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 Seedance 2.0 Fast at 720p; Pro on 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 2026-10-17