How to use reference images in Seedance 2.0 for consistent AI video

You generate a perfect hero shot of your character. Great lighting, right outfit, exactly the vibe you wanted. Then you generate the next clip. Different face. Different skin tone. The jacket changed color. The background shifted from warm afternoon to overcast morning. Ten clips later, you have ten beautiful videos that look like they belong to ten different projects.

This is the consistency problem, and it's the single biggest frustration in AI video generation right now. Reference images are how you fix it.

TL;DR

• Reference images give the AI model visual anchors so your output stays consistent across multiple clips
• Character refs, style refs, composition refs, and environment refs each serve a different purpose
• Prepare references at 720p+ with clean backgrounds and consistent lighting
• 3-5 focused references beat 9 random ones every time
• Seedance 2.0 supports up to 9 reference images + 3 reference videos + 3 audio files in a single generation
• Most other tools cap you at 1 reference image or none at all

Why reference images matter

Every AI video generation is a fresh roll of the dice. The model interprets your text prompt, samples from its learned distribution, and produces something new. Without visual anchors, "a woman in a red jacket walking through a city" will give you a different woman, a different red, and a different city every single time.

For a one-off social post, that's fine. For anything that needs multiple shots to work together (a brand campaign, a short film, a product launch series) it's a dealbreaker.

Reference images solve this by giving the model something to match against. Instead of imagining what "red jacket" means from scratch, it sees your specific jacket in your specific shade of red on your specific character. The output locks onto those visual details.

Think of it like handing a mood board to a human cinematographer. They don't copy it frame-for-frame, but they use it to make decisions about color, framing, wardrobe, and lighting. AI reference images work the same way.

What types of reference images work

Not all references do the same job. Here's how to think about them by category.

Character references

Headshots, full body shots, and specific angles of the person or character you want consistent across clips. The best character references are 3/4 view with clear facial features and even lighting. Straight-on passport-style photos work, but 3/4 gives the model more spatial information to work with.

If your character needs to appear from multiple angles, include a front-facing and a side-profile reference. Two good character refs outperform five blurry ones.

Style and mood references

Color palettes, film stills, or art direction boards that communicate the visual tone you want. The model picks up on color grading, contrast levels, grain, and overall atmosphere. A still from a Wes Anderson film will push output toward symmetry and pastel palettes. A frame from a Michael Mann movie will pull toward cool blues and high contrast.

Composition references

Specific framing you want the output to follow. If you need a centered medium shot with the subject occupying the lower third, show the model an example of that exact framing. It matches the spatial arrangement, not the content.

Environment references

Location photos, architectural details, or setting context. Useful when your scene needs to take place in a specific type of space. An industrial warehouse, a neon-lit alley, a minimalist studio with white walls.

Object references

Product shots, vehicles, props, or any specific item that needs to appear accurately in the video. Brands use this to keep their product looking right across multiple generated clips.

How to prepare reference images for best results

The quality of your references directly affects the quality of your output. Here's what we've found works.

Resolution matters, but not as much as you'd think. 720p is the floor. Below that, the model can't extract enough detail from faces and textures. 1080p or higher is better, but going from 1080p to 4K on your references doesn't noticeably improve output. Spend that energy on better composition instead.

Lighting consistency is non-negotiable. If your character reference has warm golden-hour lighting and your style reference has cool fluorescent lighting, the model gets confused. Pick a lighting direction and stick with it across all your refs.

Show the full subject. Tight crops lose context. If you're referencing a character, include at least waist-up. If it's a product, show it with some breathing room around the edges. The model uses the surrounding context to understand scale and placement.

Clean backgrounds help the model focus. A character reference against a busy street scene forces the model to figure out what's the subject and what's the background. A clean, neutral background makes this obvious.

3-5 focused references usually outperform 9 random ones. More isn't always better. A focused set where every image serves a specific purpose (character, style, composition) beats a dump of loosely related screenshots. Each reference competes for the model's attention. Make sure every one of them earns its slot.

Using references across different tools

Not every AI video generator handles reference images the same way. Some don't support them at all.

The gap here is real. Sora 2 produces great cinematic output but gives you zero control over consistency across clips. Pika's "Ingredients" feature is a step in the right direction but caps you at one reference image. Runway handles reference video for camera movement well but doesn't let you stack multiple image references.

If your workflow depends on maintaining visual consistency across a series of clips, the reference input system is the feature that matters most.

Multi-reference workflows in Seedance 2.0

This is where Seedance 2.0 pulls ahead, so it's worth going deeper on how the multi-reference system works in practice.

You can upload up to 9 reference images, 3 reference videos, and 3 audio files in a single generation. That's 15 reference files total feeding into one output. But the real power isn't in the quantity. It's in how you organize them.

Reference hierarchy

Not all references carry the same weight. The model treats them differently based on what they contain and how they relate to your prompt.

Character references lock down appearance and identity. If you include a clear headshot, the model prioritizes keeping that face consistent even when the prompt describes complex motion or scene changes.

Style references control color grading, mood, and visual tone. These influence the overall look without overriding character-specific details.

Composition references guide framing and spatial layout. The model uses these to decide where subjects sit in the frame and how the camera relates to the scene.

Video references replicate camera movement and shot language. A slow dolly-in reference will produce a slow dolly-in output. A handheld shaky-cam reference pushes the output toward that movement style.

Practical reference grouping

Here's a combination that works well for most projects:

This gives the model clear instructions on five dimensions: who, what it looks like, how it's framed, how the camera moves, and what happens. Five references, each with a distinct job.

You can use more. If your scene has two characters, bump to 3-4 character references. If you need a specific location and a specific prop, add environment and object refs. But always ask: is this reference adding new information, or just noise?

Consistency across a clip series

For multi-clip projects, establish a "base reference set" that stays the same across all generations. Your character refs and style refs should remain constant. Then swap out composition and video refs per clip to get different shots and camera angles while keeping the look unified.

This is the workflow that finally makes AI video viable for series content: same character, same visual style, different shots and actions.

Common reference image mistakes

We've seen these enough times to call them out directly.

1. Using too many unrelated references. Nine random screenshots from Pinterest will produce confused output. Every reference should serve a clear purpose. If you can't articulate why a reference is in your set, remove it.

2. Mixing conflicting styles. A photorealistic character headshot combined with an anime-style mood board will fight each other. The model tries to reconcile both and the result is neither. Keep your references in the same visual universe.

3. Low-resolution reference images. Below 720p, the model can't pull enough detail from faces and textures. It fills in the gaps with its own interpretation, which defeats the purpose of using a reference.

4. Inconsistent lighting across references. If your character ref has warm side-lighting and your environment ref has flat overhead fluorescents, the output tries to split the difference. Match your lighting or expect mismatches.

5. Expecting pixel-perfect replication. A reference image is guidance, not a copy command. The model interprets references. It won't reproduce them exactly. If you need frame-exact reproduction, compositing in post is still the answer.

FAQ

How many reference images should I use?

Start with 3-5. Each one should serve a distinct purpose: character, style, composition, environment, or object. Only add more if you have a specific reason. More references means more signals for the model to balance, which can dilute the impact of each one.

Can I mix photos and illustrations as references?

You can, but be careful. If your final output needs to be photorealistic, stick to photo references. Mixing a photo headshot with an illustrated mood board sends mixed signals about the visual style. Keep all references in the same visual register.

Do reference images work for text-to-video or only image-to-video?

In Seedance 2.0, reference images work across generation modes. You can use them with text-to-video, image-to-video, and reference-to-video. The references inform the output regardless of whether you also provide a starting image.

What file formats work best?

PNG and JPEG both work fine. Avoid heavily compressed JPEGs where you can see block artifacts, especially on faces. PNG is safer if you're unsure about compression quality. Most tools don't accept WebP or AVIF as reference inputs yet.

Can reference images replace detailed text prompts?

No. References and text prompts do different jobs. References anchor the visual identity. Text prompts describe the action, camera movement, and narrative. You need both for good results. A great reference set with a vague prompt will give you the right look but random action. A great prompt with no references will give you the right action but inconsistent visuals.

Does using more references slow down generation?

Slightly. The model needs to process each reference, so 9 references take longer than 2. In practice the difference is a few seconds per generation on Seedance 2.0. It's not significant enough to change your workflow.

Start building consistent AI video

Reference images turn AI video generation from a slot machine into a production tool. Instead of rolling the dice and hoping for consistency, you give the model the visual information it needs to stay on track.

The workflow is straightforward: pick focused references, prepare them well, group them by purpose, and let the model do the rest. Whether you're producing a brand campaign, a short film, or a content series, this is how you keep everything looking like it belongs together.

If you want to try multi-reference generation yourself, Seedance 2.0 has a free tier. Upload your references, write your prompt, and see how much control you actually get.