds secondary motion ("wings blurring, the petals trembling"). The definite article tells the model the subject is already in frame, and "Sound: rapid wingbeats" keeps the audio to one clear effect.
Example 2 animates a top-down desk still made with FLUX.2 Pro in Cinemagiq. It opens with a time device, "Time-lapse:", and makes the light the main motion: "the daylight slides across the desk from morning to evening". The small actions that follow ("sketches are turned over and pencils roll") give the frame life without asking for a camera move.
Example 3 starts from a claymation still made with Grok Imagine 2.0 in Cinemagiq. "Stop-motion style:" matches the motion to the handmade look of the frame. The prompt then lists three actions in order ("plants the flag, waves at the camera and slips on the cheese") and closes with a pacing cue, "comedic timing".
For camera and sound vocabulary, see the prompt engineering cheat sheet.
Yes. In its frame mode Seedance 2.0 needs a first frame, and a last frame is optional. The other route is Seedance 2.0 References, which takes up to 9 images, 3 videos and 3 audio clips instead of frames. Either way, the prompt then describes motion and sound.
Write 'Shot 1' and 'Shot 2' headings in order, each with its own action and camera note. Do not write times or second ranges in a Seedance 2.0 prompt. A timeline in seconds is the Seedance 2.5 format, not this one.
Both take a first frame or references, run from 4 to 15 seconds and offer optional sound. Seedance 2.0 renders up to 1080p. Seedance 2.0 Fast stops at 720p and is built for lower latency, which suits drafts and quick motion tests before a final take.
No. The first frame already sets the subject, framing, light and style. Spend the prompt on what moves, how the camera behaves and what you hear. Refer to things in the frame by name, such as 'the hummingbird', instead of describing them again.
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