Generate videos with a real person
Register a photo or clip as a reference portrait, then generate videos of that person with Seedance.
Seedance models refuse images of real people unless the person is registered as a reference portrait first. This guide walks you through registration and generation.
Before you start
- A clear photo — or a short clip — of the person. One person per portrait.
- Make sure you have the person's permission to use their likeness.
Steps
- Attach the photo (or clip) in the agent chat.
- Ask the agent to register it as a reference portrait — for example: "Register this photo of our founder as a reference portrait."
- The agent registers the portrait with your brand. This usually takes a few seconds, sometimes up to a minute — the agent confirms when it's ready.
- Ask for the video and pick Seedance 2.0 or Seedance 2.5 with
@. Attach the person as a reference alongside your other references. - The agent generates the clip on the board with the person in it.
Clip requirements
If you register a clip instead of a photo, it must fit this envelope:
- 2–15 seconds long
- 480p to 1080p resolution
- 24–60 fps
- Under 50 MB
A clip outside these bounds is refused with a reason — trim or re-export it, or use a still photo instead.
Limitations
- Registered portraits currently apply when you generate from references on Seedance 2.0 and Seedance 2.5. Image-to-video and frames-to-video don't use registration yet — the agent tells you when a generation can't apply it.
- Named public figures are refused whether registered or not. Registration works for private individuals — you, your team, your talent.
- Other video models don't need registration; they accept person images directly.
- Registered portraits are reusable — the same person works across all your projects without re-registering.