Explainer prompt: Penny explains how to build a bank from scratch

The exact Seedance prompt behind "Penny explains how to build a bank from scratch" (explainer), why it works, and the Cast style, camera and vibe settings that get you closest.

The output

Penny is a studio character, not part of a Cast pack. Below is the prompt for one of the 31 shots (the gold bar shot); every shot used the same two-part recipe.

The exact prompt

1. Opening-frame prompt (image model)

Low-poly 3D video game screenshot, PS1 / early-2000s console render, flat-shaded chunky polygon geometry, pixel-art textures, big expressive 2D anime eyes on the 3D faces, bright soft daylight unless stated, cozy toy-like world, vertical 9:16 frame. Penny is the woman in the first reference image: same face, auburn-brown bob with bangs, translucent green banker's eyeshade visor with a gold $ badge, fitted navy blazer, white blouse, navy pencil skirt, black heels, gold pen in the pocket, curvy figure.  Scene: Busy low-poly market square with fruit and bread stalls. Penny in heels drags an enormous gold bar behind her on a rope, leaning forward, pixel-art sweat drops flying off her head, annoyed face. No captions, no UI, no watermark.

She strains and drags the huge gold bar a few steps across the cobblestones, sweat drops popping off her head. Camera follows. Low-poly 3D game animation, stylized, smooth motion. Nobody speaks; mouths closed or smiling. No captions, no text overlays, no new characters appearing.

Why it works

• The art style lives in the image prompt, not the video prompt. The video prompt only says what moves, so 31 clips stay one look.
• Every shot starts from a still that the same reference image anchors, which is how one character survives 31 separate generations.
• "Nobody speaks; mouths closed or smiling" stops the model from inventing lip movement under a voice-over it never heard.

The knobs in Cast

In Cast you do not write any of the above. Pick Penny, type one line, and set these chips; Cast writes the long prompt for you and adds these exact clauses:

• Style: 3D Toon (Animated-feature charm). Cast adds: “Premium 3D animated-feature look, stylised appealing character proportions, big expressive eyes, soft subsurface skin, plush tactile materials, bright saturated colour, warm bounce light and squash-and-stretch animation timing.”
• Camera: Auto (Let it decide). Cast adds: “choose the shot size and one clear movement per beat from the action.”
• Vibe: Comedy (Snappy timing). Cast adds: “a setup beat, a hard pause, then an oversized reaction; bright even daylight, clean saturated colour, no dramatic shadow.”

A line to start from:

drags an enormous gold bar across a market square, sweating, then pays for bread with a paper receipt

Cast videos run 5, 10 or 15 seconds (Standard on MiniMax H3 Max Turbo at 480p, group scenes on ByteDance Seedance 2.0 Fast at 720p, Pro on ByteDance Seedance 2.5 at 1080p), so a 30-second idea like this one becomes a tighter cut. See pricing for credits per length.

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Updated 2026-10-27