1. Subject: Define What Must Remain Recognizable

Describe the central subject with only the features needed for identification. For a person, that might be age range, hairstyle, one clothing color, and one distinctive accessory. For a product, it may be shape, material, color, and label position.

2. Action: Give the Shot One Job

Use observable verbs. “A nervous traveler” is an interpretation; “the traveler pauses, looks over one shoulder, and tightens a grip on the suitcase” is visible behavior.

3. Scene: Establish Spatial Relationships

Style words do not replace a set. Instead of requesting only “cinematic atmosphere,” identify where the subject stands, what is behind it, the main light source, and which background details matter.

For example: “A narrow street after rain; the subject is centered beneath one warm streetlamp; distant shops are softly out of focus; wet pavement reflects the light.” The scene now has a usable hierarchy.

4. Camera: Choose One Readable Behavior

Test the action with a fixed camera first. Once the subject moves correctly, add one camera instruction: slow push-in, steady lateral tracking, gentle handheld observation, or a small orbit.

A structured Seedance 2 prompt guide is useful because it treats prompting as direction rather than decoration. Subject, action, scene, and camera each answer a different production question.

5. Continuity: Protect the Few Things That Matter Most

Continuity instructions should be short and prioritized: keep facial identity stable, preserve clothing, maintain background geometry, and complete the movement without a cut.

When a result fails, add one relevant constraint. If hands distort, simplify hand action. If the background drifts, reduce moving elements and state which structure must remain fixed.

Build a Testable Prompt

Combine the five parts in this order:

Subject: a young field researcher in a mustard rain jacket. Action: she closes a notebook, looks toward the ridge, and takes one step forward. Scene: a misty mountain overlook at dawn, with a tent behind her and soft side light.

Use Controlled Variations

Generate a small group of purposeful alternatives. Version A can keep the camera fixed. Version B can add a slow push. Version C can change the action pace. Compare the same criteria across all versions: identity, action completion, camera stability, background continuity, and usefulness in the edit.

Match Prompt Complexity to Shot Duration

Time is an implicit constraint. A short shot can show a glance, a step, or a single object reveal; it cannot comfortably contain an entire scene with setup, conflict, and resolution.

Keep a Prompt Log

Save the prompt, reference files, settings, selected output, and reason for acceptance. Record failures in plain language: face changed during turn, camera accelerated, product label drifted.

Browsing organized Seedance prompts can help when examples expose the relationship between instructions, references, and output. Study the decisions behind a clip instead of copying surface adjectives.

Prompt for the Edit, Not the Demo Reel

A production shot needs a clean beginning, a readable action, and an ending that can connect to another shot. Leave room for captions and product graphics. Avoid constant movement if the editor will need a stable section for text.