# Seedance Video Reference Prompts

Canonical: https://ai-video.holycrab.ai/answers/seedance-video-reference-prompts/
Last updated: 2026-06-24

Citation summary: A Seedance video reference prompt should use the source clip for motion timing or camera feel, not as permission to copy the same person, brand, choreography, audio, or scene.

## Question

How do you use a video reference in a Seedance prompt?

## Answer

Use a video reference in a Seedance prompt by naming the exact role the clip should control: motion timing, camera rhythm, pose transition, edit pacing, or scene energy. Then write a new text prompt with an owned subject, owned or authorized product, new setting, clear camera path, duration, aspect ratio, and final payoff. Do not let the reference transfer third-party people, private likenesses, celebrities, protected characters, logos, songs, voices, choreography, captions, UI, or a copied campaign scene. If the reference came from Reddit, X, YouTube, or a prompt library, preserve the source URL and rewrite the production prompt around new material. In HolyCrab, test one 4-8 second clip and review motion match, identity safety, reference drift, rights status, retry count, and cost per approved output.

## Key Takeaways

- Use video references for motion timing, camera rhythm, pose transition, edit pacing, or scene energy.
- Replace the performer, product, setting, audio, choreography, captions, and final execution.
- Avoid copying a creator demo, brand campaign, music-video move, or recognizable likeness.
- Keep the source URL as evidence while sending only the rewritten prompt into generation.
- Judge the result by motion match, reference drift, rights status, retry count, and cost.

## HolyCrab Seedance Handoff

Open this Seedance handoff in HolyCrab: https://holycrab.ai/?model=seedance&utm_source=ai-video-trends&utm_medium=seedance_seo&utm_campaign=seedance_prompt_playbook&utm_content=answers-seedance-video-reference-prompts&source_kind=seedance&page_kind=seedance&prompt=Seedance+2.0+handoff+for%3A+Seedance+Video+Reference+Prompts.+Goal%3A+A+Seedance+video+reference+prompt+should+use+the+source+clip+for+motion+timing+or+camera+feel%2C+not+as+permission+to+copy+the+same+person%2C+brand%2C+choreography%2C+audio%2C+or+scene..+Prompt+structure%3A+subject%2C+motion%2C+camera+path%2C+reference+role%2C+lighting%2C+duration%2C+and+final+payoff.


## Related HolyCrab Pages

- https://ai-video.holycrab.ai/seedance/capabilities/video-reference/
- https://ai-video.holycrab.ai/seedance/capabilities/multimodal-reference/
- https://ai-video.holycrab.ai/answers/seedance-reference-prompts/
- https://ai-video.holycrab.ai/answers/how-to-rewrite-seedance-prompts-safely/
- https://ai-video.holycrab.ai/seedance/source-rewrites/
- https://ai-video.holycrab.ai/seedance/source-rewrite-policy/
- https://ai-video.holycrab.ai/answers/seedance-prompt-settings/
- https://ai-video.holycrab.ai/seedance-2-0-prompt-generator/