Course Promo — Educational Product Video Prompts
Seedance 2.0 Input Specifications
Seedance 2.0 accepts multi-modal inputs and produces short-form cinematic video output. Before writing any prompt, confirm the assets available:
Image inputs — up to 9 images
- Reference the first image as
@material[image1], second as@material[image2], and so on - Use for: instructor headshots, course mockups, student result screenshots, before/after photos, slide previews, community screenshots, device mockups showing the course platform
Video inputs — up to 3 short video clips
- Reference as
@material[video1],@material[video2],@material[video3] - Use for: existing testimonial clips, talking-head snippets, screen recordings of the course interface, b-roll of the instructor in action
Audio inputs — up to 3 audio files
- Reference as
@material[audio1],@material[audio2],@material[audio3] - Use for: background music track, voiceover narration, sound effects layer
Output specs
- Duration: 4–15 seconds per generation
- Resolution: 720p
- Aspect ratios: 9:16 (Reels/TikTok/Shorts), 16:9 (YouTube/Webinar landing), 1:1 (Feed)
- Chaining multiple generations creates a full 30–90 second promo sequence
Prompt length sweet spot: 120–250 words per generation. Too short = generic output. Too long = model ignores later instructions.
Asset Checklist Before Writing Any Prompt
Before generating a prompt, answer these questions:
- What is the course/program name and price point?
- What is the primary platform (Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, email)?
- What is the video duration target?
- What assets are available? (List all images, videos, audio files with their @material tags)
- Who is the target student? (One sentence description of their current painful state)
- What is the single transformation promise? (One sentence: "Go from X to Y in Z time")
- What is the CTA action? (Register, buy, apply, watch, join — pick one)
- Is there a deadline or urgency element? (Enrollment closing, live event date, bonus expiring)
Philosophy
Every course promo follows one arc:
Hook (tension/curiosity) → Evidence (authority/social proof) → Transformation (the future state) → CTA (one clear next step)
2-Second Hook Patterns
The hook is the first 2 seconds of the video. It must work without sound. Design it visually before writing anything else.
| Hook Pattern | Visual Signal | Emotional Mechanism | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Knowledge Gap | Split screen: wrong way (frustrated, messy desk, error screen) vs. right way (clean, confident, results visible) | Curiosity + mild anxiety relief | Skill-based courses, coding, design, marketing |
| The Transformation Promise | Single subject, before posture vs. after posture in rapid cut — slouched scrolling phone → standing confident, phone showing income notification | Hope + aspiration | Coaching programs, fitness, business, mindset |
| The Exclusive Access | Camera slowly pushes through a half-open door into a warmly lit room with a whiteboard full of insider frameworks — the viewer is being let in | Intrigue + belonging | Masterclasses, premium memberships, inner circles |
| The Social Proof Flash | Rapid montage of 4–6 results cards or testimonial stills, each on screen for 12 frames — too fast to read fully but pattern-registers as "many people succeeded" | FOMO + credibility | Established courses with a results library |
| The Authority Reveal | Close-up of hands writing a key framework on paper or whiteboard, camera slowly pulls back to reveal the instructor's confident face | Respect + curiosity | Expert-led programs, consulting, high-ticket coaching |
| The Relatable Struggle | Single frame of a person staring at a blinking cursor, overflowing inbox, or blank spreadsheet — paused in the moment before the breakthrough | Empathy + identification | Any course solving a specific frustrating problem |
Hook construction rule: Write the hook shot description first. If you cannot describe it in one sentence that would make sense to a stranger, it is not specific enough.
Visual Style Templates
Template A — The Classroom Cinematic
Mood: Warm, expert, aspirational. Feels like a premium Netflix documentary about a genius teacher.
Core visual grammar:
- Deep focus on the instructor, soft bokeh on background bookshelves or whiteboards
- Color grade: warm tones, slightly desaturated highlights, rich shadow detail (not crushed blacks)
- Camera movement: slow push-in on instructor face during key points; static wide during environment reveals
- Text overlays: clean serif or geometric sans, large single words, white with subtle drop shadow
- Transitions: hard cuts within sequences, slow dissolves between sections
When to use: High-ticket coaching (>$1,000), professional skill courses (law, finance, medicine), executive education
Input pairing: Works best with @material[image1] as an instructor headshot + @material[image2] as a bookshelf or office environment
Template B — The Screen-to-Reality
Mood: Kinetic, modern, "I can do this." Bridges the gap between the digital learning environment and the real-world outcome.
Core visual grammar:
- Split-plane composition: one half shows course interface/screen, other half shows the real-world application
- Color grade: cooler, higher contrast, punchy highlights — feels like a tech product ad
- Camera movement: fast parallax on split-plane elements, snappy cuts at beat drops
- Text overlays: bold geometric sans, full-bleed color banners, numbered lists that build on screen
- Transitions: whip pans, zoom cuts, clean smash cuts
When to use: Online courses where the skill is digital (coding, design, social media, AI tools), SaaS tutorial content, productivity training
Input pairing: @material[video1] as screen recording of the platform + @material[image1] as student success outcome photo
Template C — The Knowledge Montage
Mood: Fast-paced, energetic, "there's so much value here." Creates a sense of abundance and proof of content depth.
Core visual grammar:
- Rapid-fire sequence of 8–12 visual moments, each 1–2 seconds, set to a single music track
- Mix of: writing-on-whiteboard, graph/chart reveals, student reaction moments, product/device mockups, instructor gestures
- Color grade: consistent LUT across all clips — choose one (warm film, clean digital, moody dark)
- Camera movement: mostly static or subtle push-in per clip; movement comes from cuts, not camera work
- Text overlays: counter-style numbers ("47 lessons," "3,200+ students," "Week 1 result:"), appearing via quick fade
When to use: Webinar replay promotion, course launch week, social media ads where you want high information density, email header videos
Input pairing: Maximum inputs — fill all 9 image slots and 3 video slots; the montage needs variety to work
Lighting Presets
Lighting is the single biggest variable Seedance 2.0 responds to for "feel." Always specify it explicitly.
Academy Clean
Lighting: soft box key light at 45 degrees camera left, white fill card camera right,
practical lamp in background slightly overexposed for warmth, no harsh shadows,
color temperature 4800K, slight warm gel on key
Effect: Professional, trustworthy, accessible. Works at all price points. Avoid for: Luxury/high-ticket programs (too approachable, not exclusive enough)
Moody Expert
Lighting: single hard key light from above-left casting strong facial shadow,
deep background with single warm practical source (lamp or candle),
color temperature 3200K on key, 2700K on background practical,
subtle blue-teal rim light from camera-right for dimension
Effect: Authority, depth, seriousness. The viewer senses this person knows things others don't. Best for: High-ticket coaching, leade