Seedance 2.0 camera movement prompts: the complete guide to cinematic AI video

The difference between amateur and cinematic AI video usually comes down to one thing: camera movement. Most people describe what's in the scene but completely forget to describe how the camera moves. That's why two creators using the exact same tool can get wildly different results. One gets a shot that looks like it belongs in a film trailer. The other gets something that resembles surveillance footage.

Camera movement is the invisible language of cinema. It controls what the viewer feels, where they look, and how they interpret the story. And AI video generators understand this language, if you know how to speak it.

This guide is adapted from a popular post by @yyyole on X about camera movement prompts for AI video generation, which received 367 likes and 575 bookmarks. We've expanded it for English-speaking creators with additional examples, vocabulary tables, and tool-specific tips.

TL;DR

• Camera movement prompts are the single biggest quality lever in AI video generation
• A three-tier system covers everything: basic movements, emotional modifiers, and combination techniques
• Start with three terms (pan, zoom, dolly) and you'll handle 80% of basic needs
• Modifiers like "smooth," "aggressive," or "handheld" control the emotional tone of the movement
• Never stack more than 2-3 camera instructions in one prompt
• Use the universal template: Subject + Camera movement + Modifier + Lighting + Style
• Seedance 2.0 is particularly good at understanding precise camera terminology

Why camera movement prompts matter

Here's a quick experiment. Take the same scene and give it two different prompts:

A girl walking in the forest

A girl walking in the forest, smooth dolly follow at eye level,
golden hour lighting filtering through trees

The first prompt gives you a static, flat shot. The camera sits in one place, like a security camera bolted to a tree. The second prompt gives you a tracking shot with warmth, depth, and movement. Same girl, same forest, completely different video.

The difference isn't the model. It's the prompt. Camera movement instructions tell the AI how to behave as a virtual cinematographer. Without them, the model defaults to a static medium shot every time, and static medium shots are boring.

Every camera movement carries emotional weight. A slow dolly conveys intimacy. A fast tracking shot creates urgency. A crane rising upward feels grand and epic. When you skip camera direction in your prompt, you're throwing away the most powerful storytelling tool available to you.

Tier 1: basic camera movements (the foundation)

These are the building blocks. Each term maps to a specific physical camera motion that AI models have learned from millions of hours of film and video footage.

If you're a beginner, start with just these three. They cover 80% of what you need:

• Pan — Horizontal camera rotation (left or right) without moving the camera's physical position
• Zoom — Focal length change. Zoom in tightens on the subject, zoom out reveals more context
• Dolly — Camera physically moves forward or backward, as if on a track or rails

Once you're comfortable with those three, expand your vocabulary with the full set:

Notice the difference between "zoom" and "dolly." Zoom changes the lens focal length (the image compresses). Dolly moves the entire camera (the perspective shifts naturally). AI models trained on real footage understand this distinction, and using the right term gets you a more natural-looking result.

Tier 2: emotional modifiers (adding soul to movement)

Camera movement alone isn't enough. A dolly shot can feel romantic or menacing depending on how it's executed. Modifiers control the emotional texture.

Speed modifiers

Smooth — Romantic, peaceful scenes. The camera glides without any jarring transitions.

Smooth dolly in on the couple dancing under string lights

Slow — Suspense, nostalgia, weight. The camera takes its time, letting the viewer absorb every detail.

Slow zoom out from the old photograph on the mantelpiece

Fast/Rapid — Tension, action, adrenaline. The camera moves with urgency.

Fast tracking shot through the crowded night market

Subtle — Immersion, barely noticeable movement. The viewer doesn't consciously register the camera is moving.

Subtle tilt up during the character's monologue, revealing the storm clouds behind

Gradual — Building over time. The movement starts imperceptibly and becomes apparent only at the end.

Gradual 10-second crane up revealing the full scale of the ancient ruins

Mood modifiers

Aggressive — Horror, action, confrontation. The camera invades the space.

Aggressive handheld tracking shot through the chase scene, shaky and urgent

Dreamy — Fantasy, memories, romance. The camera floats and drifts.

Dreamy slow-motion dolly through the flower field at golden hour

Cinematic — A universal quality modifier that pushes output toward film-grade aesthetics.

Cinematic arc shot around the hero silhouetted against the sunset

Intimate — Close emotional moments. The camera comes in tight without feeling intrusive.

Intimate close-up push-in on their clasped hands

Style modifiers

These change the perceived camera rig or shooting style:

Mixing one movement with one modifier is the sweet spot. "Smooth dolly" is clear and effective. "Smooth aggressive rapid dolly" is contradictory noise.

Tier 3: combination techniques (advanced)

This is where things get cinematic. Combine 2-3 movements for complex camera behavior. The rule is simple: never stack more than three instructions. Two is ideal. Three is the maximum. Beyond that, the AI model gets confused and defaults to something generic.

Classic combinations

Orbit + Zoom In — Visual impact, subject reveal. The camera circles while tightening on the subject.

Orbit around the ancient stone statue while slowly zooming in on its face

Crane Up + Pan — Epic, grand establishing shots. Vertical rise with horizontal sweep.

Crane up from ground level while panning across the battlefield at dawn

Dolly Zoom (Vertigo Effect) — The camera dollies forward while the lens zooms out (or vice versa). Creates a disorienting background compression made famous by Hitchcock.

Dolly zoom on the character's face as they realize the truth,
background warping behind them

Hyperlapse + Orbit — Time compression with spatial movement. Perfect for showing change over time.

Hyperlapse orbit around the blooming flower over 24 hours,
day turning to night and back

Tracking + Handheld Shake — Intense pursuit sequences. The camera follows and shakes like a camera operator running.

Fast tracking shot with handheld shake through the forest escape,
branches whipping past camera

Scenario examples

Scenario 1: revealing a massive scene

Starting from an extreme close-up of a mysterious carved symbol,
slow dolly back + crane up,
gradually revealing it's part of a massive ancient temple,
epic scale, golden hour lighting, dust particles in the air

Scenario 2: emotional turning point

Character standing at the cliff edge looking out at the ocean,
smooth arc shot 180 degrees + subtle zoom in on face,
expression shifting from despair to quiet determination,
dramatic backlight, wind in hair

Scenario 3: time transition

Modern city street with horse-drawn carriages,
hyperlapse dolly forward through decades,
buildings morphing from Victorian to art deco to glass skyscrapers,
seamless time transition, consistent camera height

Before and after: the quality gap

Here's what the three-tier system looks like in practice.

Example 1: forest scene

Bad:

A deer in the forest

Basic:

A deer in the forest, camera moving forward

Good:

A majestic deer in misty forest, smooth dolly follow at eye level,
soft morning light filtering through trees, cinematic depth of field

Great:

A majestic deer slowly turning its head in ancient misty forest,
subtle arc shot 90 degrees + gradual zoom in on eyes,
ethereal god rays cutting through canopy, photorealistic 8K,
dreamy atmosphere, shallow depth of field

Each version adds one tier. The "bad" prompt has zero camera direction. The "basic" version has vague movement. The "good" version uses precise camera vocabulary with a modifier. The "great" version combines movements and layers in mood, lighting, and technical style.

Example 2: city night

Bad:

City at night

Good:

Futuristic neon city at night,
aerial crane down from skyscraper rooftops to street level + slow pan right,
bustling traffic with light trails, cyberpunk aesthetic,
rain-soaked streets reflecting neon signs, cinematic color grading

The universal prompt template

Here's a formula that works across generators. Use it as a starting point and adjust based on what each tool responds to best.

[Subject description],
[Camera movement] + [Speed/emotion modifier],
[Lighting description],
[Style keywords],
[Technical parameters]

A filled-in example:

A cyberpunk street vendor selling steaming noodles in the rain,
slow dolly circle + subtle zoom in,
neon purple and blue lighting with wet reflections on pavement,
cinematic Blade Runner aesthetic,
8K, photorealistic, shallow depth of field

Each line serves a distinct purpose. Subject tells the model what to render. Camera movement tells it how to shoot. Lighting sets the mood. Style keywords push the aesthetic. Technical parameters control output quality.

You can try this template directly in Seedance 2.0, which handles both precise film terminology and natural-language camera descriptions well.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my AI-generated camera movement look jerky?

Two common causes. First, vague terms like "move the camera" give the model no physical reference for what kind of movement you mean. Use precise terms like "smooth dolly forward" or "slow pan left." Second, add stabilization language. Terms like "stabilized," "gimbal shot," or "steadicam" tell the model to produce fluid, shake-free motion. If you're going for intentional shake, say "handheld" explicitly.

How do I control camera speed?

Use explicit timing. "3-second slow zoom in on the subject's eyes" gives the model a clear speed reference. "Rapid 1-second whip pan to the left" tells it to move fast. Without speed cues, the model picks whatever feels default, which is usually medium-paced and forgettable. Words like "gradual," "sudden," and "slow-motion" also help calibrate pacing.

Can I combine multiple camera movements?

Yes, and you should. But limit yourself to 2-3 combined movements. Connect them with "+" or "while": "Crane up + slow pan right" or "Orbit around the subject while gradually zooming in." Beyond three combined movements, the model struggles to execute all of them coherently and tends to default to a simpler interpretation.

Do different AI tools handle camera terms the same way?

No. Runway tends to respond best to formal film terminology. Pika prefers more natural language descriptions. Kling works well with explicit directional cues. Seedance 2.0 understands both precise film terms and natural descriptions, and handles bilingual prompts (English + Chinese) effectively. Test your preferred terms on your tool of choice and note which ones produce consistent results.

What's the single most impactful camera term to learn first?

"Dolly." It's the most versatile single movement. "Slow dolly forward" creates intimacy. "Dolly back" reveals context. "Dolly follow" creates tracking shots. And unlike "zoom," dolly produces natural perspective shifts that feel like real camera work rather than post-production lens tricks.

Quick reference: complete camera vocabulary

Keep this table handy when writing prompts.

Put it into practice

Three steps to better AI video, starting right now:

1. Learn the basic terms. Pan, zoom, dolly. Put one of them in your next prompt and compare the output against a prompt without any camera direction. You'll see the difference immediately.

2. Add one modifier. Pick a speed or mood modifier that matches what you're going for. "Smooth dolly" for something calm. "Aggressive tracking" for something intense. One movement plus one modifier is enough to beat 90% of prompts out there.

3. Combine when you're ready. Once you're comfortable with individual terms, start pairing two movements together. "Crane up + slow pan right" or "orbit + gradual zoom in." This is where your output starts looking like it came from a real production.

Good camera movement serves the story, not the ego. The goal isn't to cram every term you know into one prompt. It's to pick the movement that makes the viewer feel something specific.

Start simple. Build from there. And remember that the best camera movement is the one the viewer doesn't consciously notice, because they're too absorbed in what's happening on screen.