# Seedance 2.5 — production reference (ByteDance, official guides of 2026-07-31) Read `seedance.md` first for the family basics (Details Law, multi-shot syntax, 11-block skeleton). This file covers what 2.5 adds: the official prompt formulas, the 50-slot reference system, video editing, extension, ultra-long mode, and the blockout pipeline. Sources: the official Dreamina/Jimeng User Guide and Prompt Guide (both published 2026-07-31), verified against practitioner tests from the first launch week. ## Contents 1. What 2.5 changes 2. Specs and hard limits 3. Official prompt formula 4. Syntax markers for audio, dialogue and text 5. Reference discipline (the 50-slot system) 6. The 30-second structure: stages and end states 7. The anti-collapse skeleton (3 modules) 8. Realistic human formula (anti-AI-face) 9. Camera language 10. Transitions 11. Physics through consequences and triggers 12. Video editing (partial re-render) 13. Video extension 14. Ultra Long mode (30-180s) 15. Blockout and green screen 16. Storyboard grids and keyframes 17. Failure modes and fixes 18. Economics and model choice 19. Worked examples (official, verbatim) --- ## 1. What 2.5 changes - **30-second native single-pass clip.** One generation, one continuous arc, no stitching. Extension pushes it to 60s; a separate Ultra Long mode goes to 180s (see sections 13-14). - **50 multimodal references** (30 images + 10 videos + 10 audio) with per-asset role binding. The model understands which asset is responsible for character, scene, prop, camera move, or rhythm — if you tell it. - **Realistic humans are a headline feature**, not a liability: real skin pores, restrained micro-acting, multilingual lip-sync in 11 languages. The 2.0-era face caution does not apply. - **Negative commands became reliable.** "Pure video, no subtitles, no background music" now actually suppresses random subtitles and unwanted score — the classic 1.x/2.0 failure is fixed. - **Second-level timestamp control.** `[0-4s] ...` beat windows are honored as timing, not just ordering. - **Editing an existing video** (partial re-render, background swap, language re-dub) and **extending** it are first-class modes, not workarounds. - **Blockout control**: white-model 3D previz video (or green-screen plates) locks camera path, staging and blocking; Blender/Maya plugins upload straight to Jimeng. Entry points: Jimeng (jimeng.jianying.com — Omni Reference / Smart Edit / Long Video / First & Last Frames), Doubao (Pro subscription), Xiaoyunque (xyq.jianying.com — character library, 3D director stage, segment reshoot). ## 2. Specs and hard limits | Parameter | 2.0 | 2.5 | |---|---|---| | Single-pass duration | up to 15s | up to **30s** (duration `-1` or 4-30) | | Images per request | 9 | **30** (each ≤4K, ≤30 MB) | | Video references | 3 clips, ≤15s total | **10 clips**, single 2-30s, **≤30s total** | | Audio references | 3 clips, ≤15s total | **10 clips, ≤30s total**; audio-only input now allowed | | Output resolution | up to 4K | **480p / 720p** on Jimeng web | | Timestamps | ordering hints only | honored to the second | Generation parameters (duration, aspect ratio, resolution) are set on the generation page or via API — **they do not belong in the prompt**. The 1.x/2.0 CLI tail (`--resolution ... --duration ...`) is not 2.5 syntax. Exception: in Ultra Long mode, restate duration and ratio at the top of the prompt. Auto-locked parameters: video editing locks ratio and duration to the input (±0.3s); first/last frame locks ratio to the first image (a mismatched last frame gets stretched); extension locks ratio, duration settable. ## 3. Official prompt formula Base formula for any 2.5 prompt: ```text performs in . The visuals feature . Use . Audio includes . ``` Any component may be omitted. For long or reference-heavy work, the macro-formula: ```text Complete prompt = [reference declaration] + [one-line summary] + [plot by timeline] + [global tail] ``` - **Reference declaration.** Each asset by upload order + its role (character / voice / motion / scene). See section 5. - **One-line summary.** Subject + place + event + genre/style + special camera treatment. - **Plot by timeline.** Per beat: ➕ positive content (picture + camera + action + dialogue + SFX) and ➖ local bans ("no subtitles", "no BGM"). - **Global tail.** Re-state the must-hold globals (camera position, environment, sound, lighting) and repeat the global bans. Re-@ the same asset multiple times through the prompt — the official guide says repeated mentions increase accuracy. ## 4. Syntax markers for audio, dialogue and text 2.5 has dedicated markers. Use them — do not describe audio in loose prose: | Content | Marker | Example | |---|---|---| | Music | `( )` | `(Soft, rhythmic piano music plays in the background)` | | Sound effect | `< >` | `` | | Dialogue | `{ }` | `{Hello, welcome back.}` | | Subtitles / titles | `【 】` | `【Chapter One: Departure】` | Dialogue language reinforcement — the formula is `Dialogue language + regional variety or accent + delivery style + speaker + {line}`: ```text Dialogue language: authentic Los Angeles English. The young man says in natural Los Angeles vernacular: {No way, you actually made it.} The girl says softly in Japanese: {もう大丈夫です} ``` Lip shape, speech rhythm and face match the assigned language in one pass — this holds across all 11 supported languages, including mixed-language scenes. ## 5. Reference discipline (the 50-slot system) The point of 50 slots is not dumping assets in. **Every material's role must be written in the prompt.** Do not rely on text labels inside images; do not make the model infer mappings. Role template: ```text @Image 1 defines 's . @Video 1 defines . @Audio 1 defines 's . ``` Rules: - **Bind each subject individually.** ` corresponds to @Image 1. Use only the appearance, hairstyle, and clothing.` The officially forbidden pattern: "@Images 1 through 4 define four characters respectively" — it never states which is which. - **Add exclusions** for anything that could bleed in: "Do not use the image background." / "Do not use the people in the image." / "Do not use the person's identity, clothing, or scene from the video." - **Do not restate what a reference already defines.** If a reference video defines the motion, state only which attributes to inherit — re-describing every action conflicts with the reference. - **Subject Profile** for a recurring character: ```text [Subject Profile: Conservator] Appearance and clothing: @Image 1. Fixed prop: from @Image 5. Locations: and . Motion references: the case-opening motion from @Video 1. Do not use: other characters' clothing. Do not give this character . ``` - **Select references per scene**, not all at once: `Scene 1 | Use: . Event: ... End state: ...` - The same character in two states (before / after a transformation) = **two separate image slots**, each bound to its time range. Expect this to be the flakiest binding — budget re-rolls. Official stability sweet spots: | Input | Best | Possible but unstable | |---|---|---| | Subjects in a reference video/audio | 1-5 | 6-10 | | Reference clip length | 5-10s per subject | longer | | Subjects across reference images | 1-8 | 9-12 | | Multi-view sheets | ≤5 subjects: any | >5 subjects: single view only; separate images per view beat a collage | | Video-edit source length | ≤20s | longer stalls | ## 6. The 30-second structure: stages and end states Divide the clip into consecutive stages. **One primary state change per stage, and always state the visible end state** — the end state is what the model steers toward (this is the U11 final-image rule, per stage). ```text [Generation Goal] Generate a , then . (Low strings and heartbeat stop together) — keep only an inhale, the glass clink and the alarm. [11-16s] Close-ups in sequence: the curator frozen, the reporter raising the camera, the woman in red stepping back. Lights return to warm gold; cut back to the case — glass intact, the @Image 1 diamond gone. [16-20s] Slow push toward the magician's lowered right hand; a tiny blue glint inside his silver cuff; he lifts his eyes to the lens and smiles. No subtitles, no logo, no watermark. ``` Seventeen references, every one role-bound per scene; the camera choreography is supplied as a route diagram (@Image 16), not prose; sound is designed per beat with the `< >` and `( )` markers. --- *Author: Serge Shima ([t.me/aimastersme](https://t.me/aimastersme) · [sergeshima.com](https://sergeshima.com) · [aimasters.me](https://aimasters.me)) · License: CC BY 4.0 — attribution required · Source: [smixs/visual-skills](https://github.com/smixs/visual-skills)*