this Seedance 2.5 character method is unreal.
here’s the exact JSON prompt behind one of these characters:
{
"output": {
"format": "photorealistic photograph",
"aspect_ratio": "9:16",
"orientation": "vertical",
"image_purpose": "natural smartphone selfie portrait inside a modern car",
"fidelity_priority": "extremely high visual fidelity, preserve the exact observable physical proportions, expression, framing, lighting behavior, clothing structure, car interior geometry, and natural smartphone-camera appearance described below"
},
"subject": {
"count": 1,
"gender_presentation": "male",
"age_appearance": "approximately early-to-mid 40s",
"overall_appearance": "ordinary real adult man with a mature but healthy appearance, photographed naturally rather than posed for a professional portrait",
"body_build": "average adult male build, moderately broad upper body, visible shoulders and upper chest only",
"posture": "seated upright inside a car, relaxed natural posture",
"orientation_to_camera": "torso and face oriented almost directly toward the camera, with only a very slight rotation rather than a strict profile or three-quarter pose",
"gaze": "looking directly into the camera lens",
"expression": "neutral and mildly attentive, relaxed mouth with the lips gently together or barely parted, no exaggerated smile, no dramatic emotion",
"emotional_energy": "calm, conversational, casual, authentic everyday selfie"
},
"identity_visual_characteristics": {
"head_shape": "medium-to-long oval/soft rectangular facial structure with a relatively broad upper face and moderately tapered lower face",
"face_length_to_width": "face appears noticeably longer than wide but not extremely elongated",
"forehead": "moderately tall and broad, clearly visible because the hairstyle is swept backward",
"temples": "subtle natural narrowing at the temples, not strongly hollowed",
"cheekbones": "moderately defined but not sharply prominent",
"cheeks": "moderate natural fullness with realistic mature facial volume",
"jaw": "medium-width jaw with visible but soft mandibular definition",
"jaw_angle": "moderately defined, rounded rather than sharply angular",
"chin": "medium-sized chin with moderate forward projection and a softly squared/rounded shape",
"facial_symmetry": "natural mild asymmetry between left and right sides of the face; do not perfect or mirror the features",
"neck": "medium-length adult male neck with moderate thickness",
"overall_skin_tone": "light skin tone with a neutral-to-slightly-warm natural undertone"
},
"head_and_face": {
"facial_proportions": "natural adult male facial proportions, with realistic spacing between forehead, eyes, nose, mouth, and chin",
"brow_to_eye_distance": "moderate",
"midface": "balanced and naturally proportioned",
"lower_face": "moderately broad around the mouth and jaw, tapering gently toward the chin",
"facial_volume": "realistic distribution of soft tissue and facial fat, especially around cheeks and lower face",
"expression_detail": "subtle tension around the mouth and eyes consistent with a person casually speaking or about to speak"
},
"eyes": {
"shape": "medium-sized slightly almond-shaped eyes with a natural horizontal orientation",
"size": "moderate, proportional to the face",
"spacing": "average spacing between the eyes",
"position": "balanced and nearly level, with natural minor asymmetry",
"iris_color": "medium brown to hazel-brown",
"pupils": "dark natural pupils",
"sclera": "visible but not exaggeratedly bright white",
"upper_eyelids": "moderately visible",
"lower_eyelids": "subtle lower eyelid structure with slight natural under-eye volume",
"under_eye": "mild tear-trough definition and faint natural coloration, consistent with a real adult face",
"eyelashes": "short, natural male eyelashes, not enhanced",
"catchlights": "soft diffuse daylight catchlights in the eyes",
"gaze_direction": "directly toward the lens"
},
"eyebrows": {
"shape": "naturally shaped mostly horizontal brows with a subtle gentle arch",
"thickness": "medium thickness",
"density": "moderately dense with natural irregularity",
"color": "dark ash-brown to gray-brown",
"spacing": "natural distance above the eyes",
"individual_hairs": "visible subtle individual brow hairs rather than a perfectly filled or groomed appearance"
},
"nose": {
"bridge": "medium-width straight nasal bridge",
"bridge_height": "moderate",
"length": "medium facial proportion",
"tip": "rounded natural nasal tip with moderate projection",
"nostrils": "natural medium-width nostrils",
"alar_width": "moderate width",
"overall_shape": "straight, masculine, natural nose without exaggerated sharpness or stylization"
},
"lips_and_mouth": {
"mouth_width": "medium width",
"upper_lip": "relatively thin to medium-thin",
"lower_lip": "slightly fuller than the upper lip",
"cupid_bow": "subtle and naturally defined",
"mouth_corners": "mostly neutral, relaxed",
"teeth": "not prominently visible",
"mouth_state": "gently closed or slightly parted as if in a casual speaking moment",
"surrounding_detail": "subtle natural lines around the mouth, no beauty retouching"
},
"skin": {
"base_tone": "light natural skin",
"undertone": "neutral with slight warmth",
"texture": "real human skin with fine pores and subtle unevenness",
"pores": "small visible pores, particularly across the cheeks, nose, and forehead",
"localized_redness": "subtle natural redness around cheeks and nose",
"forehead": "fine natural tonal variation and very subtle expression lines",
"under_eye_coloration": "mild natural darker tone beneath the eyes",
"facial_lines": "subtle mature facial lines, especially around the eyes and mouth",
"blemishes": "minor natural imperfections only, not heavily retouched",
"oiliness": "slight realistic skin sheen on forehead, nose, and upper cheeks",
"specular_highlights": "soft diffuse highlights from ambient daylight",
"overall_finish": "natural, unretouched skin with realistic microtexture; absolutely not plastic, waxy, airbrushed, or artificially perfected"
},
"hair": {
"style": "short mature masculine haircut with the hair combed and swept backward from the forehead",
"length": "short on the sides, somewhat longer on top",
"silhouette": "clean compact silhouette with the top pushed backward",
"density": "moderate to high density",
"texture": "mostly straight with slight natural texture",
"strand_direction": "predominantly backward and slightly upward from the forehead",
"parting": "subtle natural directional separation rather than a hard side part",
"hairline": "mature but intact hairline with a slight recession at the temples",
"forehead_exposure": "large portion of forehead visible",
"temples": "slightly receded, naturally irregular",
"color": "predominantly gray and silver with darker gray undertones, producing a salt-and-pepper appearance",
"highlights": "natural silver-gray highlights created by daylight",
"roots": "naturally darker gray roots mixed into lighter strands",
"shine": "low-to-moderate natural hair sheen",
"flyaways": "a few extremely fine stray strands around the hairline and top of the head",
"baby_hairs": "subtle fine hairs around the frontal hairline and temples",
"styling": "lightly groomed and controlled, not heavily gelled or glossy"
},
"facial_hair": {
"beard": "clean-shaven overall",
"stubble": "very minimal or nearly invisible natural stubble",
"sideburns": "short and blended into the haircut"
},
"body": {
"visible_area": "head, neck, shoulders, upper torso and upper chest",
"shoulders": "moderately broad adult male shoulders",
"torso": "mostly obscured by outerwear",
"body_orientation": "squarely oriented toward the camera while seated"
},
"pose": {
"head_rotation": "almost straight toward camera with a very slight natural offset",
"head_tilt": "minimal, nearly upright",
"chin_position": "neutral height, not dramatically raised or lowered",
"shoulder_angle": "slightly uneven because of natural seated positioning",
"torso_orientation": "facing forward",
"arms": "mostly outside the frame or obscured by the jacket, no prominent hand gesture",
"hands": "not visible",
"legs": "not visible",
"posture_quality": "casual seated posture rather than deliberate studio posing",
"body_language": "relaxed and conversational"
},
"clothing": {
"outer_garment": {
"type": "black insulated puffer-style winter jacket",
"color": "deep matte black to very dark charcoal",
"material": "synthetic weather-resistant outer fabric with soft insulated construction",
"fit": "comfortable regular fit, somewhat bulky due to insulation",
"silhouette": "high padded collar area around the neck and shoulders",
"front": "front zipper running vertically down the torso",
"zipper": "dark zipper with a visible central zipper track",
"collar": "raised padded collar partially framing the neck",
"panels": "subtle quilted/padded construction with horizontal or segmented puffed sections",
"fabric_behavior": "natural folds, compressed insulation, small wrinkles, and realistic tension where the jacket meets the shoulders and chest",
"finish": "mostly matte with faint localized fabric reflections"
},
"underlayer": {
"type": "light blue collared button-up shirt",
"color": "pale cool light blue",
"material": "smooth woven shirt fabric",
"collar": "visible pointed collar emerging from beneath the jacket",
"collar_behavior": "slightly folded and naturally displaced by the heavy outer jacket",
"visible_area": "collar, upper chest strip, and narrow sections around the neckline",
"buttons": "a small amount of shirt front is visible; any tiny buttons should be physically present but contain no readable markings"
},
"garment_interaction": "the shirt sits underneath the padded jacket and the jacket collar naturally overlaps and compresses the shirt collar; fabric folds follow the seated posture"
},
"accessories": {
"visible_accessories": "none clearly prominent",
"instruction": "do not invent jewelry, glasses, watches, hats, chains, earrings, or other accessories"
},
"environment": {
"location": "inside the passenger compartment of a modern premium-looking car",
"interior_style": "dark contemporary automotive interior with predominantly black or very dark charcoal surfaces",
"seat_area": "dark seat and surrounding upholstery, mostly hidden by the subject and frame crop",
"roof": "large panoramic glass roof visible above and behind the man's head",
"sunroof": {
"type": "wide panoramic glass roof",
"appearance": "large rectangular/irregular glass opening with dark structural roof framing",
"glass": "bright pale blue-gray daylight visible through the glass",
"frame": "thick dark roof trim and structural beams around the glass panel",
"position": "upper portion of the image, extending diagonally behind the head"
},
"side_window": {
"location": "right side of the frame",
"appearance": "dark curved automotive window frame and side glass area",
"glass": "subtle muted daylight beyond the window",
"trim": "black interior trim with a smooth curved contour"
},
"dashboard": "not prominently visible",
"doors": "not clearly visible except for partial side-window/door-frame geometry",
"background_depth": "very shallow because the camera is close to the subject; background consists primarily of nearby car interior surfaces",
"environmental_objects": "only physically plausible car-interior structures; do not add random objects"
},
"lighting": {
"primary_source": "soft natural daylight entering through the panoramic roof and side windows",
"secondary_source": "diffuse ambient daylight reflected from the car interior",
"direction": "primarily from above and slightly in front/side of the subject",
"quality": "soft, broad, diffuse illumination rather than hard direct sunlight",
"shadow_character": "very soft facial shadows with gentle tonal transitions",
"facial_lighting": "face is evenly illuminated overall, with slightly brighter forehead, upper cheeks, and central facial planes",
"eye_catchlights": "small soft daylight reflections",
"hair_lighting": "soft cool highlights on silver-gray hair strands, especially near the top and front",
"jacket_lighting": "dark jacket remains rich and near-black while still preserving visible fabric texture and folds",
"background_lighting": "roof glass appears much brighter than the dark car interior, creating natural exposure contrast",
"color_temperature": "cool-neutral daylight, slightly blue because of the sky visible through the panoramic roof",
"dynamic_range": "strong but natural contrast between bright exterior sky and dark interior, with preserved facial detail",
"exposure": "smartphone auto-exposure prioritizing the face while allowing the bright roof glass to approach high exposure without completely destroying its tonal structure"
},
"camera": {
"camera_category": "modern high-end smartphone front-facing camera",
"capture_style": "authentic handheld social-media selfie photograph",
"lens": "wide-angle smartphone selfie lens, approximately 24-28mm full-frame equivalent",
"field_of_view": "moderately wide, enough to include the head, shoulders, chest, and surrounding car roof",
"camera_distance": "very close, approximately arm's length",
"camera_height": "slightly below or near eye level",
"camera_angle": "subtle upward-facing perspective caused by the phone being held slightly lower than the eyes",
"perspective": "natural smartphone perspective with mild wide-angle facial enlargement near the center and slight environmental expansion toward the edges",
"sensor_characteristics": "small-sensor smartphone rendering with strong computational exposure balancing but realistic optical perspective",
"focus": "face and eyes are the primary focus point",
"focus_falloff": "near face remains sharp while the immediate car interior becomes somewhat softer but still recognizable",
"depth_of_field": "moderately shallow computational smartphone depth of field, not extreme DSLR bokeh",
"sharpness": "high facial detail with realistic smartphone processing",
"micro_contrast": "moderate, preserving skin texture without over-sharpening",
"motion_characteristics": "static handheld frame with no obvious motion blur",
"iso": "low-to-moderate smartphone ISO appearance appropriate for an indoor car environment illuminated by daylight",
"dynamic_range": "computational HDR-like balancing of face and bright roof glass",
"highlight_rolloff": "gentle smartphone highlight handling",
"lens_distortion": "subtle natural wide-angle distortion, especially near frame edges, but no severe warping",
"image_character": "looks like an authentic phone snapshot taken casually inside a car, not a studio portrait or professional DSLR photograph"
},
"composition": {
"framing": "tight vertical head-and-upper-torso portrait",
"subject_placement": "head centered slightly left of exact image center, occupying most of the central vertical area",
"crop": "top of hair has comfortable but limited headroom; shoulders and upper chest extend toward the lower edge",
"headroom": "small amount of space above the hair before the dark roof structure and bright panoramic roof",
"face_scale": "face is large in frame, roughly occupying the central upper-middle third",
"visible_body": "upper torso only, with lower torso cropped out",
"foreground_relationship": "camera is extremely close to the face, producing intimate selfie framing",
"background_relationship": "dark car interior surrounds the subject while bright roof glass creates a contrasting upper background",
"visual_hierarchy": "face and eyes are dominant focal point, followed by silver-gray hair, black jacket, then car interior and roof",
"edge_details": {
"top_left": "bright pale sky through panoramic roof with dark roof trim crossing diagonally",
"top_center": "dark roof framing surrounding the glass panel",
"top_right": "dark car roof/interior structure with curved automotive geometry",
"middle_left": "mostly dark jacket and small portions of car interior",
"middle_right": "dark shoulder/jacket area with curved side-window/door-frame structure farther behind",
"bottom_left": "black padded jacket filling much of the corner",
"bottom_center": "black jacket zipper and chest area",
"bottom_right": "black jacket and partial dark automotive interior"
},
"depth_layers": [
"foreground: close face, hair, collar, and jacket",
"middle ground: nearby car interior trim and window structures",
"background: panoramic roof glass with pale daylight/sky"
],
"horizon": "no explicit outdoor horizon visible"
},
"color_grading": {
"overall_palette": "cool-neutral, natural smartphone color rendering",
"white_balance": "slightly cool daylight balance",
"saturation": "moderate and natural, not oversaturated",
"contrast": "moderate contrast with deep blacks from the car interior and jacket",
"brightness": "face naturally exposed and brighter than the dark surroundings",
"blacks": "deep but not completely crushed, retaining some subtle jacket and interior detail",
"shadows": "cool dark shadows with preserved texture",
"highlights": "soft bright daylight in the roof glass and restrained highlights on skin and hair",
"skin_rendering": "natural light skin color with mild warm facial tones against the cooler environment",
"color_separation": "clear distinction between pale blue shirt, black jacket, silver-gray hair, skin, and dark interior",
"processing_style": "clean natural smartphone processing, realistic and slightly cool, no stylized cinematic grading",
"grain": "minimal natural smartphone grain/noise",
"compression": "subtle realistic mobile-photo compression characteristics",
"hdr": "gentle computational HDR behavior, enough to preserve face detail against the bright roof without looking artificially HDR"
},
"realism": {
"anatomy": "strictly realistic adult male anatomy and facial proportions",
"skin": "true human skin with pores, fine lines, subtle redness, uneven microtexture, and non-uniform tonal variation",
"hair": "individual realistic silver-gray strands, natural hairline irregularities, baby hairs, tiny flyaways, and varied strand direction",
"eyes": "realistic irises, pupils, sclera, eyelids, moisture, and soft catchlights",
"clothing": "physically accurate fabric thickness, insulation, stitching, compression, folds, zipper geometry, and natural interaction with the body",
"lighting_physics": "physically plausible daylight direction, reflections, shading, and shadow behavior throughout the car interior",
"glass": "realistic panoramic roof glass with subtle natural tint and exterior brightness",
"camera_authenticity": "must look like an actual handheld smartphone photograph, including believable perspective, exposure behavior, slight lens characteristics, and natural photographic imperfections",
"imperfections": "retain subtle real-world irregularities rather than producing a sterile perfect image",
"quality": "high-resolution, highly detailed, photorealistic, natural optical rendering"
},
"negative_constraints": {
"no_ui": true,
"no_text": true,
"no_captions": true,
"no_buttons": true,
"no_icons": true,
"no_watermarks": true,
"no_app_interface": true,
"no_status_bar": true,
"no_logos": true,
"no_extra_people": true,
"no_invented_accessories": true,
"no_glasses": true,
"no_hat": true,
"no_jewelry": true,
"no_generic_replacement_face": true,
"no altered facial proportions": true,
"no exaggerated masculinity": true,
"no excessive beautification": true,
"no face slimming": true,
"no artificial symmetry": true,
"no younger appearance": true,
"no plastic skin": true,
"no waxy skin": true,
"no airbrushed skin": true,
"no fake pores": true,
"no CGI appearance": true,
"no 3D-rendered look": true,
"no illustration": true,
"no anime styling": true,
"no excessive sharpening": true,
"no oversaturated colors": true,
"no cinematic orange-teal grade": true,
"no excessive HDR": true,
"no artificial bokeh": true,
"no extreme DSLR depth of field": true,
"no distorted facial features": true,
"no warped eyes": true,
"no malformed mouth": true,
"no distorted hands": true,
"no extra fingers": true,
"no duplicated body parts": true,
"no incorrect hairstyle": true,
"no exaggerated hair volume": true,
"no random background objects": true,
"no random background changes": true,
"no outdoor location": true,
"no studio backdrop": true,
"no dramatic studio lighting": true,
"no hard flash": true,
"no artificial rim light": true,
"no artificial beauty lighting": true,
"no overly polished commercial portrait look": true,
"no exaggerated smile": true,
"no dramatic expression": true,
"no pose that looks professionally staged": true
},
"final_render_instruction": "Generate one vertical 9:16 photorealistic smartphone photograph of a single middle-aged adult man seated inside a dark modern car, with his face very close to the camera and looking directly into the lens. Preserve the natural mature facial proportions, short swept-back salt-and-pepper silver-gray hair, light realistic skin texture, neutral conversational expression, black padded winter jacket over a pale blue collared shirt, dark automotive interior, bright panoramic glass roof above and behind him, cool diffuse daylight, subtle smartphone wide-angle perspective, and authentic casual social-media selfie appearance. Every material, shadow, reflection, wrinkle, hair strand, facial detail, and environmental edge should obey real-world photographic and physical behavior."
}
David @DavidRunsAds
I stopped using image models for AI characters. here's what I do instead:
image models make people look too perfect. smooth skin, perfect light, that fake AI look. you can spot it in a second
video models don't do that. Seedance 2.5 makes people look like they were filmed on a phone. so I make my characters there
here's how:
go on TikTok or Pinterest and search what you want. "girl in kitchen", "guy in car", "UGC in bedroom". find a video that looks real and capture the exact frame you want
put that frame into ChatGPT and ask it to describe everything in a JSON prompt. face, hair, skin, clothes, light, camera angle...
this part matters most. I have my own way of writing these prompts and it makes a huge difference. but even a simple version works
paste the JSON into Seedance 2.5. set it to 4 seconds, 9:16, 1080p. hit generate
watch the video, pause on the best moment and save that frame
that's your character
it costs more than an image model. but the skin, the light, the small mistakes that make people look real... you can't get that any other way right now
check the examples below